NEWCASTLE STRIKE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9647, 12 November 1909, Page 5

NEWCASTLE STRIKE.

TROUBLE EXTENDING.

WATERSIDE WOREKRS LIKELY TO CEASE WORK.

Received November 11, 10.30 a.rn SYDNEY, November 11.

The Registrar of the Commonwealth Arbitration Court is watching the strike carefully. If it extends beyond New South Wales he will bring it before the court in the pjblie interest.

The Wharf Labourers' Uiriun held a meeting, and considered the request of the Federated Council of Waterside Workers to strike if called upon. Though the press was excluded, it is understood that the meeting decided to slrike if the call came. Oth_ j r waterside unions are marking time, pending developments.

Up to £4 a tori was paid yesterday for bunker coal at^Sydney.

The miners at the Curlewis pit, Guunedah, have struck. The position in the southern districts is not improved by one of the Clifton colliery prosecution cases going against the men. The decision caused considerable excitement and angry scene?. Subsequently it was announced that the company bad agreed to the dismissal of all the remaining charges, with 10s expenses to each man. The Mount Keira miners have decided to continue work till Friday, but the wheelers declare that they will not start to day. The Mount Pleasant colliery, one of the southern group of.mines, has ceased working. Delegates from the Newcastle miners' lodges are visiting the Western districts.

Though no move has been made yet, it is believed that the Western miners are prepared to join m the strike.

With reference to the scheme of the Miners' Federation to work a mine with the object of providing strike funds, it is now stated that the plan proposes the taking over of two collieries.

ACTION OP MELBOURNE SHIPOWNERS.

FREIGHTS INCREASED.

Received November 11, 10.40 a.m MELBOURNE, November 11.

The Steamship Owners" Federation has decided, in consequence of the dislocation of trade caused by the Newcastle strike, to increase interState freights by from 2s 6d to 5s 6d per ton, and passenger rates by 10 per centum.

The price uf coal is increased by £1 a ton from to-day.

Received November 11, 11.55 p.m SYDNEY, November 11.

The United Storemens' Union has decided to strike on Tuesday next in support of the miners at Newcastle. Received November 12, 12.10 a.m. SYDNEY, November 11.

The southern coal owners declined to participate in the conference. The.v could not recognise it, and declined to meet in confrence representatives of bodies of employers with whom they had no business connection or bodies of employees employed in another district with whom they had never stood in the relation of employed and employer. Further, the Association had always been ready to meet its own employees in conference, but had consistently declined to deal with a matter in dispute so long as the men were outside the pale of the law by being on strike.