TENSION AT NEWCASTLE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1924, 5 December 1913, Page 8

TENSION AT NEWCASTLE.

CRANE MEN WARNED.

BUSINESS MEN URGE CAUTION,

RED FUNNEL BOYCOTT EASED. By Telcersph-Presa AsEociation-Corrticiit Sydney, December 4. The. position at Newcastle requires most careful handling, or a serious crisis will lie precipitated. In conncclicn with Hit; Government coal-lading cranes, the Chief Railway Commissioner threatened instant dismissal to any man refusing to coal ships. A delegation of prominent- commercial men interviewed the Commissioner, and urged upon liim the necessity of caution, pointing out that should" the cranes cease worlcinj;. tho wiiolo of tiro northern coalfields, employing over 20.000 hands, would probably ho made idlo and iiro added to tho already widespread discontent. • The Commissioner agreed to visit Newcastle am! inquire into tho position. Tho labour Conference has sent Mr. Watson (president of tho Colliery Employees' Federation) to the northern district, so that his advice and judgment on tho situation will be available on the snot, AMONGST THE SHIPPING, I WHOLESALE BOYCOTT RESOUNDED Sydney, December 4. A mooting of tho Wharf Labourers' Union last night rescinded the previous decision to boycott all tho Union Company's boats, and endorsed tho conference policy to hold up tho company's vessels trading to New Zealand only.' Tho wharf labourers at Newcastle nave declined to unload the barque Wa-' nganui, loaded with Now Zealand timber. Tho Union Steam Ship Company despatches tho Jtaunganui, not tho Manuka, to Wellington on Saturday.. The JJaunganui has sufficient' coal aboard to make tho return voyage. NINE MONTHS OF STRIKES, £234,058 IN WAGES GONE. Sydney, December 4. During tho past nine months therehave- been 148 strike disputes in tho Commonwealth, involving 41,737 employees. The number of working days lest was 529,042, and tho loss in'wages £234,058. Tho crew of the Tofua has given twenty-four hours' notice. BOYCOTT STILL. WHOLESALE. CONFERENCE DECISION IGNORED. By Tclosraph—Press Associatio-i—Copyright (Rcc. December 4, 5.15 p.m.) Sydney, December 4. The wharf labourers have again ignored tho Trades Union Conference's resolution to coirlino tho boycott to New Zealand cargoes only. No labour 'was available to-day for tho Tofua or tho Karitane,

The Union Company thereupon interviewed tho representatives of the Wharf Labourers' Union, but the latter was not in a position to say anything. The company, in order to givo all possiblo assistance to the union, withdrew the. whole of their staff and officers from tho wharf, reckoning that this would remove any chance of tho of "blackleg" and "scab" labour as an excuse for tho continuance of the boycott. ' ...(Kce.'„Pce-oml>cr i ,4, ff.-io.p.m.) Sydney, December .4. The Union Company later in the afternoon sent its regular staff back to work, placing them oil board the Makura. Tho Mmmgamii will disehargo tho Makura's load. The Maunganui'iS pea men are unloading tho Mauamii's New Zealand timber at Newcastle. When the seamen found that .;'oal was being loaded into the steamer Brisbane at Newcastle without trimmers, they intimated that they would not take tho vessel to sea if her destination were Lytteltou. This difficulty has not yet been overcome, and threatens-to lead to an extension of tho trouble. The Tofua still has a lot of cargo on board, and is waiting to receive more cargo for the Islands. Tho Karitauo lias a cargo of Tasinanian potatoes. It is reported that, tho Maungaimi's •eratcl: firemen, numbering 37, and cfnsistiii}: mostly of professional men, have intimated to tho Union Company tliat they intended to tako three days' holiday : n order to recuperate after their solid work in the stokehold; and that they have also declined to change over to the Manuka. Tho company, however, denies tiiat there is any friction, and declares that tho men's application for a holiday was willingly

■granted; also, that it would not bo necessary to take the Miumgauui to Newcastle, since tlio vessel has sufficient coal for three, trips.

Tim company's decision to dispatch the Maungamii to Now Zealand on Saturday instead of tlio Manuka is duo to tlio fact' that her passenger list is heavy, OBSTINATE WHARFMEN CALLED TO ACCOUNT. LABOUR. CONF.'BRKNCE ASSERTS ITS AUTMOIUTV. (Bee. December 5, 1.15 a.m.) Sydney, December 4. Tlio combined Trades Unionists' Conference has called on tlio wharf workers to provide labour in accordance with tlio 'policy of tho conference, Mr. Hughes trenchantly criticises the labourers, who are responsible for tho failure of tho union to carry out tho will oi' tlie conference. Tlio Industrial Commissioner has promised to take some action in connection with iho dispute, tVieibourhi}, December L The New Zealand trouble is already having a serious ell'cct on tile meat export trade of Victoria, ami if the strike continues, the employment oi' about' 2000 highly-paid hands will he endangered if it extends to that Stale. Tho representative of a loading meat linn says that, owing to the strike in New Zealand, consequent upon the limitation of space for frozen cargo, there has been a considerable decrease in this season's Sxpurt of lambs, although there had been a. prospect of a record season. If the strike extends, the breeders will lose heavily. Mr. Tucker (reerelary of the Victorian Vi'harf labourers' Virion) says that iiis union lias not yet been called mi to handle Now Zealand cargo, but if iho companies attempt to rim their boats hence to New Zealand (rouble may ensue. "Our men will not handle, iho cargo thai, has to be unloaded by the Arbitration unionists, and neither will we touch goods loaded by them." Shortly before 11 a.m. yesterday a mounted special constable iimnwl Robert C'-iuiisbeH was rounding a corner by the Customhouse, when his horse slipped, en the wood-blocks and wont down suddenly with its rider. When Campbell was picked up it was discovered that his leg was broken just above the anklo.' First-aid was rendered by tho police, and later the injured man, wdio hails from Nelson, was convoyed to tho Hospital. There was a good deal of comment anion;; tho bystanders about the. length of time taken before tho ambulance arrived on tho scene. Thofamous "Roiiya'* Writing P.uls always in slock, tlcoi'so and George, 101-IH3 Cuba Street.—Advt,