THE STRIKE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 6 December 1913, Page 5

THE STRIKE.

WORK AT WELLINGTON.

FOURTEEN HUNDRED MEN ON THE WHARVES.

(By Telegraph,—frm Association,) WELLINGTON, Last Night.

Fourteen hundred men, the largest number since the strike commenced, were working along the waterfront to-day. The Kaimona was loading fully for Auckland and way ports. She has not a crew at present, but apparently no difficulty is anticipated in manning her when she is ready. The Canada Cape's 'Frisco cargo is practically all out, and good progress was made with the landing of fruit from the Tahiti this afternoon.

There are 22 ships working, out of at the wTiarves. '"■' The new Waterside Union membership now' approaches 1900. Loading work is nearly finished on the liner Kia Ora, which is expected to leave for Monte Vfdeb and London to-morrow. , The Nerehana follows on Monday.

The brickworks at Newtown and Silverstream. are closing down,- owing to shortage of coal.

BARKER And sewple.

BOUND OVER TO KEEP THE

PEACE.

WELLINGTON, Last Night.

Thomas Barker, charged with inciting; a breach 6f the peace, was bouiid over by consent to keep the peace for 12 months in his personal bond of £SOO, and two others of each. A charge of using seditious, language was withdrawn. ' j R. Semple was dealt with in the same way as Barker, but in his oftse notice of appeal was lodged! '■>, .

FURTHER CHARGE AGAINST; SEMPLE.

REMANDED TO AUCKLAND. WELLINGTON, Last Nightv In' the Magistrate's Court this-af-" :ternoon,:. a fresh charge of speaking* seditious, words was brought against .Robert Semple, in \ connection with one of his. Auckland utterances* ireported in the N.Z. Herald. The words in the charge were, and- the occasiori the ■ 30tti October in Auckland,: • ''l have word through frknn Wellington that .they used those Jbatons on the, workers, there . itottight;' and they discovered that. the workers' "could hit as hard as they could; but the workers got the best ,of it in Wellington to-night. That showed they could club when they 'clubbed, and we can do > the same -if they use .violence, we .also [will, club them ,as : they club us. We :d6 nbt? want to do this. God forbid? prison walls can settle no dispute for us. The only way to settle these •industrial, problems is by calm, c6plj reasoning and judgment. . We will, try. as. best we can to avoid blbbd- ! shed and' settle.' our difficulty withniut 'spiUirig one drop of blood. '< Bloodshed ! wins no argument. They might want jail their reserve of strength, _but I | say to you that we are not going -to accept violence, -and every- T -wbrke> should have something more in. his possession flian his naked fists, 1 ' !.so that ho can hand back as good as the gets from* something more than nsked fists. 'lf ii is lawful to issue 1100 batons wherewith•" to; attack < the workers, it is equally lawful for the to have batons to protect themselves. These people have batons to club you, and I ask you, for the defence of your characters, lof your manhood, of your wives a ; hd families, to be ready Tio club"* them back again." t On the application of Chief Detective Broberg, the accused was remanded to appear at Auckland on the 12th December. Bail was 'allowed in the sum £250. and two sureties of £250 each. Robert James Chris Seal also appeared, charged with damaging \ n barricade on the wharf on OctobVr 24th.\ Ho was committed fory trial, bail in £IOO being allowed. i ;

A further charge against Seal jof participating in a riot on the'Queeij's wharf was adjourned till Tuesday next.

THE SEDITION CHARGES.

YOUNG AND HOLLAND COMMIT-

TED FOR TRIAL

WELLINGTON. Last Night;

Wi. T\ Young and H. Holland wdre committed for trial on the sedition charges. Young was allowed baij in himself £IOO and one surety of £JOO,< and Holland (who has two charges against him) was ordered to find his own fecognisanco of £250 and two sureties, of £250 each.

Counsel announced to-day that the £SOO sureties required in. connection with the previous charges against Young had been found.

ANOTHER CABLE.

DESPATCHED BY FARMERS' UNION.

NEW UNION'S BOOK CLOSING

WELLINGTON. Last Night

Tho following cable has been sent to the Farmers' and Settlers' Association at Sydney by Mr J. G. Wilson of .the Dominion Executive of the Farmers' Union : "Kindly give publicity to the fact that the N.Z. Farmers' Union is strongly against making terms, with the Federation of Labour, as suggested by tho Hon. Mr Hughes, the reply cabled to the Defence Committee to that gentleman. Tho Federation, for a trivial reason, brought the farmers to the brink of ruin, which was only averted by the prompt action of farmers."

As tho membership of the .Wharf Labourers Union is now almost sufficient to work the port, it was decided, at a meeting of the Union to-day, that although the agreement between the employers provides for preference to Unionists, priority of engagement will be givfcn to members joining tho union on or before Monday, Bth December, who are of good character,

and who in the opinion of the labour foreman are capable of performing the work.

