INDUSTRIAL UNREST.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 37, 26 January 1912, Page 5

INDUSTRIAL UNREST.

SOCIALISM IN GERMANY. (By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (United Press Association.) London, January 25. Herr Molkenbuhr, secretary of the German Socialist Party, addressed the Birmingham Conference, and declared the dearness of food and the race in the construction of armaments greatly strengthened the Socialist vote at the German elections. There was bettor work in the world than the promotion of strife between nations. His party combated their opponents’ cry that England was only waiting to crush Germany but of existence. SYDNEY WATEESIDERS. Sydney, January 25. Work on inter-State vessels is in full swing. Trouble, however, has arisen on the coastal wharves. The men demanded the rates conceded to the inter-State men. The employers temporarily conceded them, pending a conference on Thursday. The deep-sea men threaten trouble. At present they received half a crown an hour- while working “smoke-ohs” and holidays. They are asking for inter-State pay, which means a rating of 3s. PERTH STRIKE UNSETTLED. Perth, January 25. The railway engineers’ strike is unsettled. The navvies on the railway re-grad-ing works struck, demanding 10s a day. vCARTERS GO OUT. (Received 26, 8.5 a.m.) London, January 25. Three-fourths of the carters employed on the Great Northern Railway, London, struck owing to the dismissal of a comrade for refusing to do porters’ work. TO COMBAT - UNIONS. . (Received 26, 9.20 a.m.) Hobart, January 26. At the inter-State Liberal Women’s Conference, papers wore read and resolutions were carried dealing with social, political and labour conditions as affecting women. One delegate advocated the paying of higher wages to nonfunionists and so break up unions.; vio : A VAUDEVILLE’UNION. (Received 26, 9.20 a.m.) ‘ ' ■ >• f ' Sydn ! ej*J January 26. The vaudeville artists have formed a union. BUILDERS’ LABOURERS. (Received 26, 9.20 a.m.) Adelaide, January 26. The protected builders’ labourers’ strike has ended, the employers conceding' the demand for ten shillings a day. BRISBANE TRAM STRIKE. (Received 26, 9.20 a.m.) Brisbane, January 26. The tram strike is assuming a more serious phase.

It threatens to spread. __ ' A quantity of explosives was found on ’the lino at Bulimba. A large stone jammed the points at another place. The Commissioner of Police has received threatening letters from sympathisers with the strikers. The wharf labourers ceased work temporarily and paraded the streets. They carried a resolution that the waterside workers were prepared to assist in a general strike if necessary, to force the tramway company to recognise the men’s demands. A deputation from the Parliamentary Labour Party waited on the Home Secretary and Minister for Railways, and asked them to enforce the section of the Tramways Act providing for an efficient service. The Ministers stated that they were officially unaware of the trouble.. They promised to consider if action was possible.

WATERSIDE WORKERS AND SHIPPING COMPANIES. (Per Press Association.) Auckland, January 25. Much interest is being taken in the curious position that has arisen in Auckland with regard to the waterside workers and some of the local shipowners. A conference between representatives of the Auckland waterside workers and representatives of those shipowners who have cited the ■men to attend a sitting of the Conciliation Council next Tuesday, was opened yesterday afternoon, when it became known that no common basis of agreement could be arrived at. Rumours of the inevitable strike began to float about and to be taken more or less seriously. That, however, is hardly the correct assumption to make from the known circumstances. It may be said that not only is a strike highly improbable, but it is entirely unnecessary. At the recent conference in Wellington between representatives of shipowners and waterside workers throughout the Dominion a common agreement was arrived at after ten days’ discussion. The Auckland watersiders and eighty per cent, of the owners concerned in the shipping interests of Auckland were represented at the conference. In the meantime a section of the •Auckland shipowners had cited the men to appear before the Conciliation Commissioner with a view to arriving at an agreement which would subsequently become an award to take the place of the award which lapsed at the end of last year. Mr C. W. Holdsworth, who presided at the conference, wired to the section of owners standing nut, and suggested that they also send repro-

sontativos, but the suggestion was not acted upon. The position now is that the Auckland waterside workers will not attend the sitting of the Conciliation Commissioner next week, so that that method of arriving at an agreement will not be practicable. The men wired the shipowners in question to fall into line with the agreement that has been ratified by the majority of tho shipowners. If the matter is taken further to the Arbitration Court, any agreement that may possibly he made need not for practical purposes, it is claimed, affect the men. There will, it is hoard, be plenty, of work for them with the shipping companies which have agreed ■to the decision of the conference. Tho ballot which was commenced on Monday morning to determine whether the union favours the cancellation of its registration under the Arbitration Act, following upon the decision of the waterside workers to join the Federation of Labour, is proceeding.