WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 January 1917, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Waierrida Workers. New Arrangemant. (Our Special Correspondent.) j Wellington, Jan 8 7 No date has yet been announced for j tho conference between the waterside } workers and (ha ship-owners for the discussion of a new agreement between them to take tho place of the one that expired at the end of last month; but it ia expected that a meeting will be ananged in the coarse of a few days ; end that both parties will ba found in a conciliatory mood. 1 The old agreement, which, of course 1 continues in operation till a new one 1 in adopted, provides for the payment of rates varying from 1/7 to 2/3 Jan hoar, nocorditig to the eharaetor of the wot k, for ordinary lime, from 2/5 to 3/4 for overtime np to 10 pin, and from 2/8 to 3/6 for overtime between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m, It is understood tha men are now asking for a minimum of 2/2 au hour for oidinary time and a proportionate increase in ti e other payments and that the employers are prepared to ooncede a minimum of V. Wbeibcr or not the difference between tha parties eau be bridged at the approaching conference still has to be seen, bat it is safe to Bay that neither the employers nor the men arc anxious for a confiicfc at tho present time and that their representatives will meet with cn earnest desire to reach an amicable settlement.

strike rumours. Tha delay in fixing up tha waterside workers agreement has giv?u the gossips an opportunity to keep their stories concerning an impending strike in circulation and just, now they are reiterating a very circumstantial account of what happened on the West Coast a few weeks ago when the miners end ienly ceased work and then juat aa suddenly took up their tools again.

Tho miners, ’ according to these quidnuncs, ware anxious to promote a great industrial conflict over the obcscript'on issue and to let tha world at large sea their liberties were not to be infringed at the bidding of the military authorities. But tha watersides, realising that, a strike threatening the Dominion’s obligations to the Empire would obtain no sympathy from the great mass of the people, refused to co-operate with the miners and induced them to return to work pending tha result of their own negotiations with the employers.

It is held now by the gossips that there is a tacit understanding between the wntersidera and the minors that if the former do not get what they want from the ship-owners tho two unions will take whatever steps they may think necessary to enforce their demands. THE MEN’S YIEW, The story appears to hold together well enough eo far as can be judged from what occurred on the West Coast at the time. The miners went out precipitately for no reason that could ba well defined and returned just as precipitately without offering any explanation. The whole business was a mystery lending itself to the freest speculation. But reliable men among the waterside workers, spaaki&g with soma authority, positively deny the existence of a conspiracy between the two unions to enforce their individual demands.

They frankly admit that the men want to get the full market value of the labour —-a valuo which the em. ployers, peihaps, will not assess aa high aa tho men do—but they insist that no organised body of worker is anxious to bnug about industrial strife at the present juncture. Their contention, based oa statistics which they quote as glibly as doas the most figure-saturated economist in tha land, is that the coat of living, especially in the sea-poiti of the Dominion, has mounted up at such a rate that the present average wage is utterly inadequate to meet tho needs of the man with a family. On this contention they take their stand.

FARM LABOR. In the course of an interview this afternoon the Secretary of the Agricultural and Pastoral Union, which represents a federation of the Shearers’ Union an<J other unions of rural workers, spoke quite despondently in regard to the supply of labour for the harveet and for general farming opsratious. “We have got through the shearing pretty well,” ho eaid, “tbaDkg largely to the long spell of floe weather and to the absence of eerious disputes between the employers and the man, but honestly I don’t see how we are going to manage the harvest or to find the permanent hands the farmers requite.” A cursory glance at the correspordence in the Secretary’s possession suggests there is very good ground for the gloomy vie.v he takes of tho position. Farmers all over the country ate calling out for man wiih soma knowledge of agricultural woik and unless there.is a large exodus from the towns and employers are ready to accept such assistance as they can get, harvesting, as weli as preparations for the autumn and winter, will be much delayed.