NEGOTIATIONS OFF.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1999, 5 March 1914, Page 5

NEGOTIATIONS OFF.

CRISIS REACHED IN MEAT STRIKE. MINISTRY'S INACTION CONDEMNED. MR HOLMAN'S REPLY By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright Sydney, March 1. The master butchers have formally informed Mr. Holman that tho Government's terms of settlement aro unacceptable. All negotiations aro off for the present so far as they aro concerned. ' ,>• They have also decided to discontinue the depots system from ,to-ii)orrow, and to revert to ordinary conditions, opening all shops for tho employers to do business. It is estimated that 80 per cent, of tho shops will ho selling to-morrow, and that tho balance will lie open in a few days. The employers will do their own killing and carting. • Employees aro invited to apply "for reinstatement, on terms that will be disclosed on, application. Appsal to the Government. In the Legislative Assembly, Mr. C. G. Wade, Leader of the Opposition, riiade a strong appeal to tho Government to uphold the Arbitration Act, even to tho point of prosecuting / tho strikers who were flouting tho law. It was the Ministry's duty to see that tho food supply was maintained in tho public interest. The result of tho Ministry's inaction and the hollow cry of nationalisation was encouraging tho men to break the law; and then, when tho employers were helpless, they told them that tho businesses would bo seized, thus going back to tho"old bushranging days. . , Tho Premier, .Mr.. Holman, in reply, said that the Government was sworn to uphold the law, and •'! need aroso would do it. Happily no such question had yet arisen, and. he'(lid not anticipate that it Would. Up till yesterday the Government had fair ground for believing that a settlement would be reached. "We Will Face the Position." "Apparently to-day,", continued Mr. Holman, "we are confronted with the' necessity of doing something to restore tho supply of an absolutely necessary commodity. If that is so, wo will faco the position immediately and tako whatever steps aro necessary in the supreme interests of the community." The Prcnrcr added that if information of broaches of tho law was forthcoming prosecutions would follow. If the masters got men to' work, the Government would protect them. A CRISIS REACHED. STATE ACTION IMPERATIVE. Sydney, March 4. It is recognised that the employers of the meat and iron trades, having resolved against the resumption of work, excepting unconditionally, a crisis has boon reached, and Government action is ; imperative. There aro 8500 men idlo in tho iron trades. A mass meeting of meat industry employees decided to continue the strike 'oniho. present linos! "'"' .','■•' '•'■■■•'. . ~, 1 Tub I '"Herald"' state's'tlinf'it'liaS ascertained unofficially; that' tho 'Government's, trump card in tho event of tho ■strike continuing is to engage' iii a. modified form of nationalisation; not to nationalise the whole of tho meat industry, but to provide killers and killing facilities and sale depots for those prepared to undortake the sole distribution of tho meat. MINISTERIAL OPTIMISM. •' (Rec. March 4, 8.40 p.m.). .. , Sydney, March 4. * It is confidently believed in Ministerial circles that tho. end of the bntchors' strike is in viow. Mr. Holman (the Promior) and Mr. Estell (Minister, of Labour) further discussed tho position with the employers to-day, putting before them a proposal slightly less i favourable to tho men. ' ' J Meanwhilo tho employees havo called 1 a mass meeting for to-morrow morning, in. anticipation, of a fresh offer from some of the retajl butchers, which indicates a breaking away from the allied trades committee So far no labour is offering for tho city shops, unionists expressing tho opinion that the attempt to run tho, shops with non-union labour will fail, as' all tho competent men aro unionists. The public is already tired of the kind of meat which is being sold in tho depots. THE IRON TRADE DEADLOCK. (Rec. March 4, 9.45 p.m.) Sydney, March 4. _. Tho aspect of tho iron trades strike is more hopeful. The Employees' Dofence. Committee has arranged for a small sub-committeo to meet the president of the Employers' Association, and tho future action of the men will depend on the result of this meeting. RURAL WORKERS' STRIKE. FARM RAIDED BY UNIONISTS. ' Sydney, March 4. In connection with tho rural workers' strike, a body of unionists raided a farm at Wagga, and compelled a number of non-unionists to leave work. The unionists marched the men to town. A strong forco of farmers was enrolled, and visited the unionists' camp, delivered the captives, and escorted them back to work. WATERSIDE WORKERS IN VICTORIA. Melbourne, March 4. Under protest from steamship owners against reauniing tho hearing of the watersido workers' case while tho stevedores refused to fall into lino in working overtime, Mr. Justice Higgins further adjourned tho caso unt'l Tuesday.