SHIPPING TROUBLE

Hokitika Guardian, 7 October 1925, Page 3

SHIPPING TROUBLE

[Australia & N.Z. Cablo Association. 1 ,A 1 URCH ISON RESOLUTION. MURCHISON, October 7. The following telegram was despatch, oil yesterday by Mr M. .Morel. Clmirmnii ol the .Murchison Dairy Company, to the I’rinie Minister, on behalf ol the .Murchison Co-Op. Dairy Company: " I respectfully urea that you take effective steps to ensure that ocean-going ships resume running without further delay; otherwise the producers in this Dominion must sutler a most severe loss. This company pledges itself to support the Movernnient in any action it is found necessary to take.” ' .MAXXI.NO 111 K SUM’S. A MOOD RESPONSE. DAKMARVILLE, October 7. The response to man the ships, if required, in the Northern AA’aima district has been "nod. The manager of the Northern W’airoa Dairy factory to date has received sixty definite apptioations with another sixty, who will go if their services arc urgently required. The men who have offered are mostly men who have had experience at sea “ in some •apneity and at present are in shore positions. CHART ER rX 0 IMI ’lf ACT rc A HI. K. M KOBO next:. Oct, 7. A proposal to charter vessels to carry Victorian produce if the maritime strike continues to hold up cargoes, is considered in -shipping circles to he impracticable.

A CURIOUS ANOMALY. AUCKLAND. Oct. 7. A curious commentary on the shipping strike is offered by the Merman barque Ellrioda. now lying in tin' stream in readiness for sea. while British steamers are held up. The Klfrieda’s crew, it is stated on pood authoritv are paid £1 Ids per month or half tlie wape which the British strikers have refused, lint no demonstration lias been made against them. Apparently they received no black looks, while the barque was at Kinp’s Wharf, and the watersidcrs made no hones about unloading the carpo of Surprise Island gun no. and did not object to the crew rebagging the loose fertiliser for about a quarter of the payment ib" local labour would have received for the same work. As a matter of fact, tho disparity between British and Merman wanes is even greater, if as it is stated the Mermans have o or 10 per cent, of their pay deducted as a taxpayable to the Merman Movernment. The crew are nearly all young fellows serving the required time before the mast in order to qualify later. As one shipping man was very emphatic, there was only one inference to lip drawn from the strikers’ silence, that the strike had been fomented by Merman interests operating through Bus. sia to capture Biitish trade. A more lil-clv explanation was put forward by another shipping man : ‘‘The seamen are looking to the shipowners and Tinperial Movernment to deal with foreign competition.” He remarked: "They know they cannot, meet it themselves; the employers tlcy sav. should hoar the responsibility.” AVEATxXE’SS OK LABOR MOYKRXA 1 ENT. A BIT!ABLE SPECTACLE. (Received this day at 10.0 a.in.) fI’EBTH. Oct. 7. Senator J’earce, commenting on Air Collier’s interview with tin- representatives of the Labour Party and the AA'atersiders’ Federation, said it was a pitiable spectacle that the head of a State Movernment who was sworn In uphold the laws and peace of the State, and who was entrusted by the people with the control of the police force, should find it necessary in appeal to the Labour organisations to take upon themselves the duty and responsibility which the people had placed in his hands. Such a weakness emboldened every law breaker in the State; it invited violence, disorder and brought the law into contempt. The Commonwealth Movernment: could not remain quiescent in such circumstances. Tin oversea trade was the life blood ot Australian production and it must lie maintained. Our primary production, on which depended the whole prosperity of Australia, hung on this. It was owing to these exhibitions of weakness on the part of the State Labour Movenimeiits that the Commonwealth was now apiK-aling to the people t> give it a mandate to see that any necessary action was taken to safeguard our trade and maintain law and order, and the supremacy of Parliament and Movernment.

R 17 Alf INF. TO SAIL. afck Land, o<t. 7. Cadets from the training ship Devon are asisting to take the steamer Kent to Wellington. The vessel will probably sail early in the afternoon. Tt is understood the Tiuahine will leave to-day for London, taking a record butter shipment, manned partly by lier own crew and partly by free labour.

FARMERS AND STRIKE WELLINGTON. Oct. 7. The Provincial Farmers' Union decided to summon meetings throughout the district to deal with the strike situation.

PENIAL OK KORCE. MELROURNE, October 7. Collier states lie is cahlino- to England denying that there has heeti physical force or mob violence. Referring to what he describes as the alleged Inch of police protection to cope with mythical physical force, disorder, and m»b violence which existed only in the mind of a panic stricken shipmaster, he said if was manifestly impossible for the police when a strike was in progress to line the wharves with sufficient force to compel continuance of shipping operations as in normal times. Owners were entitled to use reasonable force to prevent any attempt to hoard their MK ships. If lawlessness or disorder followed, the police would automatically 7 step in, and only then the owners expected the police to usurp the owners functions. Mr Pearce was torgetting his duty as a Federal Minister. lie was anxious to make as milch pcditieal capital as possible and spoke with little knowledge of the position, implying the head of the State Government was setting the law at naught. , INTIMIDATION. PERTH. October 7. Captain SproLt of the steamer Demoderns replying to denials that the crew had been intimidated as the result of a raid by Rrittish seamen, said it was useless for ayouo to deny violence had I been threatened by the strikers, who | hoarded the vessel. There was no police protection for his crew. Application was made for the police to lie pro- _ sent when the Pemodocus was berthing hut he was informed it would he made available and that it was up to the master to protect his own ship. Subsequent to the first raid on the ves- ■ sel he interviewed the inspector of police at Fremantle and the Commissioner at. Perth, who said it was not. the business of the police to keep people from hoarding a ship. If actual violence occurred they would take nc-

lion. In regard to the second ran when the Pemodocus was prevents from leaving her berth, Sprott was to d that if he dared to try it then lie have to look out for himself. The raiders threatened they would damage the main boiler and donkey boiler. Reports from the officers stated the men threatened to smash the reft igei ating machinery, Sprott pointed out that it the donkey was damaged the refrigerating stores would he ruined, hut the men repeated the previous warning not to try it again. QUIET AT AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND. Get. 7. A meeting of the striking seamen unanimously tleeided to reject the shipowners' nroposa 1 at the Wellington con ferer.ee.