HOSTILITY TOWARDS SECRETARY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 9 April 1913, Page 5

HOSTILITY TOWARDS SECRETARY.

SUSPICIONS OF MOTIVES. (Received Last- Night, 10 o'clock.) SYDNEY, April 8. A feature of "to-day's meeting was the hostility shown towards Catts. It is alleged that the men became, suspicious of his motives and charged him with acting with personal motives rather than in the interests of the men. The daily produce aha firewood sales are practically suspended, though large quantities are standing ill the trucks and in transit, a little being available at some stations. The - goods held up include truck loads of decaying vegetables "and rabmaking their presence offensively Evident. Prices so far are little affected. There-Js some excitement .on the wheat market, millers being, unable to take delivery of the grain. They are prepared to give higher prices in order to keep the mills going till the trouble is over, but the local, suppliers are not, large holders, and are disinclined to sell. Storekeepers in country towns are arranging supplies by steamer. EXECUTIVE'S RECOMMENDATION ADOPTED. PROTEST BY EMPLOYERS. (Received Last Night, 9.10 o'clock.) SYDNEY, April 8. • A meeting of the platform porters of the 'Central Station adopted the Executive's recommendation to handle *mly imilk and newspapers. All other goods were left- ijrthe vans. Outward p&rceils were placed aboard by the consignors. At the Darling Harbour yards twelve shiwSters who remained loyal, were yesterday engaged in- getting -awny a few trucks of goods, but today, after a protest by some of the guards, 'they ebnfined their work to side-trackiiig ..ai-riying trucks, with w"hich tlie yards are packed. ' The consignees themselves are doing the unloading. ' Yesterday's meeting of employers adopted a resolution that in view of > tlie general dislocation, of. industrial affairs, through continuous strikes, ;j the Ministry, as responsible for the * welfare of the community, should take srteps, without regard for either side, 5 to compel immediate compliance with' iihe law as it stands on the Statute Books of the country. 'The President of the Employers 1 federation! pointed out that nine strike® had occurred, in 32 days. As' employers they had cheerfully .submit-; ted 'to the principle of arbitration, "btit the spirit of equity was not; ' shown by the employees. The pa- • tience and tolerance of the Govern-: | merit and the whole community- were/ ' -exhausted, and the Government j should .. 'exhaust every ' reasonable« ; means for industrial peace. It looked ; »s if the more coaxijvgjand pandering; j £he men got the more they looked for' \ ! 'Such proceedings were a sign of weak-; | ®ess, rand the Government must be : • fair to. the public, which is suffering: ; at the hands of -a few men. He: i agked the Government to t , ; ing to please the lmm. ARBITRATION ACT CRITICISED. Sir William MacMillan stated that arrest ration laws had l been forced on the .-country by a class represented Government, and the employers, for the «ake of peace, had agreed to these laws. The Government made laws which i®aade jja&en -ctfiurisoals if they struck. He urged upon {the Government the, necessity for showing firm

action towards law breakers. STATEMENT BY PREMIER. The Hon. James MoGowen defended the Arbitration Act, though it had not done what he and other advocates had expected. Thousands were reaping its benefits. The Government would not sit in judgment on the present difficulty, .but would hold thi scales of justice fairly.' The Government had exhausted every means to get the strikers to return to work, ilia trouble would have been yesterday, if the Govrnment had foregone its right t« prosecute tht? ers. It was ovidc-ut that the employers thought the Government rega.i ed one side more tlian -the othes*. If that was the opinion of the cr/untiy they ought never to be Ministers again. If the Government failed in its efforts to secure peace, they would have to proceed according to the laws of the country. TRAFFIC DEMORALISED. MANY RUMOURS CURRENT. CRISIS EXPECTED TO-DAY. (Received this morning 12.20 o'clock.) SYDNEY, April 8. The action of the fuel-men ha.q already been severely felt. Many engines have run .short of coal, and are unable to continue running. Passenger traffic at the Central Station is .badly disorganised. Engine drivers and stokers refused to handle fuel, and as the empty engines arrived, they were put out of commission. , Crowds returning front" business found numberis of trains cancelled or greatly delayed. Notices to this effect were posted. Rumours current that the whole service was stopped caused a great rush for the trams. There is every indication that the crisis will be reached to-morrow. Unless some method is evolved for replefiishiing the. fuel, the engines of the whole service must stop. Many wild rumours are current regarding the extension of the strike. The men are holding continuous meetings, but their if any, have not been divulged. ■Heavy rain is interfering with the news from other strike centres.