LABOR DISPUTES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2102, 23 September 1890, Page 2

LABOR DISPUTES.

Loudon, Sept. 18

The Unionist leaders fear that the total subscriptions ia aid of the Australian strikers will not exceed £12,000 or £ls, 000. The London compositors have Foted £250. The London Trades and Labor Council have forwarded £360 in aid of the Melbourne strikers. Mr Burut dec ares that the collection by the English unions for the Australian strikers will be £BOOO. and that the general public gave nothing. Be states that a big battlers impending in England, and that it is imperative tc defend the outworks—Australia. Mr Tom Mann aeserts that Australia is not a workman's paradise. The appeal made by the Trades Unions Congress for assistance for Australia showed that outside the amount subscribed bj the Dockers' and Seamen's Uuions, and the London Trades Unions the only sum collected was less than £7O.

Sydkey, Sept. 20. Over 12,000 tons of coal were exported from Newcastle this week,

The Shearers' Uuion estimate that station hands numbering 60,000 went out on strike yesterday. One of yesterday's rioters was sentenced to three months' and another to to seven days' imprisonment. Funds are said to be coming in freely for the support of the unionists.

The labor defence committee have telegraphed to eleven unions in Australia instructing the shearers, carters, and labourers to cease work after Wednasday at all haiards.

Sept. 21.

It is expected that the work of bridging wool from the railway to Circular Quay will be resumed to-morrow morning, and great precautions are being taken by the authorities to prevent a repitition of ihe disturbance. One hundred and fifty mounted infantry have arrived from the county districts to reinforce those now in the city. The military are encamped in readiness should their services be required, . At a mass meeting of the meo, the speakers urged the strikers to keep sway from the quay.

Adklaidb, Sept, 19.

The decision of the men to boycott the oeeau liners affects eight lines of steamers.

Melboubne, Sept. 19,

Ihe employers have issued a statement that, with a sufficiency of free labor under pledge of oontinuoup employment, and with gloomy trade prospects along the const, it would be misleading on their part to offer unionists any conference with a view to arraning terms by which the strikers might be reinstated in their former positions, as such a course is practically impossible. The most that can be done at this stage is to state that all men required will ba employed irre. spective of whether they are unionists or free labourers.

NEW ZEALAND.

Auckland, Sept. 20.

The Wainui arrivdd from Samoa, Tonga and Fiji. Her crew, who are union men, were called out on arrival and gave 24 hours' notice. They come out to-night. Wellington, Sept. 20. The roll of membership of the Shipmasters' Association n«w number 106.

The Murray, with a non-union crew, arrived from Nelson this morning. For the six vacancies on board her there were 40 applicants, most of them thoroughly competent men.

- .7 " matters are very quiet. btrike .- .< wharf oarterß and ex . At a meeting o. if> . pressmen it was resoiveo. *~ present position, m m Over £ISOO in cash and provision orders have been given to the men on strike here siace the dispute began. Geeymouth, Sept. 21.

It was whispered a few days ago that a strong force of police had been sant for, but no importance was attached to the rumor, as the conduct of the wharf men had been so orderly. On Saturday night, however, sixty summonses were ißsued calling on residents to act as special constables, and 15 still remain to be issued, and the men are to be eworu in to-morrow at 9 a.m. Then it became known that the order to put timber on the Brunner had been countermanded, and that it was intended to load her with coal at all hazards, as betaeen six and sevep hundred tons were lying in ih& trucks on the reclaimed land. Therefore it jpould appear that violence was apprehended. It is alleged that the Grey Valley Coal Company have bound themselves by a written pledge not to supply coal to the Union Company until the strike is settled, hence the apprehensions of trouble. On it being reported that the Brunner nvnera would copje early to-morrow morning, the this afternoon sent a mounted messenger to cou,dssl the miuers' executive to induce the mea to remain'at ; home, and so prevent any danger of a collision. A good deal of indignation is '

felt amongst the citiaeßs summoned, who consider that there is no occasion for such a step. Tne unionists are very angry at the breach of agreement by the coal company, which is considered a tricky proceeding in the interest of the Union Company, and of so irritating a character as to be calculated to provoke a breach of the peace. If the coal is put on board the Brunner the miners will knock off instantly ; on the other hand, the Mawbera, which is uow outside the harbor, is said to have non-unionists on board to work the coal mines.

Ltttelton, Sept. 21. Yesterday afternoon the laborers working the Monowai refused to turn to after dianer because they had not been supplied with pudding. They were soon satisfied, however, and when the wants of the inner man had been supplied, they went to work again.

DuwEßJjr, Sept. 20. There was a series of disturbances on the wharf last night. A. man named Uowie received serious injuries, and another named Matheson who was attacked drew a revolver which had the effect of dispersing bis assailants. Some officers forcsd an entrance into Silk's restaurant with the object of compelling a lodger there to remove an alleged offensive cartoon from a shop window in town of which he ia the artist, giving him till eight this morning to remove it. Among those knocked dn*n was the harbor boards' watchin-n. None of the assailants were recognised.

