SHIPPING TROUBLE

Hokitika Guardian, 9 November 1925, Page 3

SHIPPING TROUBLE

[Australia & N.Z. Cable Association.]

A SEA MEN’B VIEW. MELBOURNE, Nov

The President of the Overseas Seamen’s strike Committee, addressing a meeting in support of the strikers, bitterly attacked the waterside workers and the Westralian Government. He said if the strike collapsed it would be through two causes, viz., the Westralian Labour Ministry and the Wnlersiders’ Federation. He said the seamen were going to carry on the light until driven by starvation. If the

strike committee was financial when a ship arrived from Fremantle they would pidl the crews out again. If the occasion arose the seamen must be prepared to strike every time and for every agreement whether made in the Arbitration Court or not.

PAID HY STRIKERS. BRISBANE, November !>. The deck of the Port Victor was the scene of a miniature battle when th< vessel was raided by a party of strikers from the steamers Itarrabool. Port Sydney and Port Auckland. The raid ers were not dispersed until three of them were wounded by revolver shot: by the ship’s officers. Hostilities commenced when several seamen reaching the top of the gangway and knocked down the quartermaster. A party of 10 others climbed over the side to the ‘leek and unshipped the small booby hatches, using the timber as batons. They also carried iron bars. The raiders invaded the iorccastle head where a number of seamen were sleeping. With batons, iron bars and legs wrenchiTl from a table in the forecastle the raiders took a heavy toll of (he sleeping seamen, who could only defend themselves with their hare fists. Things were very ugly when the Chief Offirci appeared brandishing a revolver and the raiders quickly lied over the

side. .Meantime a desperate light was ■"'aging cm the gangway. An officer drew a revolver and fired, dropping one of tlie strikers. ’l*wo more shots were fired and two invaders injured. The police in the meantime had arrived and the three raiders were re moved to the hospital suffering from bullet wounds. The casualties on the Port \ ietor totalled twelve, hut none "•ore serious. Later, the second wire- j less operator of the Port Victor was arrested on a charge of inflicting grievmus bodily harm.

RETURN TO WORK. BRISBANE, November D. After a meeting, the crew of the Barra bool decided to return to work. Watersiders at Bowen resolved to ] etui u to work to-dav, as the result of pressure placed on the extremists by farmers. -MELBOURNE, November !). Manned by scratch crews three overseas steamers arrived from Australian ports during the week-end. ADELAIDE, November f). The strike is collapsing in South Australia. Part of the crew of (lie steamer Westmoreland were released from gaol and conveyed straight to the ship. A number of strikers also returned to the llalranald.

POSITION AT NEW PLYMOUTH. NEW PLYMOUTH. Nov. t). Tivcnt.vfive of the crew of the Dor* - applied to the agents this merning for reinstatement. Eleven others have found local employment, and do not wish to return to the ship. The Port Nicholson sailed at, noon for Wanganui.

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[lie-liter Telegrams.] IJ.S.A. COAL STRIKE. (Received this day at JO.O a.in.) NEW VORK. Ncv. 9. The coal strike (cabled on fil'd July) which has now worked through various phases and has ultimately come to affect. chieflly the anthracite miners has reached a crucial stupe, not so much from the point of view of actual suffering, as gauging the public and tin* danger of the real hardships of the first cold spell. Coal dealers, taking advantage of the reported shortage of hard coals, have increased the prices. Coal normally selling at fourteen dollars per ton is now bringing twenty-three and where sold in hundredweight quantities thirty dollars per ton. The-Health Commissioner, Mr Monaghan, has started'the prosecution of various dealers in New York City, who taking advantage of the situation, are flooding the market with inferior coals and inferior substitute coals, thesebringing high prices.

Senator Copeland recently appealed to President Coolidge to take action leading to a settlement of the. strike, but White House intimated Presidcn tial interference would not yet he (alien for, there being no national emergency. John Hammond, Chairman of the Coal Commission, informed the President that substitutes such as bituminous oil anil wood would safely carry the people over the present winter, de elaring the use of soft coals had already brought a saving of four millioidollars to the people, hut he admitted there was only two months supply o/ anthracite available. The United Mine Workers of America announced that they are ready t< continue the strike through the winter of 192(> to win a just cause against the mine operators.

Governor Pinehot, of Pennsylvania, which is the centre of the anthracite field, yesterday, asked a grand jury to start an investigation of the strike, ostensibly for the purpose of compelling the mine operators to arbitrate regarding the dispute. NEW YORK. Nov. !).

The -meteorological report to-day stated that the cold wave which brought the thereinoineter to zero in North Dakota is sweeping eastward. Chicago reporting a steady drop in temperatlre, and it is expected to reach the Atlantic seaboard to-night or to-morrow.