WORK AND WAGES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 8, 4 January 1913, Page 8

WORK AND WAGES.

A TRADE UNION DEADLOCK. (By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (United Press Association.) London, January 3. The Engineers’ Council was just about to begin business when a number of members broke into the building and forced seven Councillors towards the stairs. Four of them were violently rolled down twenty stone stops and two were badly injured. No machinery exists to deal with t’m s tuition, and the deadlock is unparalleled in the history of unionism. TEE OSBORNE JUDGMENT. The National Conference of Miners pissed a resolution that although unable to accept anything short of a complete reversal of the Osborne judgment, they were prepared meanwhile to accept the Trade Union Bill, subject to further improvements. STRIKE OF TAXI-CAB DRIVERS. Eleven thousand men are affected by the taxi-cab strike. The trouble has spread to Liverpool. SLAUGHTERMEN’S TROUBLE. Wellington, January 3. A special telegram from Christchurch respecting the likelihood of trouble among the Canterbury slaughtermen, published here to-day, was characterised as very misleading by the secretary of the Slaughtermen’s Federation, Mr. M. J. Reardon. It was particularly wrong where it suggested that agitators have fomented trouble just now, because of the very large number of fat sheep ready for killing. Mr. Reardon said that he was the only paid official in connection with the Slaughtermen’s Federation, and as he had not been in Canterbury for nearly two years his chances of agitating there had been limited. The secretary of the Canterbury Union was a man who worked at the trade, so he could not be classed as an agitator. As to the suggestion that action was being taken at this particular juncture because of the number of sheep ready for killing, Mr. Reardon declared that, the position was completely misunderstood. The requests for increased wages now advanced had first been made so long ago as July last, when they were discussed at a conference. They wdre mainly the result of the wretched season in Canterbury last year. The reason the now demands had only just been put in formally was that the old agreement had only just expired. A similar statement respecting the activity of the agitation in Canterbury, sfitid Mr. Reardon, bad already appeared in the (‘Farmers’ Union Advocate.’ He had Mitten to the editor of the phper offering to resign from the orgauisatiori altogether if three slaughtermen could he produced to say that he had egged them on to make their demands.

OBSTINATE FIREMEN. Wellingtdh, JMiuary 3. The firemen on the Maori refused to go back to work, sd thd vessel did not leave to-night for Lyttelton. The Arahura, Te Anau, and Tarawera were put on hurriedly to fill the gap, and took about 700 passengers to Lyttelton. The men received the apology asked for from the Press Association, but they still refuse to work. LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE. (Received 8.0 a.m.) Capetown, January 3. The Labour Party Conference adopted its Committee’s report on the coloured question, emphasised the maintenance of white ideals, and insisted on white standards in regard to industrial legislation, with heavy penalties to prevent misclegenation. CONCILIATION METHODS FIND FAVOUR. (Received 8.0 a.m.) Sydney, January 4. At a meeting of the Wages Board to consider the trouble between the Shipowners and Merchant Service Guild, the employers’ suggestion to attempt to settle the matter by conciliation was adopted. The conference will be held probably on Monday.

The Gas Employees’ Union also decided to employ conciliatory methods in connection with their claim for increased pay. There is much restlessness amoi. h the miners in both the northern and southern coalfields. They are dissatisfied with the present rates and other conditions, and trouble is threatened.