LABOR DISPUTES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2108, 7 October 1890, Page 2

LABOR DISPUTES.

Lohbon, Oct. 2. The shipping federation are arranging to open registry offices for free labor at the principal ports in England. lbs London Labor Leagns hare sent another £4OO to assist the Australian strikers, The league have also appointed a deputation to proceed to Plymouth to receive Mr J, D. Fitzgerald, the labor delegate dispatched from Sydney to explain to the unionists in England the exact position of affairs in connection with the Australian labor difficulty, The Dockers’ Congress have passed a resolution rejoicing at the firm stand made by the Australian strikers, and at the prospects of a successful settlement, also pledging (heir support. 'I be Dockers’ Congress decided to ra* consider the question of unloading ships. Subsequently, however, a resolution wai carried favouring co-operation, and asking the committee to submit a raport on the matter. There were a goad many dissentients to the latter cornea being adopted, Oct. 5, There is a general cessation of work in the Scotch iron trade owing to tba masters declining to accede to the request of the men for an eight hoars day.

Seven hundred soldiers were ordered oat at Ghatbam-&nd held in readiness to act as temporary stokers at the Gas-light and Coke Company’s works at Beokton, North Woolwich, in the event of the present employes striking against the employment of non-anion men. The workmen now disclaim any intention of

striking. Jhe Dockers’ Congress have resolved to urge Parliament to prevent the passage of the Foreign Contract Labor Bill, and have decided that the eight hoars’system is unsuitable to dock labor, thongh where possible it should be enforced. Synintr, Oct, 2.

Attached to counsel's opinion to the shearers wap a private recommendation adviiiog that in loyalty to the Unions and justice to sheep! owners the men shonld carry oat their contracts. Influenced by this opinion the labor defence committee decided unanimously that tbs shearers should return to work. It was felt that this would be a politic step and might pave the way "to a general conference. . Work will accordingly be resumed to-day.

A nnmber of miners belonging to the southern collieriea bare been fined for breach of agreement. The secretary of the Shearers’ Union states that the order issued for the men to return to work will only.affect 5000 shearers who nave contract engagements to fulfil, . A deadlock has arisen over the relnrn of the shearers to work, as the pastoral* ists refuse to recognise the unions. Oct.fi. The Railway Commissioners, baying giyen the men an opportunity of going to work oat coal, and they haying refused, the Government have determined to open the mines on their own account. A mine has been selected, bnt the n&me will not be made public for the present, It is stated, on what appears to be' good authority, that the wharf laborers will return to work on Tuesday: Arrangements are in progress for a regular supply of coal from China, Japan, and other places, and,Jf success* folly carried out, theehipping and gas companies ire not likely to suffer materially if the colliers remain oat on strike.

The employers have completed arrange* meats tor engaging all wharf laborers, and only men of good characters are to be taken on. The employers slate that this course is necessary, as there are a number of objectionable characters among this class of labor who prejudice good men.

There are now more officers offering than there is employment for. Melbourne. Oct. 8.

The legal profession have given jESO to the Employers fund, and voted £lO per week so long as the Chief Justice contributes to the strike fund.

The Employers* Union has decided m favour of a conference with the labor bodies, and is consulting The unions in other colonies. It is said that importers are so determined to stop the strike as their only salvation from ruin, that they brought psessare to bear bn tbo employers. Oct. 4. The Employers’ Union have written to the Trades Hall announcing that tbs Unions of other colonies have authorised a conference at an early date io Mel* bourne on condition that tbemen accept the minute passed by the emp'oyers’ conference at Sydney as the basis of proceeding, NEW ZEALAND. . W ELLINGTON, Oct. I, The coßomUsionera who were appointed to enquire into the working, of the Gray Vul'ey coal mines, will begin their duties next week. Sfr James Hector and ,Wt E. W. Moody will leave Wellington for Christchurch on Monday, and will be met there by Mr William Brown, of Dunedin, who will scsompany them to Greymouth by coach bn Tuesday. A meetiag of the local branch of the Railway Servants’ Society was addressed by Messrs Winter, El vines, Hoban, and Lomas, delegates to the Labor Conference. Entire concurrence with the action of executive of tbe association was expressed, Oct. i. Thirty nou-unioo men have been engaged here for the Westport colliery. Oct. 6. The Duke of Westminster has finished loading, bat will probably be detained bare for some time owing to lack of coal. She wants about 1300 tons, of wbtcb she hug taken in 860 tons, received from tbo Grey Valley Coal Company.

