ENGINEER’S STRIKE

Hokitika Guardian, 6 February 1920, Page 4

ENGINEER’S STRIKE

GRAVE POSITION DEVELOPING SYDNEY, Jan. 28.

It is two months sinee the marine engineers took the course not generally followed by professional men and called a strike. Everyone expected the trouble to be over in a week or two. It is still as much “on” as ever it was, and the community is beginning to feel alarmed.- The small coastal shipping has not been effected, and coal and foodstuffs have therefore been able to move from place to place, to a limited, degree; but now.a “pinch” is developing, and tho gravest apprehension is being expressed in many quarters.

Many big- industries are now partly or wholly idle. The great smelters at Port Pirie, customarily employing 2000 hands, are now almost wholly shut down and the shutting off of supplies of coal from the east threatens to close up almost immediately the town’s lightning and power plant.

Tt is estimated that 25,000 men are idle in Australia as a result of the strike. In Sydney alone there arc thousands of waterside workers and carters faced with starvation. The paralysis on a great section of the wharves has cut them off from their means of livelihood, and the Government is understood to be favourably considering their urgent appeal for relief. The whole of the meat-canning factories in New South Wales have closed this week, and more than 2000 men are idle as a result of that alone.

AH of the big inter-State steamers are idle. The total tonnage tied up at the wharves as a result of the strike is about 250,000. The blame for this long and distracting hold-up is not being laid by the public at tho door of tho engineers—with whom the public is very sympathetic. Tho blame is going to the Federal Government for permitting tho Shipping Controller, Admiral Clarkson, a very stubborn English officer, to dictate its policy and control the situation. This official goes on the theory that all strikers must bo humbled, whatevor the circumstances, and whatever the cost to the country. Ho followed this policy in tho seamen’s strike, and ho was beaten, just as ho is expected to be beaten m the preesnt case. If the shipowners had been free in tho seaman’s strike, tho thing would have been quickly settled, and tho position is exactly the same in tho engineers’ strike. . The owners would have tho ship’s moving in twenty-four hours, but Admiral Clarkson remains grimly in tho way. He is not a type the average A TI8 f ra^atl f° vcS -