THE STRIKE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3600, 29 August 1890, Page 2

THE STRIKE.

ALARMING RESULTSEFFECTS IN .WELLINGTON. RIOTS AT NEWCASTLE, BUPPOBTFBOMHOME. VIOLENT SCENES, *

•The seamen's strike is-assuming 1 alarming dimensions in Wellington, where there appears to be already a stagnation in business. Practically no shipping is done, and hundreds of unemployed are walking the streets. As all coastal traffio has been suspended, supplies must surely, soon run short. Already several-large orders have been received in Masterton for flour,' potatoes, oats, and other produce. There has consequently been a rise 4n prices in Wellington,. Flour has gone up £4, .making n price of £l4 to £ls,,per. ton.' Potatoes have also gone' up/ but irregularly; oatmeal and'onions have also advanced, and in the matter of sugar the demand is, mucli over the supply. The merchants and dealers have been perfectly pestered by enquiring residents wanting this, that, and" the other, all anxious to. lay in stores, but all staggered by the statements their enquiries have been' met with, Dealers will only supply their own oustomers. Several merchants have given their employees notice tbat.if trade is paralysed they will have to be dismissed. It is rumored that the Union Company's fleet, which will all be laid up, will be replaced .by Ellis liners, and the trade will not, therefore, be altogether suspended. The coastal traiiio, however; will be discontinued in consequence of the short supply of coal, the Brunnerton and West Coast mines being shut down,

, Twabu, August 27. No notice has been- giveu here yet (8,80 p.m.) aa to the Beautiful Star orColao. The latter is loading for Brisbane; via Lyttolton, and as the crew are Australians, they maybe allowed to take the vessel over, or may go in spite of the order of the Union.

Auckland, August 27. Owing to the diC&oalty with the Union Steam Ship Company, sailing tonnage iB in great demand. High offers have been madefor intercolonial trading vessels. Several boats are being chartered for trade direct to Sydney. The steamer Mararoa, which left for that port this morning, took away a very large cargo of produce and breadstuff, and about 200 tons of oargo had to be left behind on the wharf,

The Union Company are advertising for seamen, firemen, and' trim' mere.

Napibr, August 27, Public sympathy hero appears to be entirely against the action of the Maritime Council, and the official organ of the Labor Unions says that the vast majority of the Unionists disapprove of the strike.; . , The Union Steamship Company is advertising for hands. Work at the port is entirely suspended; the stocks of coal are small, but the Gas .Company has laid in a store, Flour will Boon be in a short Bupply, but .there, are several thousand tons of potatoes available.

"The labor organisations have reI fused. to amalgamate with' the friendly societies in. tljG observance of Demonstration .Day, _ Chhisiohuboh, August 27. It is stated iu Lyttelton to-day that seamen and firemen on tlie Union Company's boats going from Lyttelton to Dunedin had instructions to give notice whon three miles froinOtago Heads. The wharf laborers announce themselves as ready to stand by their brother Unionists in the event 'of a strike. ■ •

The general feeling in the port is that the conflict must be fought to the bitter end.

Sydney, August 27. The Associated Miners at W ewcaßtle were locked out to-day. An ominous fact as to the length of time the strike may be expected to last is that the recently-established labour barraoks have been taken for three months, and cost £3OO to fit up. Nine hundred meals are supplied daily.

The Hauroto isunloading lierhorsf with the help of the crew. At some wharves tho'.soeno is s busy that it is hard to realise that tb strike is on.

Shop assistants are urging thi warehousemen's assistants to with draw their pledge to load andundloai ships. ' •

Numerous outrages are reported from Newoastle. Steamers have been repeatedlj cut adrift from the wharves. Tho Gas Company have a five weeks' coal supply. A detaohmont of military has been sent to Newcastle,

A meeting of grocers protested against the aotion of merchants, in unwarrantably raising the pi-ice of butter, and decided to demand a refund of a shilling per pound. Wosteru miners, in order to proteot brother miners in other districts, liave resolved not to out more coal than they are at present doing, and thus prevent special orders being fulfilled.

' Strike pay begins to-morrow. It is understood that the amount allowed will be 80s per Newcastle, August 27. To-night a mob of 2000 persons surrounded Ireland's store, wbioh is being boycotted owing to the dismissal of employees who bad joined tbe Shop Employees Association. They upset two cartloads of flour, carried off tlio bags, and held complete possesion of Hunter-street, When the polios attempted to make arrests they were assaulted with stones and .smothered in flour. Two of them, luspeotor. Brennan and Sergeant Thompson, were struck on the: head by stone's. - Eventually, four of the rioters were arrested, . BbisbanEj 27. The officers agd' jref of the Arawata were arrestee! atQooktown fop refusing duty; but the charge was. \yitl)dfawn upon the . men returning to worlf arid- forfeiting four days'pay.

