AUSTRALIAN LABOUR TROUBLE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 117, 15 May 1903, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN LABOUR TROUBLE.

Government Decline Arbitration, Men Must Declare Strike Off. More Drivers Seceding. (Per United Pi ess Ass X'iuucn.)

Melbourne, Mr? 14. 1b.9 engiceers' secretary admits that sight men haVe returned to work, but iie and other leaders deny that there has been any considerable disaffection in the ranks, The Government has decided no' to listen to any proposa's for arbitration or conciihtion. It is understood that if the engine drivers declare the strike off soon, the Government will be inclined to be magnanimous. '•he {.resident of the engine drivers B'ate3 that it has been decided that-, at project, 'here is no necessity for calling the signalmen out, as the way in which the service is being run rende: s them useless, and, therefore, it is not necessary to Btrik*. The chief mechanical engineer says that eighteen drivers who struok have agreed to return to work, ' The strikers csntinue to receive miny j me-sages of sympathy and monetary assistance from all parts. The Legislative Ocuncil sat only a| short time last night, and adjourned till j th's afternoon, aw siting tha Strike Bill from the Assembly. .1 Brisbane, May 14. A large public meeting p»ss<-d a resolution of sympathy with the sttikers. ANGRY DE iONST RATIONS BY LABOUR MEMBERS. REWARDING LOYAL MEN. AMENDMENT NEGATIVED; Melbourne, May 14. Mr Irvine, in moving the se:ond reidiog, stid Bill hid a pirtully retrospective effect, but the Government did not intmd to ask Parliament to validat) anything they hid done. Ministers took the whole responsibility for thsir po*«i Whita Mr Irvine was explaining the more stringent provisions, he was intern! ptrd by a ■: gi y d smonstrat ions from thi Labour members, who shou'ed ci it s of " Russia," " shame," and " hang them; s'aojt them." With regard to the mei who hid remainel loy 1, and those who had come to" the assistance of the Government, Mr Irviae said it was intended to give them senhrity, not to close the do r to the strikers who signified their williognesi to return, but the door would be op;n for a very limited time. Mr Mori is >y, a former member of Sir A. Peacock's Cabinet, declared that the people must support the Government, it was the Government or, anarchy. Sir A. Peacosk's amendment was negutivod by 58 to 30, and the debits was then adjourned till this afternoon. HEAVY PENALTIES. Melbourne, May 14. la the Legislative Assembly, after further debate, the motion to introduce the Premier's Strike Bill was cirried on the voic-:s. The majority of the speakers supported the Government, some expressing a bop) that the door would bj left open for the men to return. Mr Moloney declared thit MrSbiels (treasurer) directed the operations of the Government and Mr Bant (Minister of Railway*) did the dirty work. The Premier introduced the Bill late at night. The preamble sets out that it is necessary to invest the Government with further powers to suppress the strike S3 as to restore to the public the full use of the railways. The chief provisions of the Bill are that every person employed on the railways either in permanent or supernumerary capacity, who ceased his duties without the approval of the Commissioner after fourteen days' clear notice shall be deemed to strike. A penalty not exceeding £IOO or 12 months' imprisonment, or both such penaltiei for any offence agiinst any provision, is provided. Tho Act gives spooiat powers to fill any pUce vacated by strikers end makes offences—the use of threats of violence, intimidating or insulting language to loyalists or their families; lurking near or spying upon houses where loyalists reside or their places of work: fo'lowing loyalists through the streets in a disorderly manner and solici ing or persuading them not to remain in the service or cirry out their duties; attemp iog to interfere with loyalists' liberty ; tampering with railway property or suggesting any act intended to stop or delay the running of train*; organising, holding, receiving, collecting or distributing any str.ke funds to encourage strikers to continue or extecd a sorike For such offences the offender will be arrested without warrant. Other c'auses in the Act provide agiinst the printing, publishing, or pes'iog of any DOtifi:a*ion encouraging a strike; ra<ko tho meeting of mora than six persons iu favour of a strike unlawful; mike the obstruction of the police an offance; provide for the protection of any witnesses in cases arising out of a strike. The final c'.ause limits the duration of the Act to the continuance of the strike. MANY DRIVERS RKGREr GOING ODT. Received 14, 11.14 p.m. Sydney, May 14. The secivt iry of the Libour Council has rfceiveJ the fallowing telegram today from the strike — "The strike is ooi'inuiog with unabated vigour. Newspiper reports of deletions ai.d sitnfactory traffic ore false. All through Victoria thsre were only defoctiony. In no dispute were tho men ever 8) uninimous." Melbourne, May 14, The raemVrs of the Drivers' Association now ou strike told an interviewer that a proportion of the strikers woro now sorry theyjook the extreme 6tep, and that eotne would have gono ou"; at all, hut,through fear cf the others who w-mt-d the sttikf, they were co'-rcd. If the Govaomeit had gutratite d thorn Ml.qiuta protections la: go number would mvoi- have left th'-ir en;;ices. Tlu- only desir>» vn-.n to .'t'nk <•■'> t'n.- PXO'.u'ivp wW" ■■:• i ■ ■■ ■„ iry them tugiii'-ici. IMPROVED SKRVIOE. Amongst thosa who camo to th u as-

