LABOR DISPUTES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2070, 10 July 1890, Page 4

LABOR DISPUTES.

London, July 6

The police have threatened a general strike unless the constable who was degraded for the part he had taken in the present agitation is reinstated, and all demands conceded by Tuesday. July 7.

The Bow street police who go out on strike to-night have warned the tradesmen to close early, especially as a safeguard to their premises. The second battalion of the Grenadier Guards (350 men) shut themselves up in the barracks, refused to parade, and hooted Colonel Maitland.

Mr H, Matthews, the Home Secretary, asserts that the discontent is exaggerated, and that it is due to their performing police duty, but the difficulty is now arranged. The Dublic are indignant at the intimidation employed by the men, and plenty of special constables are ready to volunteer. Over thirty constables who were suspended "have been dismissed for refusing or hesitating to proceed on duty when ordered. There is considerable excitement, and many messages of sympathy have, been received from other divisions. The Star states that 3000 men are pledged to strike to-night. Sir Edward Bradford personally enquired into the charges and dismissed eight of the men, A crowd of a thousand, mostly roughs, assembled and blocked Bow street, interfering with the iugress to Covent Garden Theatre, where the 1 Prince of Wales was ; present. The crowd cheered the soldiers and constables, but hissed the police officers, and pelted them with flour and stones. The Prince of Wales was cheered on leaving the theatre. A few windows have been broken and one hotel partially wrecked. At 1 o'clock heavy rain fell and the crowd dispersed. Large numbers of policemen in plain clothes incited a crowd of 5000 rowdies in the evening, and the conduct of the mob was strongly intimidative until the Guards arrived. The mob cried "Vive le anarchy," and sang the Marseillaise. Flower pots, crockery, bottles, rotten vegetables, and Ditchers of water, were thrown at the police officers. The Socialists were active in urging the soldiery to side with the people. Many of the mob resisted the efforts of the troopers to maintain order, and tried to cut the reins of their horses. The foot, constables were of little assistance, and it was evident that their sympathy was with their comrades. The Soutbwark reserves have replaced the mutinous members of the Bow street force.

A coal famine is being experienced in Dublin owing to the strike of porters. Two thousand postmen have postponed their threatened strike in consequence of the London Trades Council having offered them assistance within twelve days. The PostmasterGeneral reinstated the men suspended for having attended a meeting of the union.

Ninety Bow street constables have been reported and forty suspended for refusing duty on Saturday. Mr Cecil Raikes, PostmasterGeneral, has declined to reeognisa the union formed by the postmen. The delivery of mails has been delayed owing to the attitude assumed by the men. The men will come to a final decision as to going out on strike tonight. The telegraph clerks have intimated that after Haturday next they will not work overtime.

The dock clerks, who state that they are worse paid than the dock labourers, are about to strike.

Auckland, July 7

The long standing dispute between Garrett Bros, and the Bootmakers Union is now settled. A Retail Master Tailors Association has been formed in Auckland, and a committee of five appointed to prepare rules.

Wellington, July 8

The dispute between the officers of shipping companies and the owners is getting very serious. The Hon. G-eo. Maclean, chairman of the Union Steamship Company has addressed a reply to the circular of the officers, in the course of which he says the demands made would amount to £IO,OOO a year, or per cent; that the second demand would amount to £6OOO a year, and asks time to eonfer with other ship owners. The officers' reoly is that they will leave their ships on the 14th instant if their demands are not complied with in the meantime. The officers have since asked the co-operation o£ the Maritime Council, and have received the following very sensible reply: " Strongly advise the delay of extreme action. We decline to be plunged into trouble before having ample proof that the demands refused are reasonable. Everyone considers the demands too numerous and large at once. We advise arbitration.—J. A. MiLi/AE." People who scream at the working men may as well remember that the Maritime Council is chiefly the Ssamen's TJnion, and that the Officers' "Onion js composed of the captains and officers of vessels. It is worthy of note that the poor sailors are more reasonable than their officers. CjjEiSTcnrjECH, July 7.

f The Canterbury Trades and Labor 1 Council refuse to hold any conference on political matters which do not make

tradesunionism a plank in their platform. Ihe master bakers of Christchurch have decided to have uniform price and weight for bread, to pay proper and advertise the price on the first of every month. Dttnedin, July 7. At a meeting of the master butchers] it was decided to form a union, and the hours of closing were fixed at 6 o'clock, except on Friday, when it would be 8, and on Saturday 11 o'clock. Invebcabghll, July 7. At the annual meeting of the Southland teachers institute on Saturday it was decided to take steps to form a union, and the secretary was instructed to write to other institutes suggesting that the question of establishing a union for the whole colony should be discussed at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Teachers Council.