THE STRIKE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 5 December 1913, Page 5

THE STRIKE.

THE STRIKE LEADERS. W. T. YOUNG CONVICTED. SENTENCED TO THREE MONTHS (By Telegraph—Preu Auociation.) WELLINGTON, Last Night. Mr U. W. Riddell, S.M., delivered judgment to-day in the case in which W. T. Young, president of the United Federation of Labour,, was charged with inciting diver/unknown persons to resist constables stationed in Wellington in the execution of their duty. The Magistrate found Young guilty of the charge. In considering the question of the sentence to be inflicted, the Magistrate referred to the sentences passed by the 'Chief Justice on two offenders who had not taken a particularly prominent part in the disturbances. The defendant Young, on the other hand, was one of the leaders. The sentence would be one of imprisonment for three months. He would also be required to enter into a bond of £250 and two sureties of £250. each to keep the peace for 12 months. .

Mr Watford then gave formal not'cc of appeal on the ground that the Magistrate's decision was erroneous in point of law. He also that bail be fixed. ' The Magistrate said he had anticipated that no matter which way his decision went it would be necessaryto have a ruling on the point. Bail would be allowed in the accused"® own recognisance of £l5O, and two sureties of £75 each. Security for the costs of appeal would be filed at ! £lO 10s.

Mr Wilford asked if defendant would be. required to find the sureties stipulated for to keep the peace. The Magistrate stated that the sureties were part of the penalty, and the only security required (apart from bail) would be the security for costs of appeal. < The question of bail was mentioned again in the afternoon by Mr Wilford, who said there had been 'a misunderstanding between himself and the Crown solicitor, and he wish* ed to have a ruling. He asked if the sureties for good behaviour were imposed on top of the bail for the sedition charge and bail for appeal? Also, what it was necessary to find before Young could be got out of gaol ? ' : The Magistrate' said he wlas satisfied the defendant wouldproceed" with the and to get ov&r the' difficulty lie proposed to reduce the hail on the charge of sedition to one surety of £IOO, and two of £SO each; ,to leave the recognisance of the peace at one amount t>f £250; and two of a similar sum; and also to leave unaltered the £lO 10s security of, appeal. . Young was remanded till to-mor-row on the indictable, charge of using seditious language.

HOLLAND IN COURT.

WELLINGTON, Last Night - Henry Holland was charged at the Magistrate's Court to-day with inciting persons to resist the police and commit a breach of the peace. The charges arose oxvt of the same meeting at the Basin Reserve, at which Young's statements were made. The Magistrate said he was not prepared to convict. The • case \was not th*e same at Young's, and he was hot satisfied that Holland's words were a direct incitment to the people, and were* only a repetition of the previous- statement. The informations on these points were dismissed, but the charge of seuition has yet to 'be. heard.

ACTIVITY AT WELLINGTON. NEWi CREW FOR 'FRISCO STEAMER. WELLINGTON, Last Night. Thirteen hundred members of the new Watensiders' Union (whose mem-; berslirp has now passed the 1800. mark) were fully engaged to-day handling inward and . outward <?argo on the wharves. As scjon as the Tahiti, from 'Frisco, tied lip, the discharge of her 2000 tons of cargo was begun. Half-a-dozen other oversea. vessels were working-, and a number of coastal ships, bringing the total number at various berths to twentythree. _ It is. anticipated that cargo may be accepted here, next, week-, for the Sydney steamer. A new crew has been engaged here to replace the one that gave notice on the Aorangi at Sydney, and the vessel will get away, for 'Frisco on Saturday. .-

POSITION AT AUCKLAND. EVERYTHING NORMAL. STRIKE COMMITTEE WANTS' ARBITRATION'. . . . AUCKLAND, Last Night. Work at Auckland is proceeding, to aJI appearances, much.'as if the labour conditions were normal. Though the wharves are adequately 'guarded, the numerical' strength of the constabulary force has been considerably reduced. . - .The local Strike Committee states that it Ts prepared to refer the trouble to the arbitration of Sir Joshua Williams. At Huntly this? morning the whistles blew "in'-vain' at the mines,' the response from the men being the same as any other, morning throughout the whole period of the strike.

