THE LATE STRIKE IN MELBOURNE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 35, 11 February 1891, Page 8

THE LATE STRIKE IN MELBOURNE.

THE COMMITTEE'S REPORT.

The Melbourne Strike Committee held a meeting at the Trades Hall lasb week, and finally approvedof theSecretary'sreporb. lb is a very voluminous document of some 90 pages of closely prinbed foolscap. The report commences wibh a review of the Committee's appointment, and states thab the task which the Committee had to perform was unprecedented in the history of Australian Trade-Unionism. The Committee found, on their appointment, that they were opposed by a most peculiar combination of circumstances. The surplus labour, brought about by the presence of the unemployed, and by thearrival of immigrants who had been misled by alleged fallacious Colonial Office pamphlets, were factors in this combination. The number of the unemployed was caused by the depression and by the Government acting in collusion with the shipowners, and refusing to establish relief works in order that the shipowners might have an army of unemployed to fight the Unions. From the start the shipowners are condemned, and no opportunity is missed of lauding the Unionists for their patriotism and patience. The delay over the negotiations immediately prior to the strike is used as evidence in support of ths contention that the -shipowner* courted ths struggls, and "Mr Service* and other

gentlemen's disinterestedness met with dissimulation." All responsibility of causing the strike is disclaimed, and it is stated thab the committee tried to prevent ib. The Gas Company is accused of having pub indignities on the men to make them strike, and to bring about a reaction in public sympathy, which was setting in towards Unionism, partly on accounb of the utterances of the Chief Justice. Although bhe Committee claims thab ib satisfactorily settled the stevedoring dispute, ib disclaims any responsibility in causing it. Responsibility in connection with the shearing dispute is also disclaimed. The Committee state that nob only they bub also their representatives opposed it. The Coalition Ministry, especially Mr Pearson and Mr Patterson, and also Mr H. H. Champion and Colonel Price, are strongly condemned, bub the thanks of the Committee are awarded to the Chief Justice, Sir Bryan O'Loghlen, and a few others. The report concludes with a recommendation that the trades unions should form an Australian Federation of Labour, establieh a labour defence fund, abolish exclusive entrance fees to Unions, and advises Unionists to take oub their electoral righbg. Tho report adds that ab the same time the Committee remember that when they offered conciliation they suffered coercion.