RUMBLING OF THE STORM.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1927, 9 December 1913, Page 8

RUMBLING OF THE STORM.

IN THE STRIKERS' RANKS. THE FUNDS NOW AT LOW EBB. From information gathered l from exsi rikors and strikers who wero on tho waterfront yesterday, there appears to bo a dccidcd split; in tho c-ld 1 watersiders' ranks. Ono of tho strikers', in answer to a question, told a, reporter that tho funds of tho lato union wero in a very bad way. He also explained that, last week, tho Strike Committee liad paid out £'900. A contribution of £100U was expected from Sydney, but up till yesterday this money had not, como to hand. The result was that thcro was only enough money left to moot expenses up till to-day, and this state of affairs had caused trouble.

It appears that tho members of tho old Waterside Workers' Union who liavo not returned to work have met frequently, and, at each, conclave, thcro liavo been disturbances. Discontent has been expressed "with the way in which tilings liavo been managed. A meeting of strikers was called yesterday morning, and it is reported 1 that it was fairly well attended. The officials, however, wore absent, and consequently tho meeting lapsed. Tho men expressed indignation at certain matters, and soveral'of them decided to join the new union arid commence work. The lict result was that 32 ox-strikers signed on with tho now unions and several more liavo signified thoir mtentitn of seeking employment on tho wharves to-day. To use, tho words of a prominent labour foreman on tho wharf, tho mon who turned to yesterday were "some of tho bc-st men and "nest workers in, tho old union ranks." Prior to yesterday there wore over 200 ex-strikers hack at work on tho waterfront. Today tho total number is between 250 and 2GO, Further inquiries elicited tho fact that another meeting of the okl union will bo hold this morning, when, it is understood that the attitude of t one of tlio union oflicials will bo tho subjoct of .discussion. When asked what -tho trouble, was about, a striker informed a Dominion reporter that the official in question was going to be "pulled' up on tho mat for something ho had said in tlio street."