FEDERATION FACING THE POSITION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1931, 13 December 1913, Page 6

FEDERATION FACING THE POSITION.

' CRY OFF OR NOT? IMPORTANT COURT RULING; ON UNION GRANTS, NEW UNION DROPS THE PILOT. Yesterday was pay-day on the wharves for coal and cargo men employed by tlio lUnion Company. Tho pay-sheet totalled up to no less a snip tlian £1777 165., and this, it may bo stated, is tlio largest -pay that tho Union Company has yet disbursed for general cargo working in Wellington. Tlio percentage of ■big wages amongst this amount was vory high. Sums ranging from £3 up to £8 were paid to the watcrsiders. It is understood that a meeting of tile Harbour Board's "permanent casuals" to tlio number of about 300, who went in strike, will be held on Monday to consider tho question of resuming work. It is stated that several of tho men Hiavo joined the now union, and that the remainder aro vory desirous of doing likewise. Theso men wero employed most of tho year at work in tlio sheds Und in the wool stores. . Forty now unionists signed on yesterday at including ton of tho old hands. This brings the strength' of tho union now to about | 2300 all told.

FARMERS RELIEVED; .WHEN THE ATHENIC CLEARED. Touching on tho strilco, and how it affected farmers, Mr. J. G. Wilson, ' presidont of tho Farmers' Union, when addressing shareholders of tho Farmers' Co-operative Distributing Co., Ltd., yesterday,' said thero was no doubt that tho butter and cliecse industry was moro threatened than any other part of tho farming industry, and it was extremely fortunato that the farmers rose as a man and insisted on .having tho produce put on board the ships in Wellington. If it had not been for the Athonic gotting away ho did not know •what'would have happened. It would have been a serious tiling for New Zealand, and tho curious thing .was that the men who refused to load tho boats would have suffered most in the long run. That was tho case tho world over. Fortunately thero seemed now every expectation that tho strike was going to end. It wan marvellous to think tlfat during all the time of disturbance tho people camo forward so rapidly, and so generously, to assist in putting that produco on the vessels. Now that tho overseas boats were running it seemed that the dairy H industry had good prospects to look forward to. They could not expect that tho market in England would be so good, for there was 110 question but that the Dublin striko was a vory serious matter, and had upset trade.