LABOUR TROUBLES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9670, 8 December 1909, Page 5

LABOUR TROUBLES.

SERIOUS SITUATION.

THREATENED STRIKE OF RAILWAY WORKERS.

United Press Association—Dy jcAcCtrtc Telegraph Copyright. Received December 7, 10.10 p.m. LONDON, December 7. The' New York correspondent of "The Times'' states that Unions representing 100,000 railway workers demand a ten per cent, increase in wages. Sixty companies are effected. The men have empowered the committee presenting the demand to call a strike in the event of a rejection. The situation is serious.

THE NEWCASTLE STRIKE.

SUPPLIES OF COAL ON HAND

A DECISION RE-AFFIRMED. Received December 7, 10.30 a.m. SYDNEY, December 7. A number of prominent citizens favour the Government temporarily resuming work in certain mines. The railway supplies of coal will last till Christmas. The Gas Company has three weeks' supply.

The coal lumpers at a meeting reaffirmed their decision not to work the P. and O. steamer Palermo's coal.

Received December 7, 11.10 p.m. MELBOURNE, December 7.

On the motion for adjournment the Labour members in the Senate urged the Federal Government to interpose in the strike.

Senator Millen, representing the Government, said that the Government had no status, and could not interpose unless circumstances brought the dispute within the ambit of Federal authority. Received December 7, 11.30 p.m. SYDNEY, December 7.

In the Assembly, Mr Lee, ActingPremier, announced that the (Joverument had decided to morrow to invite the mine owners to open the mines and the miners to return to work. Both sides had the guarantee of jus tice from the tribtnal appiinted un der the Industrial Dispute 3 Act. If the mine owners could find men to mine the coil for public r«qui»\ments the Govtrnment were prepared to give thsm all the protection they could.

The ca e against the strike leaders was resumed at Newcastle today.

The Crown desired to have the cases sent on to Sydney for hearing, but the Magistrate refused this request and granted a remand til' Monday.

Three hundred miners in Victori a have sent a petition over to Mr Justice Isaacs, Deputy-President of the Federal Arbitration Court, in which they stated that they were in sympathy with the Newcastle and were prepared to strke if their united grievances were not at once submitted to the Federal Arbitration Court.

Mr Justice lasacs has replied that under the circumstances disclosed the law does not authorise or contemplate his intervention.