AT LYTTELTON. ACTIVITY ON WHARVES. CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. The return of line weather to-day enabled work to be resumed on ali the wharves at Eyttelton. The big fleet of ships that crowded the harbour last Monday has been gradually reduced, and to-day two more oversea steamers left the wharves. Apart from the good work which is being done in connection with the big liners, it is noticeable that coastal steamers are now moving freely,

and are handling a largo amount of freight. After being laid up at Dunedin for more than a month, the HuddartParker steamer Victoria arrived at Lyttelton this morning. The vessel is manned by her original crew, with the exception of the stewards most of whom were sent back to Sydney. The new arbitration union of waterside workers is growing in numbers, and this morning 210 members were at work. Seyeral vessels were shorthandea until after the departure of the Rimutaka, when the vacancies were filled by Tien who had been working on that ship. Strike matters in Christchureh were quiet to-day. There were few indications of any industrial unrest. At the Trades Hall it was reported that contributions to the strike fund continued to pour in, and the strike relief committee is being .kept fairly busy dealing with applications for assistance.. Messrs Booth, Mac Donald and Co. propose re-opening their works, tomorrow morning. The reports as to the disbandment of "specials" are entirely without foundation. Foot "specials" have been allowed to return to their homes, and occupations in town, but they have not been disbanded, and are held ready for service.

MEETING AT NAPIER. CONFIDENCE IN DEFENCE COMMITTEE. NAPIER, Last Night. At a meeting .of, merchants, farmers, and • business men! this afternoon a resolution was passed expressing full confidence in the Wellington Citizens' Defence Committee, endowing the further statement by the committee publio in to-day's papers, and strongly urging the committee. to re-, fuse to negotiate with the LabourFederation, which openly repudiates the agreements eigned by its responsible officers; also urging the obligation of employers to the newly-form-ed Arbitration Union, and a full recognition by all parties.

ANOTHER CABLE. DESPATCHED TO SYDNEY. NO NEED FOE AEBITRATTON. WELLINGTON. Last Night. The following cable wae despatched by the Wellington Employers' Defence Committee to' Mr W. M. Hughea, M.P., Sydney, today:— The employers , the minion thank you for ; your lengthy' aid Explicit of : &d inst.j,: which has had their careful consideration. This committee desires now to make it, quite clear to you ■ that in cabling you our statement of tlife position it was not our intention to invoke your assistance or to provoke trouble on ydur side. /We were aware of course, that . delegates from the Federation of Labour were with you, we desired to prevent any misconception, and to meet any misrepresentation' by placing before you a clear statement of the position, a statement which we have no hesitation in saying we are prepared to substantiate. The employers of the Dominion have decided that they eannot, and will not recede from the position that has been forcedupon'theni owing to the refusal of the Federation of Labour to recognise the binding fairce of agreements. The employers repeat-that'they cannot i!i any way rec<)gnise the Federation or any union subject to its control. They have solemnly pledged themselves to stand by the new arbitration anions, and cannot recede from this undertaking. There is, consequently nothing left for arbitration* as the employers know of no grievances that are standing in the way of the strikers joining the new unions ; but if there are any such grievances, they Should be formulated and presented to the employers for consideration. If such grievances cannot be removed by any other means this committee will consult with other committees as to whether they should be submitted to arbitration. The employers submit that as the work of the principal ports of the Dominion is now being effectively carried out by the members of the new unions in ample numbers, there is therefore, notwithstanding yotir assertion to the contrary, no present waterside dispute in existence, and ■ consequently they, fail to see any reason why the workers should involve themselves.—Foster, chairman." .

THE SYDNEV BOYCOTT. ; EXTENDED TO ALL NEW ZEA- . LAND BOATS. CREW TAKES A HOLIDAY. (Received Last Night, 8.15 o'clock.) SYDNEY. Dec. 4. The wharf labourers have again ignored the resolution of the conference to confino' the boycott tq Now Zealand boats. No labour was available to-day for the Tbfua and Karitane. The Union Company officials thereupon interviewed representatives of ,'the union, but the latter are not in a position to ,say anything. The Ujuon Cohipany, in order to give all possible assistance, withdrew the whole of tlieir staff and officers from the.wharf. The company reckoned that this would remove any chance of the use of the "blackleg," or "scab" excuse. The Tofua has still a lot of cargo aboard, and is waiting to receive more cargo for the islands. The Karitane has a cargo of Tasmanian potatoes. It is reported that the Maunganui's scratch firemen, numbering thirtyseven, and consisting mostly of professional men, intimated to the company that they intended to take three days' holiday in order to recuperate I after their solid work. They also declined,to change to the Manuka. The Company, However, denies that there is any friction, and declares that the application for a holiday was willingly granted. It is also unnecessary to take the Maunganui to Newcastle, since she has sufficient coal for three trips.

The decision to despatch tho Maunganui to Now Zealand on Saturday instead of the Manuka is due to the fact that the passenger list is a heavy one. The Union Company, later in the afternoon, sent its regular staff back to work, placing them aboard tho Makura. ; The Maunganui will discharge, and the Makuri load. The Maunganui's seamen are unloading the Mananui's New Zealand timber. At Newcastle, when the seamen found that coal was being loaded into the steamers Brisbane and Newc-at-tle iwithout trimmers, they intimated that they would not take them to sea if their destination was Lyttelton. This difficulty has not yet been overcame, and threatens to lead to an extension of the trouble.