Labour Questions.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XVII, Issue 4093, 16 January 1897, Page 2

Labour Questions.

The Engineers' Strike.

Freaa Association—By Electric Telegraph— Copyright.

Sydney, January 15. \ The owners could not see their way to grant any of the additional request* which the Conference was called for. The engineers abandoned their claims and the Conference has closed. The men intend to work in future according to the rules but propose no hostile action.

The engineers passed a resolution this evening deciding to suspend for three months the rule prohibiting men working with non-Urionista. (Received January 5.2, 9.45. a.m.) Adelaide, January )Q. The secretary of the local brand* of the Engineers Association has received information from headquarters that it has been decided that members could return to the Adelaide Company's steamers. A meeting of the local engineers confirmed the decision. Received January 16, 10.15 a.m. Sydney, January 15

The engineers, as a body, are little short Qf disgusted at the efforts tp secure better terms, and express tfyeir feelings in no measured language. " Knowing what we know row," Mid one of them, "an. honourable under* standing with the owners is impossible. We relied on their word, and made ifee inconvenience to the public as light as possible, and this is our reward. We ought to have paralysed the entire traffic, and then perhaps we would have been listened to with some effect. We have been out generalled, and that is the whole fact," These sentiments are echoed by most of the engineers, who regard their defeat as a most crushing one. As in most cases of this kind, the leaders come in for bard words. It is said that the power of the owners was under-rated and the strength of the engineers overrated ; and that throughout the leaders showed a lamentable failure to grasp the true situation. This, together with the misunderstanding with the Wellington branch, and the unscrupulous conduct of some Melbourne owners in bringing pressure to bear on their old servants, is given as a reason 'for the defeat; That pressure, the engineers hold, was more than their old servants could stand, and one man who was seen last night, stated thap the Melbourne Committee said that it was absolutely necessary to close the strike be^opfe further defection took pUc«,