COASTAL SHIP SERVICES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 376, 9 June 1928, Page 9

COASTAL SHIP SERVICES

Crimes Act Proclamation ANY person interfering with the restoration of the Austra lian coastal shipping services will be arrested. A proclamation has been issued under the Crimes Act the Federal Government at last taking action.

(United P.A.—By

Telegraph — Copyright)

Reed. 9.5 a.m. CANBERRA, To-day. To amplify his proclamation about the cooks’ strike, the Prime Minister, Mr. Bruce, in a statement in the House of Representatives, said the Government had been reluctant to take action to settle the cooks’ strike, as It had appeared day by day that the parties would find a peaceful way out. The present position, however, could not be allowed to continue. The Government must use the powers which Parliament entrusted it with, to restore the shipping services at the earliest moment. A proclamation would be gazetted to-day, and any person interfering thereafter with the re-establishment of the coastal services would be arrested. Mr. Bruce read a telegram, a copy of which had been sent to all the State Premiers, calling upon them to co-operate and afford protection to volunteer seaxarers, and otherwise help to restore the shipping service. Another telegram had been sent to the shipowners, advising them of the Government’s intention of calling upon them to take steps to man the idle vessels. The shipowners had replied, complying with this.

Mr. J. H. Scullin, leader of the Federal Opposition, regretted Mr. Bruce’s action, and doubted whether all possible means had been exhausted to settle the strike. Mr. Scullin disapproved the cooks’ attitude in declining the authority of the Trades Union Council to intervene on their behalf.

supersedes the owners’ intention to man the ships on the Tasmanian service without cooks. Volunteers will be offered terms in accordance with the existing conditions and awards. The union officials admit that there are several hundreds of sailors and firemen who are prepared to accept any work offering, and they fear the distress caused by the prolonged unemployment will tempt 50 per cent, of the members of the maritime unions who are idle, to volunteer. The waterside workers will meet to-day to decide whether they will handle cargo for vessels if they are manned by non-union labour. A disastrous conffict involving all the maritime unions and the transport group of unions is feared. An official statement issued by the president of the Australian Council of Trades Unions declares that the marine cooks have violated the moral code of trades unionism, in declining the intervention of the council in their dispute, and that, however lamentable and deplorable the fact was, the council had no means of compelling the cooks to submit the dispute to the council. Advices from Sydney say that at a meeting of the Cooks’ Union it was decided to carry on the fight until their demands are granted.