SHIPPING TROUBLE.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 August 1925, Page 2

SHIPPING TROUBLE.

[Australia & N.Z. Cable Association.] STRIKE CONDITIONS IMPROVED. SYDNEY, August 29. The outlook for an early settlement of the strike continues to improve. The steamer Norfolk, manned by an entire white crew, leit Fremantle lor | tfie United Kingdom, 'file 'crow of the Somerset at Townsville has not, so far, come out. In Sydney, additional men are returning to their ships, but shipping agents arc maintaining a silence concerning this development ila ;order that their exact strength may not he ascertained. On some vessels the complement is being built up slowly. During the next few days it is expected that some vessels will sail. Owing to the hold up ol British ships, the Australian Commonwealth Line has decided to recommission the cargo steamer Cooee immediately to serve tlie Sydney wool sales, which commence on Monday. If the strike continues into next week, il is likely the Delungra will also lie commissioned. The C'ooec will provide employment for an Australian crew ot ill, and the Delungra will take aboard 45. WALSH'S STATEMENT. SYDNEY, August 29. At the fourth mass meeting ot British seamen. Mr Walsh referring to - the recent statements and said there would he no necessity to provide funds for a jaunt round the world tor him (Walsh), in order to show Havelock Wilson what could be done. He de-c-lined to go to England for that purpose and said “ Wilson is the greatest industrial failure in (the history of the working class. Since 1919 he has made no effort to stop the downward trend of their wages ami conditions. With such an organisation as the British Seamen’s Union, it is a standing disgrace that men have to fight twelve thousand miles from the centre ot the Empire against a reduction ol wages.” He would only accept the position if lie desired it. of President of the British Seamen, on condition that he appointed the whole of the officers. Otherwise they would still he betrayed. The Secretary of the British Seamen’s Organisation < l.yddal) denied there is discontent among the men and that the men were going hack to the ships. Only two men had gone hack to the drama. The strikers were being provided with 3 meals a day at a stated cost of between £899 and a thousand per week. MELBOURNE STRIKE NEWS. MELBOURNE, August 2!). The Trades Hall Council, after considering tiie strike, adopted the report of its Disputes Committee, which recommends that all the intor-State Labour Councils and the Labour Governments co-operate to prevent the deportation of any citizen. The report stated that, Mr Bruce had been informed that there was no crisis warranting any deportation, and that such a course would precipitate an industrial crisis. The Prime Minister, Mr Bruce, speaking on the second reading ol the Federal Police Officers Bill, said that the Commonwealth had approached the New South Wales Ministry, asking if there would be any objection to the Commonwealth approaching the Chiel Justice of New South Males, and asking him for the use of one of the Supreme Court judges for service on a Deportation Board. - The reply was that there would he no necessity for the Commonwealth Ministry to deport certain persons from Australia. I lit Commonwealth, moreover, had Hit menus for carrying out the object the Federal Government desired, and New South AYales refused to he embroiled in these proceedings, as it considered that tlie Commonwealth was trying to involve New South Wales lor political purposes. | MELBOURNE. August 34. On Saturday in the Federal House of Representatives, after an all night sitting and a hitter debate, Mr Bruce (Prime Minister) forced through the Police Bill, which was read a third time hv 39 votes to 19. The Senate then carried the Bill through the second reading, alter nn- [ guv scenes, the gag being employed on a motion that the Bill Ik? treated as ' an urgent measure. The Labour Senators protested against this gradual increasing of the - encroachment upon the rights of the 1 Senate. 1 Senator Pearce, of the Ministry, ’ speaking to the motion, declared that f the industrial disturbance, was a revo--1 lutionary move against the Empire, 5 and if the proposed counter measures I were insufficient, the Government-, lie ‘ said, would ask the people to sanction j ample power. ' Mr Aloate, the General Secretary ol ■ the Marine Stewards’ Union, who previously pointed out that the seamen’s * strike is unofficial, states that the > Commonwealth Government lias now possibly prevented a settlement ol the t dispute, and, by ils action, i-. seeking e to appoint a Commonwealth Police u Force, it has aroused the resentment . of unionists throughout the country. BOARD’S AY IDE POWERS. SYDNEY. August 30. The regun It ions governing proceed- ’ ings of the Deportation Hoard give the Board wide powers to com.pel persons to appear and give evidence and also to inflict penalties on persons refusing to comply with the Board’s directions. On Saturday the Deportation Board met. It discussed the question of the procedure to ho adopted, ft was subsequently stated that tlie sitting was purely an informal one. COWARDLY ACT. ADELAIDE. August 29. 1 It was discovered that the falls had been cut of several lifeboats of the Peninsular liner “ Balrniiald.” in the outer harbour, the crew of which are striking. The master, in offering rewards for the apprehension of the culprit. characterises the act as a particularly cowardly one, endangering ' the lives of some. 799 passengers, including 159 children. A number ol seamen, after expressing their indignation, turned to and voluntarily restored the falls in j>orfoct condition. AT THE CAPE. CAPETOWN, August 28. Everything appeared normal at the docks to-day aboard the Arundel Castle and the Ballarat at the next jetty. The passengers were aboard, ami all tilings seemed to wear a sail-ing-day -aspect, till, towards sailing time, when the seamen, in their shore clothes, left the ships quietly, and melted away in the crowds. Then a crowd of stewards from the Ballarat came alongside the Arundel Castle, .and pulled out a hunch of the younger stewards. Everything was done in a most orderly manner, the only excitement l>eiug the round cheers of the Ballarat’s men when more Arundel Castle stewards came dotfn the gangway. An early settlement of tie shipping trouble here only seems possible now if the men decide to give way. The Union Castle Company states that, acting in concert with the other British companies, it has definitely declined to concede the men’s demands. The passengers are being allowed to remain aboard or ashore, as they

