LABOUR CRISIS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2505, 31 July 1888, Page 2

LABOUR CRISIS.

|Br Electric Telkquaph.—Coptiikiht.] Sydney, July 30. It is thought that a serious labour crisis is impending. The Maritime Conference has decided to support the Newcastle miners against the masters, and it is reported on good authority that a genoral call out of the seamen on coastal vessels is contemplated, though no reason for such action is assigned. Should the threatened strike of seamen take place it will be the largest known in the Southern hemisphere. It is difficult to ascertain the exact facts in consequence of the reticence of the Seamen's Union and Shipowners-' Association. The principal [ cause of the difficulty is the Northern Steam J Company of Auckland. The seamen having discovered that the Shipowners Assocition had subsidised and assisted the Northern Company, called a conference of delegates to consider the difficulty. They were determined to brinp affairs to a crisis, and invited owners to confor for the purpose of settling the dispute, but the latter declined, but at the same time expressing their readiness to refer to arbitration certain matters which had been at issue for some timo past. Subsequently it appears the owners agreed to a conference on the Northern Company dispute, the two questions of overtime and over manning, and to make a proposal that time for time should be allowed, eight hours' work only in 24 for ordinary rate of pay. The latter proposal led the seamen to suspect an attack on the eight hours' system and prevailing rate of yvages, and they intend to decline arbitration including these points, holding the owners responsible for the continuance of the strike against the Northern Company. The owners denied having any designs cither upon hours or wages, but the seamen persisted in their suspicion, and gave notice to all Unionists to withdraw from their vessels on a date hereafter to be fixed. At a mooting of consignees it was decided to assist the captain of the Mariposa to unload that vessel if no immediate settlement of the difficulty was attained.