THE STRIKE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 624, 3 December 1913, Page 5

THE STRIKE.

o TROUBLE WITH SEAMEN. WATERSIDERS RETURNING. POSITION AT HUNTLY. Matters in connection with the strike in the various centres are moving slowly. There is a disposition on the pari; of some of the members of the old Watersiders' Union to go baek to work, and there is ample labour offering on the wharves to cope with the shipping. The most significant aspect of the case at the present time is the attitude of the seamen, and the possible developments in Australia. The Corinthic seamen after being ssntencd to a month's imprisonment, for refusing to work, agreed to return to the ship and resume duty. Ihisaltered attitude was induced by learning that the serving of the sentence would not free them from their duty. The Opawa seamen were sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment as an alternative to refusing work, and were returned to the ship which left Wellington for' London on Monday. The vessel returned to Wellington the aame afternoon, the men having remained obdurate. In other parts of New Zealand v?ork on the waterfront is proceeding much as usual so far as the hand!ing_ of cargo is concerned, but the shipping movements are necessarily irregular. News from Australia is of a disquieting nature. The Huntly miners decided on Mondaymorning "not to accept the Taupiri Coal Mines, Ltd., offer to resume work on Thursday morning nest on the termß of the old agreement. The Huntly men asked significantly whether the offer to resume as in the beginning included the sixteen men who had been dismissed. They further took up the attitude that the strike was now a genera strike, and that negotiations for its settlement in whole or in part must be made with the United Federation of Labour, to which the Huntly Union was affiliated. POSITION IN AUSTRALIA. VESSELS HELD UP. OVERSEA SHIPS AFFECTED. Sydney, Monday. The conference, which met on Saturday to discuss the stiuation, represented 200,000 workers. Mr W. Parry was present, representing the New Zpaland Federation of Labour, while Mr Starr represented the seamen of New Zealand. The conference resumed at ten o'clock this morning, The Ulimaroa has been unable to get a crew. All the fares have been returned. Carfso loaded for New Zealadn five weeks ago is still in the hold. The meetings of the Iron Trades' Federation and the Seamen's Union ha? benn postponed pending the decision of the conference. It is understood that negotiations are proceeding between the representatives of the conierence and the shipping companies, but their nature has not transpired. The Union Company's steamer Paloona to-day arrived from Hobarfc with a cargo of fruit and peas. She waa discharged by the company's permanent hands and fruit merchants. The company has definitely decided to despatch a boat to New Zealand on Saturday and will decide later which boat Will sail. The Aorangi has sent a wireless message tht everything is proceeding satisfactorily. The Kakapo, Wakatipu, and Karori have been boycotted at Newcastle by the coal trimmers, but it is expected that the company's employees will get the required quantity of coal aboard. The latest development is that the strike has extended to [oversea vessels carrying New Zealand cargo. The Whakatane 'arrived yesterday from Montreal, via Melbourne and the Indrapura from London,, both with part of their cargoes for New Zealand. The wharf labourers began unloading the Whakatane but, without warning, ceased. They did not start on the Indrapura. The Employers' Defence Committee at Wellington has cabled to Mr W. M. Hughes, ex-Attorney-General, a lengthy explanation of their attiude. STRIKE SETTLEMENT COMMITTEE. [BY tklkghaph.— press association.] Wellington, Monday. The Wellington Trades and Labour Council has decided to send a circular to"all the Wellington unions not concerned in the strike asking them each to send two representatives for the purpose of considering the strike crisis as it now stands, and the practicability of setting up a Strike Settlement Committee. The Bootmakers' Union considered this circular tonight, and expressed the opinion that the Federation of Labour is the only party to deal with the matter. SIR JOSEPH WARD'S ATTITUDE. The statement made by the secretary of the women's branch of the New Zealand Political Reform League in Christ-church, was referred to Sir Joseph Ward at Auckland on Monday evening. In this statement Mr David Jones, Reform organiser,|was reported to haV6 said:—"ln Sir Joseph Ward's jwn district the opinion of some of his own constituents on the attitude he had taken in the House over the presen crisis would not bear printing or repeating to the present meeting of women." Sir Joseph said that while he had some hesitation in even discussing the matter at the present juncture, he Was quite aware of the fact that from the start of the present unfortunate and disastrous strike some of his opponents had acted in a most cowardly manner in circulating statements about him that were contrary to fact. j Sir Jospeh Ward, continuing, said