Mr McLean has received a memorial signed by thirty-five officers out on strike at Dunedin asking to be taken back into the service of the company.

The Manawatu Railway Company will now resume full traffic on their line.

Christchurch, Oct. 3. A detachment of 12 police left here for Grejmoulb this morning. Westport, Oct. 6.

The Brunner, from Lyttelton and Dunedin. with free labor for the Denniston mine, arrived at 9 this morning, and the Kanieri, with a contingent from Wellington, half an hour later. The wharf was crowded with the public, and a strong ferce of police was present. A train was drawn up on the wharf and the men went aboard directly from the steamer, and left immediately for their destination There was alight beoting; otherwise all quiet. There were about 160 men in all. On Saturday three Denniston colliers iwere fined email amounts for assaulting men .at the Waimangarora mine, which ia non-unionist. Mr Moynihan, w o defended, said the unionists were totally opposed to any lawlessness during the strike, and gave an assurance that there would be no trouble at Denmstt>n. The Magistrate, Mr Kenny, expressed his pleasure at hearing this, as it was as much the duty of a Peace to conserve peace as to adjudicate in eases brought before him. The committee at Denniston bad informed , the Inspector of Police that the energies of the men would be directed to upholding the law, and though there might be isolated cases of bad behavior, probably the result of drink, U would not be fair to condemn the whole body io the community therefore. Mr Moynihan said the ■.leaders totally denied that there was any . intention to.break the law. and he bad strongly advised the men to observe the : utmost circumspection. 'Dunedin, Oct. 3. r Mr W. N. Tnnes, late of the • Cooks’ and ■ Stewards' It/nion, with others' promoting a Stewards’ Association, which will take the form of a benefit socieiy, and, is not to be affiliated to the Maritime Council e» trades council. A strike on a small scale has taken place among the men employed on the contract by J. T. Milnes. One of the hod carriers is a nonunion man, and when requested to jein gave theological reasons for not doing so. The other hod carriers to-day declined to work with the man, and in order to bring the matter before the Building Trades Union, the contractor notified 'the brick'ayers, carpenters, &0., that he would not require their services until to.morrow. Oct. 6. Pour of tha Hillside Workshops Railway hands have received a fortnights notice of dismissal owing to retrenchment. Mr Newton, president of the local branch, is one. kWy

THE CONFERENCE. Wblllinoton, Oct, 3. The Conference wag resumed this morning, when Mr Sandford, of the Canterbury Trades and Labor Council, in Iho course of a lengthy speech contended that the Union Company deliberately associated themselves with the shipowner combinetion in Australis, whose avowed intention was to crush the unionists. He thought the troo solution of the labor difficulty was to federate, eo as to form a council of the two classes, who eonld meet and arrive at a settlement of any disputes arising. Mr McLean defended the action of the Shipowners Association of Australia, and said they bad not lifted a finger till attacked. He had everything to say in favor pf unionism, but in the present instance the unions had ridden the high horse and gone too far. Since the strike the company were getting the flower of the men of New Zsaland into the boats. Many of the officers, cooks, and stewards were returning to the company, and be challenged’Mr Millar to lake the embargo - off the seamen and firemen, when moat of them would be only too glad to get back le the company. He thought the great fault in connection with the.present trouble lay in the fact that they Onion Company had not been brought face to face with the difficulty before extreme measures were resorted to, bb seme means might have been adopted to avoid the strike. Mr Millar replied to some of Mr McLean’s statements. He admitted that the Union Company treated their men well, but the company would have to look a long way before they could get such a fine body of men in their employ as they hacUbefore the a'rike commenced, eo that in reality there , was no indebtedness on ’dither side in this respect. As to the men going" hack he (Mr Millar) could assure Mr McLean that they would never go -back with his sanction until a settlement of the difficulty was effected. There wss bo doubt as to the quantity of free labourers coming forward to assist the 'Union Company in the crisis, but be could not say very much for their quality, for a good part of those who bad joined the service at ibe present juncture bad previously been dismissed for drunkenness, while./many of them the company had previously refused te take on. [Mr McLean positively denied this assertion]. Millar then touched on the question of free labor, and said that the members of the an ; ODB bad no right to sacrifice themselves; to non-union, labor, for the latter were certainly in a minority, and they ought therefore to bow to the majority. ■He believed that the dispute could be settled to-morrow, but in order to do eo the company must admit the principle that every society was entitled to enter into any.affiliation ircbose. Ha suggested that jo order to” put matters into a practice l form, three or four delegates should talk, over the situation with Mr McLean, and sea whether there was a probability of coming to a settlement. Mr McLean said that ho certainly could not concede one point raised by Mr Millar, .and that was the right of the Marine Officers’ Association to affiliation. After some discussion, Me F. Meyer xiio.ved that a deputation, consisting of Messrs Winter, Brown, Sandford, Millar, Fisher, and Lomas, should confer with Mr McLean for the purpose of arriving at an arrangement and report as early as I^The 1 resolution was carried, and the confensnpe adjourned till Monday. The sub-committee ef the Labor Conference met this mousing, and st l.SOa.m. an adjournment was made without any decision having been arrived at. The labor party meet this afternoon to further S/.t matters. Ike delegate. .mnet

