SHIPPING TROUBLE.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 September 1925, Page 2

SHIPPING TROUBLE.

[Australia A N.Z. Cable Association.]

ANOTHER CHEW OUT. PERTH, Sept. 2

Tlie < rew of the Borda, at Freinantlv have decided to join the strike, they will carry out the ordinary port duties, hut will not take the ship to -ea. Tlie Borda, lias JOl passenger.-, mostly assisted immigrant.-. SYDNEY NEWS. SYDNEY. Sept. 2. An official of the Australian Transport (Iroup ol I'nion* has received n private cable from London stating the British Trades' I'nion Group will probably recommend that the Seamen’s -trike in Australia be declared off temporarily.

The Ovei-ea .shipping Representative:. Association stated that the offer hv the owners meant that there would be no victimisation of strikers. The oiier was made in good faith with a sincere desire to -oe the men back at work. The Pre-ideiit of the Strikers, in reply said that he regarded the offer .•» an instill, i uei e was a propei .netfind -I proceeding, and the offer stiaunL tune i c< ii iiiaite to tlie mens i eptesentau. es. He milled tnal '.be .Men's (. omiiiiUcc i a<l ileiiuue.y iv.ii-o'i me owners lei ms. a mass meeting ol the strikcis tomorrow will discuss me oiler, lie said, i.ul, unless all the men s demands are granted, tne strike will continue, lie cm ; tinted that any I iirt.lii.-i- olfei must i.c made through the official channel of the men s representatives at tlie i miles liail, or tlnough the Australian .■seamen's l llutil. The W'alersider.s’ Union met to-day m camera.. Later it was announced that the l uioii’.s altitude towards the seamen's strike was unchanged. It is rumoured in Union circles that two it it u tired men have been appointunit in Pyoiiev to the new Federal Polne Force. IN AFRICA. CAPETOWN, Sept. 1. The liner Sophocles, troni .England, i anchored ill the bay. and tier crew is expected to join the strike. She carries four thousand immigrants for Australia.

At Durban, when the crews ot the Sauilgate 'Castle and 'the Balmoral Castle were ordered to get up steam, they point blank refused. Six ni iho.n "ill lie charged in the Police Ci urt with disobeying orders. Twelve ships are now involved ii the strike at Port Natal.

The majority of the strikers regard reported importation ot Lascars from Bombay as being bluff, they expressing the opinuion that the .-hip owners would not seek trouble in such a manlier. NEW ZEALAND ITEMS.. AUCKLAND. Sept. 2. There has been no further development in the strike of British seamen :.j Auckland. The crews of the Afatakana and Renmaravah have not been affected so far. The Penmarava.lt docks to-morrow and sails oil Friday ior Sydney. The Zinali whose crew are on strike is expected to complete her discharge to-morrow and will he docked. It depends on deceliq incuts whether ■lie will be able m sail next week for Nauru Island.

Tlie Woiigaiiella with phosphate fiom Nauru Island, wa- unable to discharge at New Plymouth, owing to the berths being or upied by steamers held up by the strike, and she lias been diverted to Auckland to unload. Her crew are on Australian articles. ami not expected to strike.

POSITION |N BRITAIN. LONDON. Sepi

I'lie .shipowners announce in regard to the ultimatum presented to tin strikers in A u-t ra lia. that it has mu yet taken similar action towards i lie strikers in i lie British port.-.

The strike situation at Home is sta tionarv.

Ihe I’iako is still held up

Hie Melville has obtained a full crew at Hull, and despite the efforts ol the pickets, ships that had signed oil previously* sailed according to schedule.

Ihe crew ot the liner Bristol, which is due to -ail to-mnrmw, have refused

Ihe Bristol City is al Avonmouth where tie Pinko is in a similar plight

A pally ol over forty ex-servicemen and some ox-naial men have left Plymoinii tor i lie Majestic at Sotilhamp-

A batch of men have left South Shields for the .purpose of signing on vi—ds lying in the Thames. Trouble has not been experienced in

securing crews, at the Tyne, where D'*‘i'c are more applicants than berths. Nearly one hundred seamen have signed on at Cardiff and at Barry, for the steamers whose crews at Bristol have refused service. A statement ha- been issued hv the Comnmiee of (he Sailors' and Firemen's t’nion, declaring that the strike is unofiieial. and ha- been fomented lor political purposes by i lie minority Labour .Movement. I lie Communist Party and the Industrial Workers ot the World. It .-ays Dial i ill imida lion of members of die union in Australian and South AI rnau ports is great, aa majority ol ih*- men now (Imre signed agreements, dm terms of which were explained to them. It declareMr Walsh. Leader of the Australian Seamen's ITinui. is mu actually eoucerneil in the wage question of the Rrtish seamen, lull mostly with mi endeavour to disrupt inter-Empire trade. The statement emphatically do-1 nics that shipping is tied up through- I out Britain. It says ships are sailing oil time fully manned by I'nion crews, determined to maintain the principle of collective liar,gaining, Mr Havelock Wilson has cabled the Sailors and Firemen’s I'nion. from Quebec, as follows: "Make known to the press Ihe fact that five hundred men in the catering department of the Empress of Scotland and the Montairn have transferred to our I'nion. Tinmen of all shins here are determine I to stand by agreements with die owners. Am pleased to note Mr Shinned is now in his right position with the Reds. The attention of t h<* Labour Party and the Trade I'nion Congress should he called to this fact." The Seamen’s I'nion (referring to the frequently recurring reports of delays in signing on crews) explains that the practice of most liners is to sign off and on the articles crews on th*same day at the end of the voyage, but since the strike tiiaiiv crews have delayed signing on until ih*-y learn the facts of the situation. Hence, it says, the reported holdings-np cabled from Australia and South Africa are only delays.