AUCKLAND WATERSIDBRS.

OLD UNIONISTS BLACKBALLED

ARRIVAL OF COAL SHIPMENT

AUCKLAND, Last Night.

The new Watersiders' Union meeting elected fifty new members, bringing the total to 1000. Sixty strikers' names were submitted. Eleven were rejected outright, and tho 49. submitted to ballot were all "blackballed."

The Japanese steamer Kiwanta Maru has arrived from Newcastle with 5000 tons- of coal, presumably diverted from Java.

THE HUNTLY WINES.

PREPARATIONS FOR OPENING

AUCKLAND, Last Night,

So far no attempt has been made to work the mines at Huntly; but the preparation* that are being made to barricade off one of the mines from intrusion, seem to indicate an intention to introduce outside labourwhen sufficient protection can be offered "l

FOXTON PORT OPENED.

FOXTON. Last Night.

Six members of tho local Waterside Workers' Union, including the president, have accepted permanent employment with Messrs Levin and Co., to be employed on the wliarf and in the sheds. This will.remove any obstacle in the way of keeping the port open, and no further-trouble is anticipated. .--.,. "; Two waterside workers are to be proceeded against by the police for calling'them ~

POSITION AT OBEYMOUTH. OFF.ER„.TO FIND 'LABOUR:

GREYSfQUTH. Last Night

! At a meeting ofcitizens 1 this afternoon, which was J largely attended, it was resolved to invite the steamship companies : to send vessels to Greymouth, the crtiiaens guaranteeing to find labour. '•"••'-'- '-• •-

FREE LABOUR AT ' NELSON.

PROFESSIONAL MEN ON THE WHARF, \ '■;-._

: :'■/,.;.' ;;, ;/ Nl^6N,Xast.Night.-; The,, shortage of labour on the whar led, iq, ■ the r reserves of prb%Vsi6nW.ahd'onlce J men being called 0ut...t0 assist,with: th/e cargo, which' they dtcTtni the rush, was over.

MATTERS AT LYTTELTON.

WORK PROCEEDING A?ACE.

CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. Although , the ;busy r : .rush ; < winch marked operations, on, the waterfront at Lyttelton/ early in the week has subsided, the- wharves are still crowded with ships of all sizes, and work is apace* m • ■-.■■.>:>, The despatch, of several large oversea steamers and a. fleet of coastal vessels has relieved congestion, and matters are now nearly: normal.

SYDNEY BOYCOTT CONTINUES

» A CONFERENCE CALLED

(Received Lust Night, 10;5. o'clock.) V -■, SYDNEY, Dec. 5i

The wharf labourers..'are still boyootting the whole of the Union, Company's boats. '.; ' ■ ■ " ■ ' The Karitane. was i to-day worked by the. office siaff. : ; Those invited to the conference by the' Industrial Commissioner comprised representatives of the Union Companv, the Huddart Parker Coy., the Wharf Labourers' Union, and the Newcastle Coal Trimmers' Union. The Maunganui, which sails to-mor-row fdr New Zealand, will carry nearly three hundred passengers. _ It is proposed to despatch the Manuka on December 13th.

MR HUGHES' REPLY.

STILL SEEKING ARBITRATION.

(Received this morning 12.10 o'clock.) SYDNEY, Dec. 5. The Hon. W. M. Hughes, M.P., has cabled to the H0n...W..F. Massey, Sir Joseph Ward, Mr Hickey and Mr Foster. ',-■.,. , The cable to Mr .Foster, replying to the hatter's statement that there $ nothing to arbitrate, emphasises the obvious fact that there is a roost serir ous industrial dispute existing, and adds: "The Conference greativ deplores your unyielding attititde, Your statement that you are irrevocably bound to' the Arbitrationists is inconsistent with tuat reasonable spint which is necessary at this juncture. We are' irrevocably committed ;to an exactly opposite position, but yet are prepared to submit the whole question to an arbitrator. Why no*t you Also? Tlie New Zealand delegates deny the statement that the Federation of Labour does not regard industrial agreements as binding. The delegates supplied documentary evidence in support of the statements." The cable to Mr Hickey says tlie statements by Messrs Hickey and Curtice quoted by .the Employers' Association support the contention that the Labour Federation does not 'regard agreements as binding, and asks Mr Hickey to set forth the attitude of the Federation in this matter. '

CONFERENCE ABORTIVE

WHARFINGERS DECLINE TO

WORK

(Received this morning 12.10 o'clock.) SYDNEY, Dec. 5. The Unionist Conference has decided to call on the officials of the Wliarf Labourers' Union to provide labour for vessels not trading with the Dominion. Tho conference insists that any wharfingers refusing this work will bo suspended. The conference and parties convened by the Industrial Commissioner, asked the representatives of the Wharf Labourers' Union themselves to start work on the. Tofua and Karita.ne, in order to give tho men a lead, hut this they declined to do. The conference then adjourned i.n : definitely.