choose, both on the Arundel Castlo and the Ballarat. The men are carrying on normal duties. The Federation of Trades Unions here is prepared to negotiate on behalf of the men should the opportunity occur. The crews of the Ballarat and tho Arundel Castle have agreed that tlio crews shall keep watches, and shall do necessary work aboard while the dispute lasts. Neither vessel will be allowed to sail till two men of the Sandgate Castle who have been arrested at Durban, are released, with a guarantee that there will be no victimisation, and that the present rate of pay will remain in operation till the ships have reached their home ports. It is understood that Premier Hertzog lias replied to Mr Havelock Milson, who urged the upholding of the National maritime Board’s agreement and that the reply states that the action taken by tile men in refusing duty appears to have been entirely ol their own volition, and they have not been persuaded thereto by anyone in South Africa. It is also understood that General Ik-rtzog has informed the British Seamen’s Union that every possible protection and support will be given to any ineu desiring to carry out their contracts, as was requested. LONDON .MAYS ANI) A*JEWS. LONDON, August 29. The seamen strikers, who are now particularly strong at Southampton, had threatened to hold up the Aqttiiauia and the Orea, but both lineis left punctually lor America with complete crews. Similar experiences are reported today in all the provincial ports. The press messages from Capetown allege that the captain of the Arundel Castle guaranteed his men their present wages until they reach England, but the Directors of the Company immediately cabled, repudiating this guarantee, if it had been made, and instructing the captain not to make any concessions, but rigidly to uphold the agreement with the Seamen’s Union until it is mutually amended. The “Times” devotes its chief editorial to the seamen, and particularly to the situation in Australia, which it regards as undoubtedly serious. Otherwise, it says, Air Bruce would .not have asked for leave to bring in his Bill providing for special police. The “Times” adds:—“Tito line taken by Mr Lang, Premier of New South AYales, appears hardly less subversive of the principles of law and order than the action of the Communists who started the agitation here, and the fanning of disaffection in Australia by Alessrs AA’alsh and Johansen. Mr Lang’s action in forbidding the New South M’ales State police to assist with deportation looks like a flat defiance of the law of the Commonwealth. If the Britishers ltjad been in their own country, instead of ott the other side of the world they would probably have fallen into line with their fellow unionists, and have kept the bargain. The house of trade unionism. if divided cannot stand.” The Board of Trade announces that 53 ships have been cleared from Liverpool during the past week. The “Daily Herald’s” Labour correspondent consistently reports the non-success of the strike throughout Britain of which the following, in today’s issue are a lair average:—“Cardiff: No picket s ; no instances of men refusing to sail, much unemployment.” “Southampton :—’l he AYindsor Castle sailed at the appointed time. “South Shields: The strike is ineffective. There is a surplus of men there iu readiness to proceed to other ports. Thirty have proceeded to Liv-**, erpooL Rickets are active. Hull:— No ships are held up. Liverpool:— All the vessels due to sail left at tho appointed times with full crews.” Mr Ik-nson, referring to the Executive of tho Australian Seamen’s ioivs reply to Aft- Havelock AA’tlson’s message, repudiated the Australian Union’s contention that. “ AVc arc just as much concerned with Australian seamen, because il the British and the foreign shipowners reduce their seamen’s wages, such actions must effect tlie Australian seamen. That, said AH- Henson, was simply tosh. “Tho Australian conditions,” ho added, “are local and are absolutely unaffected by either tho British or foreign conditions. The Austarlians are entirely outside the Eurpoenn competition. The German, French, Italian and Dutch companies are paying less than half the British rates. Therefore they can compete successfully with the British ships, but the traliaiis are immune from such competition. The Australian Executive admits that the Australian seamen’s conditions arc much 1 tetter than those that prevail in any other part of tho world. Yet the Australian Seamen’s chronic industrial unrest exceeds tho troubles of tho combined Seamen’s Unions of the whole word. The olivious moral is that Australia had better safeguard its own interests, instead of hutting into British affairs, agaiinst an overwhelming preponderance of British trade unionism. NEW ZEALAND PORTS. CHRISTCHURCH, August 30. Regarding the shipping strike, tho position at Lyttelton on Saturday was unaltered. The men are determined in their stand against the reduction in wages, and they are finding many in sympathy with them. Their supporters are arranging for a supply of meals for the men during the next few days. The master of tlie Hororata lias informed the men that their wives allotments would I* stopped from Augi ust 11th. v AVELLINGTON, August 30. There is nothing fresh to report in the shipping trouble. The Leitrim finished discharging cargo on Saturday. She should have left for Lyttelton and Dunedin to complete the work of discharging, blit her crew left and she went into tho stream alongside tlie Arawa. The Turakina will finish on Tuesday. It is expected this vessel also will find herself alongside the other liners in the stream. No information is available from the other offices of the company, or from the Seamen’s Union. The companies representatives say they can do nothing at this end, but await developments. The Seamen’s Union officials decline to discuss the position. They say are not ordering the men to tease work. They are doing it on their own initiative. AUCKLAND, August 30. There is no cliange in the shipping strike. The Benicia has completed loading, and has joined the Kent in the stream. The Benicia’s Arab firemen remain on hoard, but the white members of her crew have left.