THE RAILWAYS. The following circular, dated the ISth September, has been issued by the Rail way Commissioners to ail the railway employes:—"The Railway Commissioners regret to find that the proceedings of the Cbiistchnrch executive of the Railway Servants' Society have been mischievous and injudicious. This executive has tried to override the Commissioners' authority, and has caused trouble and disorder in the Public Service by ordering men not to do the duties required of them under the rules and regulations. Aoting on its evil advice a number of employsV have loßt their places. It has, at Lyttelton and Westport, tried to use the Public Service for the brutal and degrading practice of boycotting. By effiliatiag with the Maritime Council the employes have beeu drawn icto quarrels in which, as public servants, they hare no right to meddle. They have in this way made themselves parties to the stoppage of.the railway coal supplies from the New Zealand mines and to injariog the railway traffic and revenue, thus making it necessary to stop the trains running and to work short time. The Commissioners will' not in future recognise or deal with an executive whose influence and management have been so bad. They now suggest that if the society desires their recognition and co-operation it should alter its constitution as follows ; (7) The general executive to be f or 9 representatives, from the different sections to meet yearly to transact business; (2) The society not to be affiliated with the Maritime Council or any other union; (3) the secretary and other officers to be railway employes; (4) no persons other than New Zealand Government railway employl* to be members of the society j (5) No member at any time to counsel or advise any employ** to disturb the rules, regulations, instructions, or by-laws of the New Zealand Government railways { (6) the local branches of the society to retain their organisation, but all officers to be railway employes; (7) it must bs open for »11 employed either to join or withdraw from the society at pleasure under reasonable regulations, and the society must not interfere with the individual privileges and rights of any employs'. The Commissioners will grant leave on pay and passes to the members of the general executive of the society t< coastituted, and enable them to meet once a year. The Commissioners will grant leave on pay similarly for a period of not more than one month in each year to the secretary to give him time to attend to society work. The Railway Commie* sioners would recommend their employe's to give this subject their careful con* sideration."

At a meeting of railwHV pervf.nls last night,''it was agreed to suggest to the railway servautb' executive that a eonfereDce of delegate? from a'l eections of the soc «ty be held lxr« 10 discuss the snggßetions of tbe Hallway Commissioners} and also to interview tbe latter.

DISTURBANCE IN SYDNEY.

Sydney, Sep*. 19.

The removal of the wool from Darling Harbor to the wool stores on Circular Quay led to uproarious scenes this morn* ing. Several trollies loaded with wooI t and guarded by a force of mounted polici and special constables, were surrounded by fully three thousand strikers. Stones were freely used, and a numbtrof windows in houses and shops in George street were smashed. While a constable was attemptins: to arrest one of the rioters a piece of blue road metal was thrown at the constable. The missile missed its mark and struck a member of the union a terrible blow on the head. The man was so seriously injured that his removal to the ho'sp'rtal was considered advisable. The news of the row rapidly spread, and con* sequently the crowd increased at every moment. On reaching Circular Quay the j>'«turbance had become so serious that the Riot Act «f*B read, and the mounted police charged the mib. A scene of the wildest confusion ensued, aud one or two men wepa drjyeu into the sea, but for* tunately srere rescued. §pecia} constables poured in from all parts of the sity, and eventually the strikers were driven b»pk aud the wool unloaded. There wer§ numberlesß broken beads, and several of the police received pasty cuts and bruises, Tep thousand men were on tt»9 scene.

The Hon. W. McMillan, Colonial Treasurer, replying to a deputation of citizens who waited upon him immediately after the riot had been quelled, Baid that the Government had been prepared all along for whatever might eventuate, but fhings had now arrived at a definite stage; in fapt, a jfiqd of self-made revolutionary government had been set pp. Jt woujd. therefore, bp necessary for the ,Governmen| to take such steps as woujd secure ifidiyi; dual liberty, Tb§ situation be admmjtted could not be more grave than it was at present, and he assured the deputation that the Government were prepared to taka even the most extreme steps for the purpose of maintaining order. A bp 1 ifc hits taken place in the Cabinet owing to the reply tnade by Mr McMillan, Colonial Treasurer, to the* deputation 'of;

citizens who yesterday waited upon him re the strike. In the course of an interview with a newspaper reporter, Sir Henry Parkes, the Premier, siid that be thought that there was bafc little doubi that ths members of the labor defence committee could be prosecuted for conspiracy, but the Government had to consider whether it was expedient or advisable to take that course, and whether it might lead toother evils. The Government, he said, must consider the question in every phase, and have to govern the men on strike as wel as the employers. He added :—"Though I may think the conduct of the men wrong, and that they aro doing great damaee to their cause as well as to society, still the Government must remember that they are part of the papulation whom they have to govern." Replying to a question as to whether fresh orders would be gives to the police as a result of yesterday s riot, he said :—" In this matter I represent the Government, and cannot admit any Minister to speak for the Goyernment but myself." It is understood that m consequence of this Mr McMillan to-day resigned his portfolio of Colonial Treasurer. , c ~ A number of rioters were before the Court to-day, and were mulcted in sums varying from £1 to £B, or, in default, to be imprisoned for one week to four months.