THE STRIKE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 607, 1 November 1913, Page 5

THE STRIKE.

—— • EFFORTS AT SETTLEMENT RIOT!?i3 AT WELLINGTON ] r QUIET AT AUCKLAND 1 The waterside strike is still unsettled. Interest now concentrates on Wellington. On Monday, for five bourß, the employers and the strike t leaders discussed the question of a Bet- t tlercent. The conference, however, « proved abortive, the employers reject- £ ing the proposals put forwaru by the i Federation. It waa agreed that the t conference snould be resumed yester- ' day afternoon. The Prime Minister f presided at the conferences, and a £ final endeavour wa3 made yesterday I afternoon to settle the trouble oy ' peaceful method?. The conference was 1 again unsuccsesful. Meantime all Auckland negotiations have been bus- t pended. Mr Canham, president of the J Auckland Waterside Workers' Union, when addressing a meeting on < night, said that there was no chance < of the Mayor'B efforts to promote a i settlement proving successful. He < added that- it was because Mr Parr ! could get no free labourers that he « had approached them with a view to | a settlement, and concluded by saying ' that Auckland watersiders would ' never go back to work until fn». Wei ' lintgon trouble had been settled. Furthpr rioting occurred in Wellington on Monday evening. A crowd gathered round the pennantnt artillery and special constables quartered at the Garrison Hall. A hose was plaved on the crowd to keep it back, without avail, and stones and missies began to fly. The mounted men charged up the street, and several revolver shots were fired. Three psopls were injured. Staff-Sergt, Mnjor Thompson. , of the Permanent Artillery, received a scalp wound, and sustained slight concussion, as the result of being Btruck on the head with a piece of iron or stone. A man named Docherty was wounded in the shoulder by a revolver shot, and a telegraph messenger was shot in the foot. Conv missioner Cullen, whu witnessed the riot, seys thrt shota were only fired by strikers. Mr Robertson, M.P. for Otaki, was also a spectator, and declared' that he personally sew the police using their revolvers. Further rioting tock place in front of an hotel in Taranaki street, where special constables and free labourers were alleged to have been housed. Nearly all the windows in the hotel were smashed by stones. In Auckland all shipping is disorganised. Nearly all the Northern Company's vessels are in th** stream, and the wharves are quite idle. MBYesterday 600 men arrived in Auckland from the Waikato to act as &pecil constables. The number enrolled in Auckland for special service totals about 700. The most important development in connection with the strike in Auckland yesterday related to the action of The Auckland Tramways Union. A meeting of the p.m shift was largely attended and after deliberating as to th 6 best course of action to be taken, deputed its sub-committea to confer with the Strike Committee. The outcome of this conference waa a decision to report back to meetings to be held last evening and this morning, with a recommendation that the moment free labour and special constables come into Auckland, the trams shall cease running. as 600 ppecial constables were due in Auc>f land from the Waikato last night, there is a probability that the trams will cease running to-day.