THE SYDNEY STRIKE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3162, 14 August 1917, Page 5

THE SYDNEY STRIKE

FULL ECONOMY ORDERED (Bee. August 13, 10. p.m.) Sydney, August 13. ■ The lighting, heating, ami cooking re-; strictions existing during tho Tecent coal strike aro being enforced in order to economise in fuel. The ship-painters and dockers struck to-day.—Press Assn. WHARF EMBARGO AT FREMANTLE. Fremantle, August 13. The wharf men have refused to handle export Hour for Singapore and Dutch ports, i'oreigu loading has "been eusponded.—Press Assn. On a motion for the adjournment of the federal House of Representatives Mr. Tudor drew attention to the lack of employment and the high cost of living in Melbourne, reiterating many statements that had been made to Mr. Hughes by a deputation on the previous day.

The Prime Minister intimated in. the 4 course of a reply that the Government' \ would go oa with all possible worts at its disposal. Inferring to the shipbuild-' ing project, he said that' while there was some conflict of opinion among the . unions on certain .ispects of the Government's scheme, he ielt fairly confident that the industry would be fairly started. Ho pointed out that tho financial position, both of tho Commonwealth and States, was acute. It was impossible .to borrow money anywhere. The necessity for economy must, therefore, be obvious. At (he same time, money was circulating in the country more freely at present than at any other period, but in order , that they might devalop their industries it was absolutely essential that they should turn over a new industrial leaf, and an end must conie to these continual stoppages of work. He instanced the coal strike and the appointment of a special tribunal, which had given' the miners all they asked. Yet there had been continual stoppages, the effect of which was the same as if there had been a general strike. It was deplorable. The men some time since had come to the Government and urged that they should be givon work, and action was taken lo ■nve effect to the request by storing coal, to which exception had later been taken, and the miners struck. ' There was at tho present moment a «reat strike in New South Wales, not about wages or conditions, but over some question of union principle which threatened to involve many in misery. He laid it down as a condition (precedent to industrial help that there must be continuity of industrial operations. The. lack o"f certainty was a. sreious handicap to investment in dustrial enterprses. a day never went by without a stoppage on the wharves in some part of Australia. Ho believed that much of the unemployment was due- to pestiferous agrtatore, who, now that unions had grown strong, were living on them and sapping their vitals. Ninety-five- per-cent-of the unionists wanted industrial peace, and to., go on working, but the parasitic 5 per kt-w^Vlo^ec^aS! aiimn time filled their pockets. Mi. Blakeley (N.S.W.): What are. you.-, g °TlfePrilne a Miniater ? : They were in the same cfass as those parasites of unions of which lie had spoken, and ho would like tn lmort thelot, They were a disgrace Mr Hughes, tnrning mdgnantly. declared that it was men suck as he wlio were a . c Sβ to the Labour movement when who -. would sooner knock off than knock on and who were sucking the life mood out S? unionism. (Labour dissentandinterrnntion) The people as a body would reioicein the downfall of all such .people. TtosewUo preyed on the community and £ who on would be bettor without them, lhe liov rto Government would take action.