WATERSIDE STRIKE

Hokitika Guardian, 17 October 1928, Page 5

WATERSIDE STRIKE

STEVEDORES JOIN STRIKE.

(Australian Press. Association)

MELBOURNE, October 16.

The Federal Attorney-General, Mr Latham, telegraphed.the Secretary of the Geelong Branch 6f the* Stevedores’ Association, asking whether their mem,bers intend to carry on their strike (cabled yesterday), and that, if so, the Government would take appropriate action to meet, the position.

GENERAL RESUMPTION EXPECTED.

MELBOURNE,. October 16,

It is regarded .as extremely likely that the strike, so far as Melbourne is concerned, will be declared off to-mor-row. 7 • - • A mass meeting of the Port Phillip Stevedores Association and the Melbourne Wharf Labourers’ Union is called for to-morrow, when the men will be recommended by their own officials to register under the Tran sport Act and resume work. A secret ballot of the watersiders will also be taken. The Victorian seamen have declined to become embroiled. They have supplied men for the Union Company’s Waiotapu and the , Tasmanian steamer Waii-ana. . .1 ’ > .

A “SCRAP” AT NEWCASTLE. .1 •j* . SYDNEY) October 16. The siorm ' centre in the waterside trouble appeared at Newcastle to-day, when a clash occurred between strikers and , the volunteers who bad Keen working on the wharves. A big croWd finding a party of volunteers greatly inferior in number working the steamer Port Campbell, attacked them with metal and stones, and the free labour men were forced to take the defensive till the arrival of the police, who dispersed the rioters. One man Had his face injured by a boathook. . v Later details of the clash show 150 volunteers were driven into a cargo shed by fifteen police. The .volunteers were locked--inside for their own protection. The strikers gradually drifted away, but later, attacked the volunteers on the qsteamer .'Golden Kauri. The police, charged with their batqns oiitj’ and felled 'nearly ’twenty“stfikq ers and sympathisers. : .. All of the men felled by the police received hospital treatment later. The; police are now determined 1 to, prevent a repetition by remaining in larger numbers along the wharves.

[WATERSIDERS QUESTION. MELBOURNE, -Oct. 17.

If, as anticipated, the watersiders declare hopeful that preference em--ployment will ultimately be given original members of the Waterside Federation, shipowners made, it' plain that volunteers who took stevedore places will continue to act in that capacity. Another procession of about eight hundred strikers and unemployed marched through the city; to-dajr to Yarra Bank headed by a Red Soviet banner and (hearing the words—“No surrender.” ; • ,