THE TIMARU STRIKE

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14665, 14 May 1913, Page 11

THE TIMARU STRIKE

MEN RETURN TO WORK

isrECiAt. to "the press.") TIMARU, Slay 13

Matters on the waterfront at Timaru nave quietened down considerably. When a good many of the strikers, all for whom work could bo found unthout discharging freo labourers, who had already been taken on, resumed work this morning, as arranged the previous day, the first thing the ' men did was to hold a meeting at 8 | o'clock. At this there was a large at- j tendinre, and a warm debate, mue-h j tho sam>> ground being gone over as | on the previous day, when it wa.s decided to continue the long-drawn-out wait for a telegram from the Federation of Labour, which body is supposed to be controlling tho strike. .Somo say that the wire arrived, and that jt* _a.* to the effect that tho men should continue to work in the meantimo; others say that if it arrived thoy ; saw nothing of it, but they intended : to turn to again, no matter what tho Federation might .say or might neglect j to say. j This they did, work being started ' on the Wa'naka at a quarter to nine. The waterside men who worked her were all em tho vessel, but free labour was engaged in the trucks on the wharf. The Petone nnd the Kowliai —the only other steamers in port— j were worked in a similar way, and thero was no friction. It is believed that the strike is now 'off," and that , work will proceed. j Some of the men were heard to say ; in omphalic terms that the Federation had made a complete mess of things, and that they (tho mon) had been led into a courso of action which they 'never anticipated. The Federation had instructed them not to load mutton which had been killed by freo labour for tho Zealandic; yet they did not tell tho waterside workers at Lyttelton to follow the same course there. Then again, thoy had been told for days past that the Federation was ; going to advise on this and that, but | they had apparently done nothing. It' would be far better to havo a union I of their own. they thought, and in future manage their own affairs. • The railway men who struck are all nt work again, and it is understood that they intend to form a new union of their own. The committeo representing the business firms in town and the farming community, held another men-ting yes- \ terday. As sufficient waterside workers I wore offering to handlo tho three boats in Port, it was decided to tako no further action in tho meantime than to keep in such a state of preparedness as to bo able, should any further hitch ocnir. to immediately work tho Port rith freo Labour.

(rntss association telegram.)

TISIARU. Slay 13.

The waterside workers resumed work to-day on the Union Company's steamers with some free labour in tho trucks. No formal statement appears to have been made, but apparently the strike is off.

Somo of tho unionists are grumbling nt the Federation for inconsistency in approving of ceasing work hero on meat lolled by non-unionists, whilo making no objection to similar work at Lyttelton. Tho railway men, who struck as members of the SVaterside Union, aro nil back. They talk of separating, and lorming an independent union. The employers' committee met this aiorning, but work having been remimed, had nothing to do except to determine to keep prepared to meet "the next refusal to work vessels.