WATERSIDE WORKERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 February 1917, Page 4

WATERSIDE WORKERS.

A TEMPORARY SETTLEMENT. Ry Telegraph.—Press Assrchition. Wellington, February M. At (Ih l result of advice from Napier received by the Wellington Watersiders' Union to the ell'eeb that the dispute tip then! hn l heen temporarily settled, Hi" nieii decided to work the cargo on the Victoria, and the Ripple, which arrived I'voiu Xnpier during the niirht, is al<o being worked, as well us the vessels from Waiig;liuii. Cargo operations are now being carried out oil all vessels in port. WORK rtK.SU.MED AT JCAPIER. Napier, Kelirtiarv 1-1. As the result of lion. Mr. Mai donald's vi-it to Na' i( r, work was 'resumed at Port Ahuriri at 1 o'clock this afternoon, on the conditions obtaining previous to the present trouble, anil the matters in depute are to be considered by the Disputes Couuniliee this evening' The resumption of work was brouyht about by Mr. Roberts, sivivlarv of the Xevv Zealand \\ atersiders' Federation, getting into touch uhh Wellington last night, when it was agreed that the ■employers at Napier and the Watersides' Disputes Committee should meet this morning. At this morning's conference a settlement was reached, and on the matter being put to the workers, i! was decided to commence work immediately. The free labor wns brought ashore from tin* liners in port aiul withdrawn on shore. l!v In.MO o'clock the lighters and launches had brought ashore those men working on the liners, whereupon the labor foreman began engaging men for the resumption of work at 1 p.m. With iv.ard to Wellington, .Mr. Roberts eave it as his opinion that the effect of .work being re started at Napier would be that normal conditions would be resumed at Wellington immediatelv. This morning there was it large number of men about the waterfront at the Port waiting events, and plenty of labor was available when the call came. UN SA TISFALTOK V DIC LA l'S.

(.From Uu: Own Correspondent.) Wellington, Fob. 12

The explanation of to-day's developments on the v.-nterfront prolmbly is t.O 1)0 fouiul ill tllC WillillgllCKS of tin* workers to accept (loverimient control of the wharves. Tins Union met in the morning anil the immediate results were announcements that the Union would be represented before the Conciliation Council and tlr.it workers would neeept engagement for the unloading of the "black'' cargo from Wangaiini This meant at least a postponement ol the open struggle. which the employerstate franklv thev would rather face now than later ' The decision of the Union involved also the postponement of action by the Government in the direction of taking control of the wharves under the. new regulations, since the acting Minister for Labor die' not. fee! justified in proceeding until the outcome of the pruceedinsrs before the Conciliation Council had been seen. The new turn of events had the additional ell'ect of delaying the operation of arrangements that the employers had made for operating the wharves in the event of n lplete breach with the Union. What is going to happen now remains U he If the Union should show readiness to carry on the waterside work in a reasonable way while the dispute is being considered by the Conciliation Council, it appears that furiher developments would be stayed for the piescnt. The employers, who feel that a ip'ick settlement is essential to their interests. are not, plea.-ed with happenings. They believed that a ligii; was inevitable and they were ready for it. Xow they find themselves threatened with delays without any prospect of a settlement satisfactory to them, since the possibility of the parties reaching agreement, before the Conciliation Council appears almns, negligible. Representatives of the workers, on the other hand, make 110 secret of their belief that Government control of the wharves would be a score for their side, and there is reason to believe that they have already assured the Ministers of their readiness to work under Government, direction. The position is interesting.