LUMPERS' STRIKE IN SYDNEY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 26 April 1907, Page 3

LUMPERS' STRIKE IN SYDNEY

MATTERS QUIET. Received 25th, 11.27 p.m. Sydney, April 23. Strike mutter* are quiet. Tlie strikers round the employers' bureau and the ships coaling are much fewer ami less demonstrative. Five laborers are allowed to pass almost unnoticed. The Coal Lumpers' Union is making overtures to the .Seamen's and Wharf Laborers' Unions to join issue in carrying mi til? struggle. A Hireling of lumpers to-day. at wh.rh Sir. Watson was present discussed the situation, it is reported the meeting favored a conference with the employers with a view to arriving at a settlement. A meeting of shipowners and the Seamen's Union has been arranged lor to-morrow, when affairs relating to the strike will be. considered. The I'rench mail steamer Pacifique is coaling with her Arab crew, and the Peninsula Company's India with her own crew - . The Niwaru, which should have vailed for New Zealand to-day, has bee:: delaved. It is stated that the vessel was able only to obtain lOilil instead of 2(li)0 tons re<[uicd. A number of vessels are obtaining coal at Brisbane. | AX INTERESTING POINT, j Ecccived 2,")1h, 11-37 p.m. Sydney, April 2">. The action of the Newcastle trimmers in deciding not to work ships which usually coal in Sydney has given rise to an interesting point. Several shipping com- • panics, including the Huddarl-l'arker, have been in the habit of sending some steamers to Newcastle for bunkering and others to Sydney, but the majority have coaled at Newcastle at one time or the other. It remains to be seen how the Newcastle trimmers apply these cases. ALIEN LABOR. Received 2(ith, 1.16 .m. Melbourne, April 23. Sir .(.Forrest, after a Cabinet meeting, stated that correspondence with reference to the employment of alien labor in coaling ships in Sydney had been considered. Amongst other complaints received, Mr. Watson wired that colored labor was working on colliers, coaling ships, in contravention of the Immigration Restriction Act, adding that no i objection was taken to their working lon their own ships, but he emphatically protests against them .working on colliers, the latter being Commonwealth territory. If this was permitted aliens might engage in any work ashore during the stay of a vessel at any port. Mr. Deakin, after informing Mr. Watson that it had been decided in previous cases that' erews working on their own ships were exempt from the Act, referred the matter to the Attorney-General, who gave his opinion that the present case could not be distinguished from previous cases, and that the crews, acting under orders of their captain, loading ships in port, are not immigrants within the meaning of the Act. Received 20th, l.lfl a.m. Sydney, April 23. The steamer Banffshire, en route from Brisbane to Sydney, intended to call at Newcastle to coal. Enquiries by the agent of the vessel discloses that the Banffshire has been placed under the ban of the coal trimmers, and therefore comes on. to Sydney for coal.