sistance of the Government is David Mitchell, Madame Melba's father, ail old driven-Twen'y-thre9 guburbin trains wefe running to-day, two additional lineSj St. Kilda and Preston, beicg re-opened. Yesterday's country service Was maintain/.d, and a number of crow country trains were run. Goods trains rati between Melbourne, Woodend, and Bendigo, that to Wood<nd being the first attempted since the strike. Three of tho drivers on strike Wert in charge of engines to-day. la addition to the Geelong men, 14 striker* at cth?r country centres applied to be reinbtitel. One eCf-c 1 ; of the strike his been th\* a numbe- of country race meet'egs were indefinitely postponed. As a result of negotiations betweeti a committeo r f oit'zeas and the leaders of the local firmer) and drivers, the who'e cf the Geelong s'rike-s agreed to resumi work tomorrow. This decision was com? to after receiving from the Depirtmeot a p-omise that if they resumed at onoe their rights would be |conserved. I Amongst the applications received yestenhy were 29 certificated drivers, inc'udiofe nine who struck. It is also sated th.tt steamer passages hive been booked t'iii- 50 drivers f<om other State*, including Nev Z<Mlaud, and that the fitters had off rel to coma to the assistance of the Railway Department. Toe ati ike committeo fhtly deny that the men are returning to duty, Thi President of the Drivers As-s-ci i'-ion to day stated th) reports wire nothing more tr less than a deliberate attempt to causa disunion amongst the men. The only cfi'ct of the report*, however, had bom that now it was impossible to get them to belrwe any rumours dying about. Possibly the Depirtme.it any hwo induced some hilf-d.'2>n country strikers to consider s-ductive inducemeats held out, but he dechred the service to-day was no batter thin it hid been, and the men were just as determined as ever, there bbiug complete unanimity among them. VIEWS OF LONDOS PRESS. Received 14, 11.51 p.m. London, May 14. T/ie Timte says the e'rilie is a peon* 1 a-ly Audacious development of tr-dM unionism, and that Mr. Irvine's em*rgensy measure is justified by tbs consideration that the colony is pnetically in a state of siege. Unless par* miuent legislation is passed the Government will be agtin unprotected. Where there is a s'nke all eoonomioal management of the State department is made impossible by the collective political action of public servants who hive become, to a greit extent, the. public's masters, Unless trades unions are made to feel their responsibilities it is extremely likely they will posh tyranny to the point of rendering exceptional repressive measures inevitablp. The Morning Post declared that Mr Irvinb's.promptness and plucky determination is an example to o'her tttteemen. It was the most courageous and wisest way to d< al with the strike. The Daily Chronicle says Mr Irvine's proposes are unneceisatily drastic, savouring of a panic. Tha London Social Demooratio Fee. ration adopted a resolution of syupithy with the strikers, DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT. Received 15, 0.81 a.o, Melbourne, May 14. Duri'.g the early part of the debit*, Mr Brmiley, leader of the Libour Party, said no one would deprecate the strike more than he, as for years he had fought ag*ins> strikes. Had he and his confreres been consulted there would probably have been no strike. Toe strikers had been jumped on time after tim<). Were they to have no. right of speech, no liberty, and no thought! The Premier was not almighty. The viiws of the men ought to hive some consideration. _ Oa resumption of the debate this afternoon Sir A. J. P<a ook announced that he never intended his amendment as a want of confidence, and that, had it b'.en carried, he was convinced the strike would have collapsed to-day, He would support the second reading of the Bill, but opprse, in committee,* number of clauses which were too drastic. Mr Smith, Libour Member, obarged the Government with unfair tre it men t of the men with regard to retrenchment and rocl>Bßification. He characterised the Bill as " Panic legislation," and asked the Government to adopt other means for dealing with the matter. Mr Wiokford congratulated the Labour members on not attempting to justify the strike. Mr Duffy said the Bill would place every man at the mercy of a polioemm who thought they were discussing a a strike. Anyone with a a match-box bearing the word " strike " was liable to urro-t and imprisonment, He was willing to give the Government full power to stop a strike, but not such powers as were askei for. Mr Fink thought it was time the demands of tho libour pirty shou'd be stopped. He h-pd the next eleotion would return members to assist in the development of the country, GEELONG MEN STILL ON STRIKE, Rooeived IS, 1.22 a.m. Melbourne, May 14, The reported defection of the Geelong men proves incorrect, Though 48 men attended a meeting and had a lengthy discussion, they decided to rem%in on strike. The stiilie leaders say it will take a fortnight to get the Strike Bill through, as the more dustiu clauses will be strongly opposed. The debata is likely to prove wry lenathy. • .'h-i.-e is a f*-iinf»in l»oi.h Hoiwrw, ;.'.-■■ < 0 side, th.t nin' » f the c;liMtt«!, , tl'.ose ivfortius to s'lvot pulilinhiiigar.d dixtribu'ing strildi nnt.e;-, an.! n« to strike moneys, arc very bcvoio, uuJ need tomng down.