SICK & TIRED OF IT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1934, 17 December 1913, Page 8

SICK & TIRED OF IT.

THE "GO-SLOW"CONFERENCE,

STRIKERS RESTIVE,

OVER 780 SEAMEN REPLACED. / "Nothing to say"—Mr. P. Hickey is now in a chronic stato of ''nothing to say"—was tho answer which a reporter received when, ho asked what progress had heen made by the Federation conference. Others, however, had much to say. Inter alia, they state that they do not believe that tho delegates to tho conference, are doing much business. If they had really been at work continuously a conclusion could have been reached long ago. The long delay is part of the Federation's bos of devices. .Even members of tho Wellington Strike Committoo do not know what business (if any) has come up. Secretaries of unions on strike aro also kept .in the dark. One man who is prominently associated with the Federation of Labour states that tho conference was simply a "blind." He gave it as his opinion that the delegates were playing a game of bluff, partly on account of tho Lyttelton election, and. partly because they have some vague idea that a long, "do-nothing conference" may, even yet, tire • the employers. The r.ank and file are very tired of it all— growing more tired daily. In n number of cases strikers have taken tho matter into their own hands, and gone back regardless of consequences. He Went Back—A Pleasant Scena. One old waterside worker wlio camo to the office of the secretary to sign on said that he had had enough of the whole business, and had decided to resume work, no matter what the strike bosses might say or think. "I've nothing in tho cupboard," he said, and no money to buy the children presents for Christmas. I'vo stood out solid for eight weeks, and I'm sick of it. I'll just get in a week's work before Christmas, and the money will buy a plum pudding and somo toys for tho youngsters. So hero goes." . AVith these words, tho old unionist signed tho book, and was told to be ready to commence work at 8 a.m. to-day. It was a pleasant little scene., ' After the day's work was over ho frankly stated: "Well, I'm glad I did it, and now that I have signed on I am beginning to think what an idiot I was for not turning to sooner." . There aro similar cases every day. It is freely stated that if the Federation leaders do not "speed up" their deliberations there will presently bo no men left in the strikers' ranks' to lead. "Any Chance of a Job?" A considerable number of seamen have evidently decided that they had had sufficient of the Federation's way. In one •caso yesterday two men interviewed a s'hipping manager and asked if there was "any chance of a job." "But you aro out on strike, aren't you?" tno manager asked. "Well, it's like this, mister," one of the men replied, "as far as our union is concerned the trouble is over, and we are only trying to get ahead of the other men and get a job. We know tho game ;is up, ana by to-morrow there will be a rush for positions. Is there anything doing, mister?" he said in conclusion. Iu another case yesterday seven firemen and 1 greasers, members of the union, went down to the Union Company's Katoa and applied for positions. The Katoa, however, had a. full crew at the time. , Ship Manning. The number of men, _ Arbitrationists and others, who have joined the various steamers which have been rccommissioned at Wellington sinco the strike commenced, amounted to 786 up till 4 p.m. yesterday. Tncso figures ; nclude those who have signed on a vessel's articles for ■a trip or so, and have left to be replaced by ethers. A reporter asked some of the engineers how their new firemen, trimmers, and greasers -had been working, and in every case satisfaction was expressed. In somo instances engineers expressed a ttrong desire to keep their present hands. One or two went so far as to- say that, as far as they wero personally concerned, the old hands need not apply for work because the present men were, doing the work quite as well as the old hands, and giving less trouble. Creymouth Lumpers Turn To. According to advices reseivod in Wellington, the waterside workers at Greymouth have realised the hopelessness of the struggle, and they have returned to work. For tho past eight weeks no steamer has entered or left the West Coast port. Since the Greymouth Waterside Workers' Union have decided on tho only course open to them. It is proposed to dispatch two steamers at least from Wellington for Greymouth this week. It is understood that the Anchor Line's Alexander will leavo here for the West Coast port direct about the end of the week, and will be followed bv the Kennedy, which will proceed via Nelson.