Depots Besieged.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 45, 23 February 1914, Page 5

Depots Besieged.

SYDNEY MEAT STRIKE. THE MINISTRY LOOKED TO. [By Electric Telegraph—Copyright,. [Unived Press Association.] Sydney, February 22. All the meat depots yesterday were besieged long before they were opened. Big crowds waited tor hours without securing supplies. Iheio was considerable jostling at some depots, and the police in charge had their work cut out to keep the crowds from rushing the shops. The supply fell far short of the demand, notwithstanding that a largo number of householders had meat sent in from the country. The chief development is Mr Estell’s issue of a manifesto in reply to the employers’ statements. Afte. reviewing the position, ho says tnc employers claim that the troubh should be dealt with constitutionally, 'fills, he says, is a missile which rebounds on their own heads. Tin members of the Meat Industries Association have evidence which will enable the Industrial Department tc prosecute the strikers and they hav« evidence which will enable the Courl to cancel the registration of the Employee’s Union. It is therefore theii duty to the public to make the evidence available to the Court. Fail iug to do so, they are not dealing wifi tl.is grave matter constitutionally. ’ The men’s committee have als( issued a statement complaining thai they are called upon to light a combination of employers most of whom are not remotely concerned in tin dispute, and if this combination hat not brought pressure to bear on tin employers, the strike would not havt been prolonged. In view of these circumstances, they considered the Government should undertake slaughtering and make meat available t( the public. A meeting of the council represent iug the various food supply trade; and others allied to butchering, long tliily considered the strike. No de finite decision was arrived at pending a Cabinet meeting to be hold on Mon day specially to consider the position Both sides are firm, and marknu time. It is possible that the Ministry ad evolve some solution at to-morrow’; meeting, but it is considered probabh that definite action will he defence till Mr Holman’s return on Tuesday The position of the iron trades v practically unchanged. Nearly foui thousand are out. A meeting of tin Employers’ Association decided to as! Mr Estell to intervene, and, pending intervention, no active measures wil be taken that are likely to accentual the trouble. NO SETTLEMENT IN VIEW. ACTIVITY OF THE EMPLOYERS. (Received 9.15 a.m.) Sydney, February 23. There is no present prospect of ; settlement of the meat strike. The Labor Council decided on : course of action in regard to tin unions affected or likely to bo affect ed, which has not been disclosed, but has beer communicated to the union; themselves. The men’s committee of inquiry re plied to the Labor Council’s proferret that the meat industry would con trol the strike and would inform tin Council if any further extensior should tano place. Limited stock sales will be held to day. The employers aim at open iug many additional depots this weth Saturday’s shortage of meat "a; d ie to the small number of carcasso; available for killing, also as the cob storage employees refused to handh the meat. The employers propose to overcome the latter difficulty In I handling the meat themselves. The; j havo received many offers of assist : | a nce from outside the members o the Association, but so far have dc (dined to avail themselves of free la j bor. Some £SOOO has been sub scribed to the employers’ defend fu.ml. This, with the profits fron the sale of meat- at depots will In usod as compensation for smallei butchers and other purposes for wind the associated employers struggle.

| employers fail in duty. I WILL NOT GIVE EVIDENCE. (Received 9.50 a.m.) Sydney,, February 20. Mr Estell claims that the good intention in regard to penalising strikes was thwarted owing to the disinclination of employers to perform their duty to the public hy supplying evij donee which would enable the penal 1 clauses to be enforced. Ihe Act had |failed because the employers had not assisted the Department in making strikes the expensive expedient they intended them to he.