POSITION AT DUNEDIN.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 10 November 1913, Page 5

POSITION AT DUNEDIN.

ARBITRATION UNION FORMED

MASS MEETING OF STRIKERS

DUNEDIN, Last Night. . A meeting of tho Waterside Workers' Union, which was formed under the Arbitration Act, was to have been held yesterday, but tho strike pickets

Ed, and persistently followed them about, with the result that no meeting was held. There have been isolated instances of scuffles between the strikers and unionists, and some of the latter have been subjected to very insulting and provocative treatment in the streets. It is understood that the Green Island miners are likely to allow their line of action to be determined by the course adopted by the miners in other places. Work is proceeding as usual. The Ota go Trades and Labour Council decided to get up a committee to raise funds, if necessary, to assist the workers who are out of employment in Dunedin as a result of the strike. The fund is not for the relief of strikers but for those who have been temporarily thrown out of employment as a consequence of the strike. The Kia Ora, which has been idle at Port Chalmers since the commencement of the trouble at Wellington, left for Gisborne yesterday afternoon.

A mass meeting of strikers was held this afternoon, there being an attendance of about 800 persons. Some half dozen speakers addressed the gathering on the present industrial crisis, and the following resolution was carried unanimously: "That this mass meeting of Xhinedin citizens calls upon the ■Government to immediately take steps to effect a settlement on the basis of the proposal submitted by the United Federation, which proposal was first submitted by the employers themselves, namely the providing of a bond under clause 38 of the agreement." In view of the fact that a new Arbitration Union will be starting during the week, the Mayor (.Mr Downie Stewart) has asked the Strike Committee to meet him, as he was given to understand that they were giving an intimation that violence or intimidation should be resorted to. The Mayor pointed out that if an undertaking was given that this would not occur, it would avoid the necessity for the enrolling of special constables, and all the prOradure that had been gone through in Wellingtons He also stated that he had been informed by those interested that a large number of mounted men were ready to come to Dunedin when called upcfli. He discussed the whole position very fully. The committee would not give any satisfactory assurance, however, because they IcOuld not be responsible for what owtside members of the public might do, and they would be blamed because of the violence committed by the crowd. Also, they could not be responsible for what individual .members of the union -might do). >