_' ioKDOjf, August 20.' _ The.' British Inclia Company informed a deputation that t% were unaware of any disputes affecting their sliip3,

1... --j ' August? 7. Appeals for. help have been wed from Brisbane, MoHjourae

The Sailors', Firemen's, and Dookers' Unions are unanimous-in their'-.intention'.ijto Australian; strifes, and Mr Mann only awaits speofic iustrcotitfhs as to whether funds or the blocking of vessels is needed, .

Thirty thousand dookers, will contribute each Is a week if necessary.

. A motion will be brought forward at the Liverpool Trades Congress tendering monetary assistance. The Daily News warns Australians against pushing the dispute too far, and opening the road-to the admission of coolies, in which case the colonies would be quickly overrun with cheap labour.

,Sydney, August 28. ' At the intercolonial conference of railway emjiloyta a resolution was passed to the effect that efforts be made to induce the Amalgamated Railway: Servants' Society of New Zealand to join the Australian confederation. '

Mr J. P, Gavvau, member for Eden, has given notice of his intention to move.a series oi resolutions to bring about the settlement of strikes and labour disputes by arbitration, the Board of Arbitrators to consist of 18' members, capital to be represented by six members of the Legislative Assembly, and labour by six members of the same House, with aohairman flho is not a member of the Assembly. The Secretary of the Seaman'B Union, replying to a letter rebeived from. ' the recent Conference of. Shipowners at Albury, states that the men are''prepared to meet the owners in, a conference to adopt a basis of agreement for a period of three years. . Two thousand speoial constables are to be sworn in immediately to' maintain order.

Newcastle, August 28.

A man named, Fane, who was struok by a stone during yesterday's Mb, is in a precarious condition. , The scenes in the streets yesterday were of a disgraceful character, Melbourne, August 28.' The Gas Company are rapidly replacing the gas stokers on strike with free laborers, Numerous eases of violence committed by Unionists are recorded. London, August 27. The Times, in referring to the recent addresses of Mr John Burns, asserts that they are beooming more inflammatory. The article adds that he is a dupe to his. own praposterous schemes. • It characterises him as a charlatan, and accuses him of trading on the folly and ignorance of those wlio listen to his utterances.

Berlin, August 27.

A large meeting of Socialists in the oity came in collision with the police, and the latter were stoned. Ia the struggle which ensued many on either side were wounded.

Brussels, August 27. .One thousand of the colliers, who 1 went out on strike declining to accept reduction in wages, have returned to work.

New York, August 27. ' The Illinois Central Railway strike is spreading. All tho railways centring in Chicago liaye determined to resist the demands of the men.

LATER NEWS. Affairs la Duaedia- ■ . ■ Mi Revelations. ,' Support from Otlier UnionsDunedin, August 28. Thes.s. Wairarapa, bound for the .North, got away' before 1 o'clock. The seamen, firemen, and trimmers are - all new men shipped here. The officers remain, but gave 24 hours' notion last night, The Wairarapa took no new cargo irom hero. There was a great orowd on the wharf, and the barricade erected wasguarded by tho police. There was absolutely no disorder, The To Anau's orew gave notice this morning, .The Company have received a telegram from their agent, in Auokland, stating they had officers ready for the . Pukaki and Waihora if necessary; and there were sufficient men to meet any engagement. It is understood that in the event of any officers going ashore at Dunedin they can be replaced. The crew of the Brunner left the vessel at noon when their notioe had expired. The officers, crew, firemen, and trimmers of tho Te Anau gave notice to-day as soon as the vessel arrived, and they leave in tho morning. Notwithstanding this the Company are sanguine that they will he able to despatoh her for Melbourne on Saturday. ■ Cooks and Stewards of tho Te

Anau had a meeting, and decided that they would uot strike, am 1 thoße of the Brilnuer have come to a similar decision.

As soon as the Banks Peninsula returned from Oamarn to-night the crew and firemen, who had given notice, yesterday, packed up their kits and left the vessel.

