The Labor Difficulty.

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 38, 13 September 1890, Page 2

The Labor Difficulty.

MATTEBS SERIOUS AT SOUTHAMPTON. INDIGNATION MEETING AT CHRISTCHURCH. ACTION of RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS CONDEMNED. RIOTING AT WELLINGTON. UNIONIST THROWN DOWN a SHIP'S HOLD. (PER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION). London, September 10. The Admiralty are preventing dockers from blockading Southampton. The steamer Rangitiri ia loading coal at Cardiff for New Zealand. The total amount of money remitted to Australia so far is under £6500. Only the Unions have subscribed. The Union Steamship Company threaten to remove their works from Southampton to London if the strike succeeds. September 11. The Fire Brigade drenched the strikers at Southampton. The soldiers cleared the streets, and are guarding the docks to prevent picketing. The Blue Jackets patrol the harbour in boats to prevent the ships being meddled with, The dockers are willing to accept 5d per hour by the day and 6d at night, but the masters decline to exclude non-Unionists. It is doubtful whether the London Executive will support the strike. Sydney, September 11. - Two thousand more miners, whose fourteen days' notice is up, came out to-day, swelling the number on strike at Newcastle to seven thousand. The strikers are greatly in need of funds. The Dorunda's firemen and seamen have resumed work, and the charges of desertion have been withdrawn. : The Labour Committee intend to send delegates to London to rouse the sympathy . of the dockers and other Unions. The miners of Wbolongong have resolved to request the Mariiitne body to ■ call out the Queensland miners, alleging that the fact of their supplying non-Union vessels with coal weakens the cause of the New South Wales miners. September 12. Owing to the stoppage of the export trade; the butter market is glutted, and the article is selling at sixpence per lb. The Trades Council has passed a resolution declining to recognise Mr Champion aB a representative of Trades Unionism, and refuse to accept him as a mediator in the present struggle ; also, that the Council regards his actions during his visit to Australia as opposed. to the best interests of labor. - • . The Labor Defence Committee declare they haye no intention of calling out the Western miners so long as work is carried out as at present. The chairman of the Broken Hill Proprietary mine disclaims any connection with the Employers' Union, and states that the lack of supply of timber and coal was the sole cause of shutting down the mine. Operations are to be resumed as soon as supplies are available. Melbooenb, September 11. Strike matters are quiet. Several Union stokers have returned to the gasworks. September 12. Mr H. Champion has left for Sydney, and will do his best to bring about an understanding, probably by proposing a truce on the following lines : — That the different bodies now on strike agree to return to work irrespective of the question of whether Union or non-Union men should be employed, also without any demand that all who left work should betaken back, and that the men be content to fill the present vacancies. Further, that work shall continue for three months on the same conditions as before the strike, and if at the end of that period parties are unable to settle that dispute, the matter should be referred to a Conciliation Board, on which Melbourne .and Sydney should be equally represented. .Napieb, September 11. In six day 138 employers and 419 workmen have joined the Association of Employers and Freeworkers, and the guarantee fund stands at over .£IO,OOO. At a meeting of the Workingmen'e Association to-night a resolution was carried unanimously condemning as tyrannical and unjust the dismissal of railway servants at Chridtcburch, and calling upon the authorities to reinstate them forthwith. September 12. _ The block still continues, and there is no work doing. 1700 carcasses have ye t to be taken out to the Star of Victoria, but no vessel will take them out and no men can be got to take the place of the Unionist seamen. There are 10 loads of flax at Wairoa to come up for the Union Company's steamers, but it has to stay where it is for the present. The railway men will strike if desired. Napier is regarded as the staurichest and most loyal town in the colony as far as Unionism is concerned. Christchttbch, September 11. A mass meeting is called for to-mor-row night by the Trades and Labour Council to consider the action of the Bailway Commissioners in dismissing members of the Railway Servants' Executive. Mr Beetham swore in 102 special constables at Lyttelton this evening. They represented all classes except lawyers, clergymen and reporters. Mr Beetham and the Mayor of Lyttelton addressed them, saying they were sworn in merely as a precautionary measure, and it was not probable their services would be required. Mr Beethaua Baid they had nothing to do with either labour or capital. A large meeting of railway servants was held to-night to consider the action of the Commissioners in dismissing members of the Executive. The speeches were moderate in tone, but the men are determined to have their comrades reinstated. The following motion was passed unanimously with enthusi- gen :— " That in the opinion of this meeting the resolutions moved at the meeting of railway men on September 3 amount eimply to a discussion of bona fide grievances, inasmuch as the Commissioners took the men from their legitimate work and forced them to work as blacklegs in I/yttelton, and that the action of the Commissioners in discharging four Executive officers is tantamount to repressing the right of free speech." Wehingtox, September 11. At the usnal parade of the Wellington Naval Brigade the Captain, under instructions from headquarters, informed the men they were to bold themselves in readiness for service during the present labor difficulty. An unfortunate affair happened on board the Union Co.'s steamer Australia this afternoon. A man named Gerrard, who hid been ashore, went on board the yes: ©1, and using insulting language to a free laborer named Allan, th« latter shoved him. Gerrard staggered back a foot or two and fell down the hold. The injured man was taken to the Hospital in a critical condition. Allan was arrested but was immediately bailed out; When the- free laborers left off work a,t 5 |i.m. they wer« jostled by a larg« crowd.

Hooting was at first only indulged in, but gradually the row got more serious, several non-Unionists being molested, and there was a little stone-throwing. The police arrested Henry Nelson, Nicholas Calogoms aud Thomas Belveridge. The two former were bailed out. September 12. The man Gerrard, who was knocked down the hold of the steamer Australia," still lies in a precarious condition. Allan states he was struck first, and only acted in self defence. Allan was brought up at the R.M. Court this morning and remanded. Thomas Lewis and John Collis were charged with assault at the R.M. Court. The charges were withdrawn by the Crown Prosecutor, on account of the Maritime Council's manifesto and as the assault was not of a serious nature. The Court was crowded to' suffocation, and there was some applause on the decision being announced. The charges against the three men who were arrested last night will be heard on Tuesday.Notice has been served on 400 residents to serve as special constables, and it is expected that Of these 250 will be sworn in this afternoon.