that he had not discussed in any re spect the cause?, of the strike, its conduct, or the methods pursued by the Government in relation to it. In his speech in the House of Representatives he called attention to a statement that had been made to him by some responsible citizens of Wellington, and in doing so made it clear that he was on the side of law and order. After referring to the incident in the Post Office Square, Wellington, which he had called upon the Prime Minister to investigate, Sir Josapn said that as a representative man, when he had a matter of this sort brough under his notice, not by strikers or anyone connected with them but by responsible citizens, he conceived it to be his clear duty to direct attention to it in his position in the House. He defied anyone who read his remarks made at the time to say that he uttered one word which would justify the methods adopted by certain persons. Shortly after the development of the strike a full meeting of the Liberal party was held at Wellington, at which it waa unanimously agreed that the party should act upon the side of preservation of law and order, and assist the Government in every way to keep the ports of the country open and maintain the right of all classes to carry on import and export trade without improper restrictions. With this object in view on behalf of the Liberal party, he urged the Prime Minister early in the strike to agree to Bet up a committee of six members from both ?ides of the House in order to bring in legislation to end the present dispute, and to prevent the recurrence of any similar position in the future. This was n)t agreed to. Sir Joseph concluded by saying that he still believed that was.the wisest course to adopt in tha interests of the country. NEW ZEALAND BOYCOTT. CONTINUED AT SYDNEY. Bj Telegraph.—Press Association.—CopyrigM Received Tuesday, 10.40 p.m. Sdyney, Tuesday. The Iron Trades Federation decided to decline to touch boats to and from New Zealand. This applies to all affiliated unions, such as blacksmiths, ironworkers and engineers. At a mass meeting of wharf labourers, Mr Hughes presiding, it was decided by a ten to one majority to continue to boycott cargo to and from New Zealand. The New Zealand labour delegates approved of this resolution. Other cargo is to be worked; which means the Union Company's and Huddart-Parker coastal boats will not be boycotted. This decision embodies c the policy framed by the big unionist conference at to-day's meeting. It is rumoured at Newcastle to-day that if the Union Company's boats continued to coal there the miners would strike, but as far as is ascertainable the miners at present do not intend to participate in the dispute. SYDNEY WHARF LABOURERS. A TURBULENT SECTION. FUTURE NOT CLEAR. Received this day, 9.15 a.m. Sydney, This Day. Two thousand wharfmen were present at stop-work meeting, all the wharves being idle. The proceedings at times wers turbulent and discordant. A large section resented confining the area to Naw Zealand, desiring a general strike and threatening further trouble. At the ordinary meeting of the Wharf Labourers' Union last night, Mr Hughes was importuned by angry unionists after the meeting. They condemned the decision as contrary to the principles of unionism. As a result of the meeting the Ulimaroa and Riverina will lie up indefinitely. The Union Company dGepatcheo vessels to Tasmania and Fiji, and anticipates despatching the Manuka to Wellington on Saturday. The Whakatane and Indrapura commence discharging to-day, all other deep sea ships are relieved of the trouble for the present. The hecklers of Mr Hughes demanded whether, if two Union boats were one going to New Zealand and the other to Tasmanaia, they had to work the latter, which meant working with scabs. They wanted to know if they were not fighting the Union Company. Mr Hughes replied they must work everything excepting vessel to and from New Zealand. They were not dealing with companies, but with places. The meeting had decided not to work New Zealand boats; that was all. Amid hoots the turbulent section declared that he was not a unionist, one crying if they had to work with scabs fchere would not be enough bandages in Sydney to tie them up,. % The Herald, commenting on the attitude 7 of the turbuients, says that While the unionists have decided to restrict; the area of the disturbance the future is by no means clear. THE OPAWA'S FIREMEN. COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. By Telegrn.pl>.—Press Association.—Oopyrigiit Wellington, This Day. Fourteen of the Opawa's firemen again appeared before the court. AfSar the officers had given evidence that when outside the three mile limit, the men refused to obey orders and turn to work, all were committed for trial. Bail was allowed in £SO and sureties, except in the case of one man who was a prohibited immigrant. His bail waa fixed at £IOO and sureties.

COAL FOR WELLINGTON. CARGOES ARRANGED FOR. Wellington, This Day. Besides a cargo of i~\ooo tons of Transvaal coal which i? already en route to Wellington, two more cargoes j totalling'J 5,000 fops have been arranged for, and will leave Calcutta in a few days.