say what chance there is of a settlement being arrived at, but Mr Millar, states that Monday morning will see f he mAtter settled either one way or the other. The committee appointed by the Labor Conference to confer with the Hon. George McLean bad a further interview yesterday afternoon, but no arrangement was come to. The chief difficulty is the employment of non-union and union labor. October 6,

When the conference resumed this morning Mr D. P. Fisher, the chairman, aa’d that the committee had sat on Saturday, Sunday, and this morning, but he was sorry to say no. definite settlement had bjen arrived at, A ; basis of settlement was submitted by the labor delegates to Mr McLean, but Mr MoLean could not gee his way to accept the proposals. The following w«s the basis referred to : 1. “ Delegates agree to submit to their principals. . the basis of settlement conditionally upon upon Mr McLean pursuing a similar course as follows ;

2.—“ That all competent hands at present in the employ of the Union Company be admitted to the unions without ballot, upon payment of the entrance fe®. 3. That the Union Company undertake to recognise the Mercantile Marine Officers Association and the Seamen’s Union undertake to recognise the new Shipmasters Association, without prejudice to either body, and that membership iu either body be considered for mutual resagnitlon. 4. “That all persons dismissed or ended out be reinstated, 5 i “That in future none but union men be employed where rules of any union provide for ibis, except under exceptional circumstances to bo hereafter agreed upon. g. “That bonds be agreed upon between both parties guaranteeing that no strike or lock-oufshsll take place for one year, or sueh other period as may be agreed upon.” Mr McLean gave his reasons for refusing to accept the labor proposals. In the first place the basis submitted would brine the parties back to exactly where they started before the strike. When the company took on the free laborers they pledged themselves to keep on those men under certain conditions, and he had mads it clear on many occasions that whatever happened the company would stick to the men at preseot io their employ. In the second place the basis put the company in the position of compelling the men te join unions, and he could never accede to that. As the labor party had made up their mind to stick to the determination not to allow unionists and son-unionists to work side by side no good could bo obtained by staying here any longer, as they were on y stringing the people on to expect a settlement of the difficulty when none could be looked for. The directors of the Union Company were big-hearted, generous men, and did not wish to lake any advantage of the unions, bnt they really bad nothing to' give the onions in peturn for what they could gi*e tho company. Ho thought things ought now to be allowed to die down, Mr Millar said that his party had done everything in their power to eneek a settlement, but it was the opinion throughout New Zealand that non-unionists ceuld not work with unionists. That was the rock on which they split, and from the first be fsa r ad that such would be the result. It was very evideot that employers were now taking up an agreaaiye position and the labor party were now in stem reality placed on the defensive aids. They were quite content to sit down and watch the progress of events for, say, a month or six weeks, when perhaps both paities would be in better mood to come to a settlement.

Most of the delegates spoke at some length, and deplored that no settlement had been arrived at. The opinion was expressed that unions will still go ahead, and the evident attempts of the employers to crush the unions would bo far from successful.

At 12.50 the conference adjourned till 10 a,m. to-morrow, when the conference will probably bo formally closed. A caucus of the Labor Party is called for this afternoon to consider the position.