WORK AND WAGES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 212, 6 March 1912, Page 5

WORK AND WAGES.

FURNITURE WORKERS' UNION. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Tuesday. Mr. Moriarty, secretary of the Furniture Workers' Union, denies that the recent Trades Congress, held in Dunedin, advised cancellation under the Arbitration Act. The congress upheld the measure and counselled the workers to retain connection. COAL MINERS' DISPUTE. AN ABORTIVE CONFERENCE. Westport, Last Night. - A meeting of representatives 'of the coal mine owners and the deputies at Wesport to-day proved abortive, the former stating that the demands of the deputies could not be entertained. The miners' delegates meet the mine owners' representatives to-morrow.

RAILWAYMEN'S GRIEVANCES. PUBLIC INQUIRY URGED. Westport, Last Night. , The Town Hall was packed to-night when a public meeting, Mayor Greenwood presiding, was held to" decide what action should be taken in connection with the grievances of the men in the local railway workshops. Trouble ,has beensimmering for some time, and the men that all efforts to get the grievances remedied have failed. Several speakers at to-night's meeting detailed their grievances, which appeared to be levelled against one man, .whom, they alleged, was subjecting them to continual pin-pricks. A motion was finally carried requesting the Minister of Railways to grant a public inquiry; TROUBLE ON THE TARAWERA. THE MEAT OBJECTED TO. - Dunedin, Last Night. The Tarawera was timed, t'o leave Dunedin for northern ports at 3 p.m. today, but she did not get away till 5 p.m. The delay was due to the" firemen and seamen giving 24 hours' notice from Monday morning to discontinue work on the steamer, and the difficulty in getting men to fill their places. It_ appears that while the steamer was coming down the coast the crew found fault with the quality of the meat supplied to them, and for which they blamed the ship's cook and butcher. It is not denied that the men had cause for complaint regarding the quality of the meat on one 'occasion, and Captain McLean had that meat replaced by perfectly fresh food, and promised that the men should not have further reason to complain.

The firemen and sailors, however, demanded that the cook and butcher, or, at any rate, the latter, should be taken off the steamer, and while the position stood_ thus, unemployed sailors and Bremen in port would not sign on the vessel.

A conference was held between the men and representatives 'of the Union Company to-day, when the former reiterated their demand. The difficulty was solved by the butcher resigning, and the other men thereupon signified their willingness to join the steamer. Only two firemen and one trimmer out of the original crew were left on the vessel when she sailed.

GREY WATERSIDE WORKERS. Greymouth, Last Night. At a meeting of the Crey waterside workers held to-night a ballot was taken re joining the Federation of Labor. The result was 99 for, W against: for the Arbitration Court, 9S for. 42 against.