WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 January 1917, Page 8

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

WATERSIDE WORKKRB,

NEW AGREEMENT. (Spocjal Corresp; ndoni.) No dote has yet been announced for the conferenc between the waterside workers and the shipowners for the discussion of a new agreement between them to take the place of the one that expired at the end of lasr mo.ith; but it Is expected that a meeting will be arranged in the course of a lew days, am" that both parties will be found in a conciliatory mood. The old agreement, which, of course, continues jr. operation till a new one is adopted, provides fov the payment of rates varyirg from Is 7d to 2s 3d an hour, according to tire character of the work, for ordinary time; from 2s ud to 3s 4d for overtime up to 10 p.m., and from 2s 8d to '.is Gd for overtime between 10 p.m. and S a.m. It is understood the men are now asking for a minimum of 2s 2d an Lour for ordinary* time, and. a proportioiate increase in the other payments, and that the cniplo'yers are prepared to concede a minimum of 2s. Whether or not the difference between the parties can. be bridged at the approaching conference still has to be seen, but it is safe io say that neither the employers nor the men aro anxious f/u a conflict at the present time, and, that their rep'-,«cnlatives will meet with an earnest desire to reach an amicable settlement.

Representatives of local shipping interests, engaged in negotiating the waterside workers for n new agreement, contradict emphatically the statement Jiat they are willing to concede the workers an increase to ?? per hour. The watcrsiders are asking for : ; j 2d per hour The negotiations have not reached an advanced stage,' and neither s'de is prepared to any statement at present. STRIKE RUMORS. Thr delay in fixing up the waterside workers agreement has giver, the gossips an opportunity to keep their ,stories concerning an impending strike in circulation, and just now they aie reiterating a very circumstantial account of what happened on the West Coast a weeks ago, when the .ivners suddenly ceased work and just as suddenly took up theii tools again. The miners', according to these quidnuncs, weie anxious to promote a great industrial conflict over the conscription issue, and to let the. world at large see their liberties were not to be infringed at ths bidding of the military :uith6rities. But the watersiders, realising that a strike threatening the' Dominion's obligations id the Empire would obtain no sympa'.hv from the great mass of the people, ictuscd to coiporate with the miners and induced them te return lo work pending the result of their own negotiat'nns with the employers. It is held now by the gossips that if the former do not get what they want, from the shipov,ncrs the two unions will take whatever steps they may think,necessary to enforce their demands. I I i tilK MEX'S \VJ.\W

The story appears to hold together well enough so' Jar as can he judged from what occurred on the Wo;t Coast at th 3 rime. The miners went out precipitately for no reason that could be well fe- ' lined, and returned" just as precipitately without offering any explanation. The whole business was, a mystery lending itself to,the fiercest speculation. But reliable men among the wakrside workers, speaking with some authority, positively deny the existence: of a conspiracy oefw'een the two unions to enforce their individual demands. Th.<y fiaukly admit that {he men want to get the full market value of their labor—a value which the' employers, perhaps, will not assess as high as the men do—but insist that no organised body of workers' is anxious to bring p.bout industrial strife at the present juncture. Their contention, based on statistics, which they quote as glibly as does the mo.=t figure-saturated economist ;n the hind, is that the cost of living, tspecially in the seaports of the Dominion, has mountid up at such a rate that the present r.vcrage wage is utterly •■i:\dequate to meet the needs of the mr.n with a family.- On this contention they take tneir stand. e, FARM LABOI'.

In the course of en interview this iftemoon the Secretary of the Agricultural and Pastoral Union, v.hich represents a federation of the Shearers' Unio:. Mid othei unions of rural workers, spoke L,nite despondently in regard to the supv.lv of labor for the harvest and for •.e'neral farming- operations. "We have not through the shearing pretty well," he faid, "thanks largely te the Ion? ?;h'.ll of fine weather and to the absence of serious disputes between the employers and the men; but honestly I. don't sechow we are going to manage the harvest or to find the permanent hands the farmers require." A cursuiy giance at (he correspondence in the scorctary's possession suggests there :.i very food •/round for "the'gloomy view lie takes of the position. . Farmers all over the country are calling out im men with some kiujwledge'of agricultural work. and unless there is a large exodus from the towns, and employer.' are ready to accept such assistance as Uey can yet, harvesting, as well as piejwrstions for '.lie aiifmnii and winter, wile be much delayed.