THE STRIKE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3607, 6 September 1890, Page 2

THE STRIKE.

STAGNATION IN BUSINESS,. SEVEN HUNDEeV MEN ON 'STRIKE. QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE. AFFAIRS IN DUNEDIN. •■ ■ '■ | :. I'. MEETING OF UNIONISTS, ; Weixinoton, Saturday. The' town, iar 'as' business went, yesterday'was in- a state of stagnation. The conduok" of the i men oh strike is most praiseworthy.

Notwithstanding the fact that there ; are some 800 of them idle, comparatively very few were seen in the J streets, and as far as we can learn not a single ease of drunkenness is ' reported among the strikers. Mr Cottrell, the carrier, inteuds : to employ free laborers for the purpose of carrying out his contract wiih the Harbor Board. He has already had soveral applicants for employment. It is estimated that there are now between 700 and 800 men on strike in ' Wellington. Yesterday afternoon Mr JM asked the Acting-Premier if his attention:"had been called to the following: paragraph which appeared in the .New; Zealand Times of the 3rd inajb :—"The Baifway Commis- | sioners state that .the rules under i which' platelayers and others are engaged and work on the Government i railways provide that every person i will, as far as practicable, have > specifio duties assigned, to him, but I when required ha BhiU do .any other • duties the business, of the railway ! requires. Acting under this rule, i the platelayers, for many years past, I. on-exceptional occasions, have been , called onto load and handle goods,

and their is nothing unusual hi the present emergency in their having been required to do what is purely railway business;" and if he will inform tho House under what rule

or regulation such provision is made. He contended that the rule referred to did not justify tho action the Commissioners had taken, but only gaye them power to remove a person from one piece of work to another—it did not give them power to put the men on to employment outside railway work. He warned tho Commissioners that if they took tho stand recently predicted (evidently inspired) m the newspapers, theywouldbeapproaobed by a higher power than themselves, and he urged Mr McKerrow, as Chief Commissioner, to nse his power of veto to control the one Commis-

Bioner who he (Mr Fish) believed mb the cause of this stand being taken. If there was a general strike

the Commissioners would be responsible for it, and--he said it with all reverence—the cause of Almighty God. ("Oh?" "Shame?") The Speaker: The hon member will please resume his seat at once. I consider that profane language for a member to use in this Houso, I

am really shocked that an hon member should appeal to the Almighty in such a way. (Hear, hear.) Mr Fish withdrew the expressions. Revoral other questions bearing on the strike were also asked, Dumedin, September 5. .. .The Union Company brought the Brunner alongside the wharf to-day to load grain, whioh had to be

delivered at the ship's side from tbe railway trucks, It was anticipated the railway employes would decline to work with the non-Union men. who were handling the cargo, but no objection was made. The grain is

believed tobe for the Waihora, which will not.be brought to the wharf, but loaded from the Brunner,

Captain' Boyd, manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company, received notice from the Wharf' Labourers' Secretary that the men would oease discharging the Piako, as the Company had advertised for non-Union labour at Lyttelton for the Waihora. The lumpers did not cease working yesterday. Captain Boyd says he is 'prepared for any emergenoy. & oarter. in the employ of R. Wilson and Co., who has been with the firm for 20 years, today refused to take goods to the Union Company and he was discharged. ; The compositors of the Evening Star news room have voted filfttrom, their chapel fund in aid of the strike.. Cable and Co. have been entrusted

to repajr the boilers of the Bruipr, and asked their toturn to. The men reported the matter, to fte Metal Workers' Union, who ordered them to do no work' for the i Union 'Co.- ■■■'-

.The carters for Donaghy and Co. carted'flav-feonv' Donald Eeid and Co's stores without the Union calling them rtafc. j s ' V/■;■:'-■ ' The authorities of the Beamen't Union :.id(g tHM they toft'ty

ooTeredthe man at- Southi Dunedin :':■'': who has been guilty of a'-brsaoli, of ; v ■";;!•.;:;< Seataan's Act by distributing cer-Vv, HS; tincates. To test the rumour about; ?^ v r ; it they sent down two men, oneof/;;"::;';- : !;: these/obtaining, tbey say, a * Scotch■ ; ' .yf- /AR--! certificate, but the younger man could/- ; . : 0: not get oneas there was not one 'to .-ty suit his age. The; certificate whiolr ■" ; ; 'VJ was obtained has been sent to the '■):"■ '; "; - CoUeptorof Cußtomß.-*- .":" A of the labour Unions! was held at thV :.'■ ■;■ -Tlieatird - -"7-'.'"'. • -:' l; V present. F. 8. Parker, president of '!" . ':'; '; the Trades and JTjabpur '' Bided, The■p^edi'ngS [ wtorfejjr.i' ' ; •■ '■■;. V' ! JResplutiona lajpjrbvirig J ' : v -m^ ; ; ofvthe policy? ; pf^th6^ ; Maltitimo i Cburioil>iin ~ |,' The v Btruggle for? ;: ' •.. fundamental' prmoiplel-of unity"-,;'>- .'.; 0, expressing an opinion, that the Union; >• •■' V' •'-' ; _ ;;< ; [, • Steamship Company'.'has committed ;'" -^ 1 a : grav6^MoL<in^bringing;bniihV; ; ) :'-;'.f ) present crisis,'ahd^should)withdraw'. ' , from the Aus fraliah' | Shipp s wner?, r v, 0 i Associationi jiiv/theiriOwr'andJheV ; ,' ■'/'•'■; ' v Golony's', interestjf deprecating.! - aggressive pqhoy adopted by capital.";; ; - y in this, presents folly ;" ■ : convinced.that.its will,. . ; ,.'y;:■'•;. injure the ! papitah'ste' own interest^ : '■'! ' : % if affirming that the,surest jnqde.ofi.i it protecting capital ia.'by. iiinpronpgVi iy : : the condition :oMabour; condemning v, A- : e thepresent universal pompetitiohas, .' :';'.'•'; the cause from'; whiclithe difficulty v :

between-labor and capital originates i- f ' V recommending' a ( system of ■mutual, co-operation \\ as;the only means;-dfrj removirig'the existing abuses; view-" *:.. ing with.regret, the action of so called free labour, considering that • those by whom suoh labour is sup-; plied are acting in contravention of their own country'sinteiests. .;.,.■•

MflWlftteJrt.' . •'; /4| Weilinoion, Saturday. • ~..TheN.Z, rimes, in reply to Mr ;' Seymour's letter, refuses to submit to . dictation in any shape or form', and states they will publish what they ■ think right, when and how.they think fit. ; v : '■'. ': The Post and frm last evening . absolutely refused to take any notice of the communication from the Maritime Council. . Dunedin, Saturday. . A' number of merchants have resolved, to give twenty-four hours' notice to the cutters and Btoremeu to okobse whether they will remain in their situations or stiok tothe Union. ,* Wellington Saturday. •'* - k number of officers have returned to the Union Company, and . more have!intimated their intention of doing so, to number altogether about thirteen. The Tokapo and Wanaka arrived this morning) the latter having, left

Lyttelton'at 7 : p.m.':6h, Wednesday. v The weather was too thiol: to enable her to pick up the land.. The Tekapo | did not come to the wharf, and

leaves again at three. She takes.no ,<\ k cargo, being full. ~; ■;_ The Railway Commissioners issued a warning circular to their employees fodoy.