Labour Items.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 296, 16 December 1902, Page 4

Labour Items.

Sydney, December 12,

The majority of the delegates to the shipping conference have > returned to their homes. At present all negotiations are suspended. The owners, in replying to the men's contentions, reasserted that there hxd been no improvement in , *,rade. At present there was an ' aggregation of 60,000 of steam ' tonnage idle owing to shrinkage in t trade. To maintain ruing wages ' would stifle coastal trade. Dealing with the suggestion that the owners I should accept the conditions estab- ', lished by the New Z"aland Arbitra- , tion Court, they pointed out that New Zealand conditions always had 1 beln about 10s a month ahead of i Australian rates. The award of the ,- Court, while it would reduce • Australian wages' 10s a month, would give other concessions which f would more than compensate the i loss of money. The seamen met to-day, but nothing was allowed to transpire. ' It is reported that they will issue an ultimatum to-morrow. There is no change to report so far as the owners are concerned. ' Paris, December 12. The Plumbers', Cabinetmakers', Bootmakers', and Dockers' Societies at Marseilles have voted in favour of a general strike. December 13. The b;ikers of Marseilles have struck. The army bakers replace them. Owing to some gang-i of labourers resuming work on the quays, the dockers inierferred and compelled the police to retreat. The Commissary of Police was wounded in the face in the struggle. The Gendarmerie then charged and dispersed the mob, and arrested fifteen persons who were armed with knives. The military occupy the thoroughfares leading to the docks, and the free labourers are being protected. A meeting of 8000 naval reservists and dockers censured the Government, demanded the withdrawal of the iroops and threatened violence in reply to the brutality of the police.