DECISIVE BLOW.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 37, 13 February 1929, Page 7

DECISIVE BLOW.

THE TIMBER STRIKE.

Employers Advertise For Free

Labour.

EXTENSION OR COLLAPSE. (Australian and N.Z. Tress Association.) (Ileoelved If" a .in.) SYDNEY, this day. The Timber Merchants' Association advertised this morning for free labour for timber mills in the metropolitan area. Preference, wherever possible, will be given former employees. It is expected this development will load to an extension of the strike, and. if the appeal is successful, will inevitably hasten its collapse. The Australian Council of Traces Unions, sitting in Melbourne yesterday. replied to the telegrams received from the Federal Attorney-General. Mr. F. <;. Latham, appealing for peace in the timber industry.

The reply disclosed an uneompromis ing attitude toward the Federal Arbitva tion Court.

Tt stated: The present industrial turmoil is the result of your Government'.--attack on the workers' conditions:. Your (Government can cure the position sis easily as it caused it by calling off attacks on the workers' standards of living and on the vital 44-hour week principle.

Mr. Latham replied: My Government declines to accept the suggestion tl'-it the decisions of the Arbitration Court are to be accepted by the unions onh when they are in their favour. The trades unions themselves joined in procuring the submission of the 44-hour week question to the Court. I greatly regret that you can give no better response to my appeal than to repeat discredited political catchwords.

An application by the Federated (inters and Drivers' Union to withdraw its claims from the Arbitration Court was dismissed by Mr. Justice. Liikin. He said no union had the right to exercise an option to withdraw its claims from the Court without the consent of the respondents.