The Auokland. agent of the Company'has wired that he has a staff of officers, seamen, and firemen to go on board the Pukaii and Waihora if the men leave their posts. The Company are ■ receiving numerous applications from all quarter?. The Company 's supply is large, and will last for a,considerable time. The railway 'supply of coal is a heavy one, but the authorities have taken steps to nurse it. The announcement is made pi' the discontinuance of a nuni* ber of trains, five trams on the Port Chalmers line ceasingafter to-morrow. The men at the Hillside .workshops also received notice to-day that they would only be required to work four days per week in future. The, stook of sea borno coal in Dunedin for general purposes is praotioally nil; but so long as the lignite and brown coal mines aro not interfered with this faot will scarcely affeot th o mauufaeturera and others. As the Kaitangata miners have not alljoined the Union, and many of thi Green Island miners are non-union, any attempt to cause all the men to knock off would not be likely to prove successful. The gasworks have a coal supply, to last up to the 20th of next month, and .it iB believed they can carry on for a'longer period if desired. Of general stook the only item§ j*ft' short supply are sugar and kero^pj' but a vessel with supply is aboutlp from New York. Some sugar which would usually brins; about £25 wa'a; < Bold to-day for £39105, The Union Oowpauy eiaphatioaUy proceeded under threat of log'ai 1 prosecution. The'- Company : fully prepared for their withdrawal, i and had a full oomplement of officers. i to take their , places <it any momenT.''] As a mattor of faot extra oSioera have i gone by the steamer in case of any i difficulty. ■, i m 5,b. Wwljora vwriveitliis!

morning from Newcastle. She did not go to Sydney, 'fearing trouble. She bas brought a large cargo of coals. It is stated that she will not be interfered with until her arrival .at Dunedin. It is rumoured to-day that the company will make an agreement with the Waihora crew to continue on board at £9 per month and that strikers are to be warned, they .will not be taken on again on any of the steamers. This f is denied by the company.- . j 1 "" •:: : t Timaru, August 28. Foreseeing a difficulty in shipping away flour, the mills will give their hands a week's notice and shut down.There is only a email stock of coal" intown,

•'v : ! :Hb Very Latest. v. Tret labour Forthcoming. • / r ' Snslnpsa Sepresaod< , Uootinff of Offlosrs. Refusal toUaloaiVsssols, ToTOßpßoplo¥erkea'tliß Wtitovti, ■" Blenheim, Friday. ■ The' Union Company lia3 shipped a non-union, crijw' They went over' ,to " Wellington as., passengers and wilLtonimence work m when the Union • Uo'£n]mhy'go out < • ' day. / The agent hadi.ftj 'difficulty in. i getting bands, .and thero was {k large number.;ofapplications foii employ-! fUj ment J The halyards" of; v the Company's flag pole over the offices have been cut. • ..

j Business is depressed and produce rising. '

Ddhedin, Friday. The; officers of the Waibora, Pukaki, Mawliera, Mahinapua, and Grafton refused to oomo out of the ships. The won remain loyal to their employers, _ Chijistcuurch, Friday. A meeting of officers belonging to the Union Company's eteaniere was held yesterday evening on board the Penguin. The officers of the Tekapo, Wakatipu, Dingadce and Penguiu were present. It was decided that if nori-iinibn seamen or Bremen were put on board they would decline to 30 to sea with them.

Welunbion, Friday. There is little excitement on tho wharves this morning, and very', few vessels in, The crews of . the Taka., puna, from Nelson, and the- Kanarei, from Blenheim, came out on their arrival this morning, Bothare manned with free labor, "and will sail this afternoon, The officers do not appear anxious to withdraw, and some assert they will not do so unless shown that tho majority are willing to do so, The wharf laborers are working as usual, but the Secretary states he has instructions to be on the alert for instructions from Dunedin, The general, opinion is that they will be I called out directly, Business is seriously depressed. | _ _ Westpobt, Friday. -Acting on instructions from the Maritime Council to boycott Union steamers as the Company were utilising- non-union labor, the wharf lumpers loading tho Grafton and Mawbera were last night at, 9,30. called out by tho Westport Labour Union Committee, leaving tho Mawhera and Mahinapua unloaded. The railway manager then summoned the permanent way men to load the vessels. At five "this morning they commenced'work, but, were also - • called out, one Wan' iii Sigcj twenty ' \ only remaining, Thojtrikorawera' suspended. The Union Company's manager, clerks, and several towns, people are working tho vessels,. The . Mayor has convened a meeting of. townspeople to consider the position, • All work at Denniston mine closes

at 2 pm, until further notice, by order of the MaritimoOounoil. The railway manager notifies on end after tomorrow allpassengers and goods traffic on the railway will be suspended.