WORK AND WAGES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 144, 14 December 1911, Page 5

WORK AND WAGES.

THE TIMARU TROUBLE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, yesterday. In reply to protests received from Timaru re the wharf laborers' trouble and Chinese labor, the Prime Minister has sent the following telegram: "Regret that any difficulty has arisen at Timaru. The railway employees cannot be expected to take the place of the waterside workers and receive cargo worked by a Chinese crew. Anything T can do to help to settle the dispute will be gladly done, but in the interests of white men and their wives and families who reside in the Dominion, I feel sure you will, on reflection, agree with me that it is neither fair nor right that railway employees should be allowed to take the place of waterside workers pending the settlement of the trouble.-,!. G. Ward." UNDER TIMAR UTROUBLE. '"\ TEMPORARY AGREEMENT. Timaru, Last Night. An agreement was come to between the shipping agents and the waterside workers to-day under which the latter resume work to-morrow at rates offered' them by employers on Tuesday. The agreement holds only till next Tuesday, evening, pending the result of the conference at Dunedin that day relating to Lyttelton and Westport as well as Timaru.

Among the replies received by the railway society's representatives in reply to the telegrams of protest is one from Sir Joseph Ward, who says; "Railwaymea cannot be employed to receive cargo from a Chinese crew. Regret that any difficulty has arisen, but the dispute of waterside workers must be settled upon its merits in the ordinary way." Hon. J. A. Millar wired: "Instructions have .been given that permanent men are not to be called on." Consequently no work was done on the Aneriey's cargo of Oregon timber. There is no other boat in port to-day.