OLD AND NEW.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14898, 11 February 1914, Page 9

OLD AND NEW.

THE WELLINGTON WATERFRONT. A CRITICAL SITUATION. MORE JROUBLE EXPECTED. (srECIAL TO "THE PRESS.") WELLINGTON, February 10. The state of things on the waterfront hare is still very unstable indeed. Tho executive of the new union has taken its courage in both hands, and has been ablo so far to suspend or postpone tho coming into force of tho resolutions passed at the meeting on Saturday, by suggesting that tho meeting was not conducted according to proper order. It is believed that the old union will move in the Supremo Court for a mandamus, and it would appear that they must succeed. The ■weakness of the case for tho executive of the Arbitration Union is that the chairman did not. when the flagrantly illegal tactics wero adopted by tho strikers, declaro tho meeting closed. He did not do so, out proceeded with the business, put the resolutions, and declared them carried. Meantime, however, the Arbitrationiste are gaining time, and timo is just now of supreme importance. It is of tho utmost importance that the strikers should not be permitted to obtain full control of waterside work just now. It is stated hero that tho developments in connexion with tho Australian waterside trouble are expected on Saturday, and tho strikers here hope to be- able to spread the trouble to this country. Cablo messages are passing daily between the ex-strikers here and the leaders of the disturbance in Sydney. Delegates from the Federationists have been, or are in Sydney, and two Sydney men have been campaigning here. It is almost a certainty that thero will be moro trouble on the Wellington waterfront -within the next few -weeks. Tho old union is desperately in need of funds. It has jv bill to moot of 1:700 for band instruments, and no money to pay it with, and the strikers also want, to sco that their contributions go towards a fighting fund to be used against "the common enemy," tho capitalist. For ■these reasons they wish to capture the surplus of several hundred pounds, most of which was subscribed by tho men who have sinco gone back to their homes in tho country, and if the present executive can keep the strikers from getting control of these moneys for a fow weeks they will have done something that may have more than momentary importance. With regard to the future, shipping companies are very pessimistic. They realise that the present condition of things caunot continue, and they are not willing to revert to the old state >>f unstable equilibrium existing /when the Federation bossed the waterfront. They now say that they left too much to chance tvhen the new union was belli , ; formed. They should have seen that, the rules wero such that strikers and other undesirables could bo excluded. Instead of this they did nothing, and the rules were bungled, with the result that the new union is near to extinction. The manager of an oversea company informed your representative today that the only way out of the difficulty that ho could sco would, be by companies employing a-s big a staff of permanent men as possible, paying them, say £2 10s. and allowing Them overtime. If the union collapses it, may be that something Trill come of the Prime Minister's action in calling tlic representatives of Harbour Boards together in conference.

(PRESS ASSOCIATION' TELEGRAM.) , WELLINGTON, February 10. Tho position in regard to the Wharf Labourers' Union appears to be very unsettled, owiug to the persisted efforts of the old organisation to obtaic the reins of office. Numerically th< sfrttce sympathisers in the union outnumber the men who helped to breals tho strike. Tho following requisition, dated to-day, and signed T>v about fifteen members of the old Union, has been forwarded to tho executive:—"ln ferros of Rule 20 of the above union's rules, we, the undersigned members, reqUest you to call a special meeting of the above Union for the purpose of considering the following resolution: "That this meeting consider and take such action as may be deemed necessary regarding the persistant refusal of the executive to call 6pecial meetings requested by members, and to consider what action can be taken to enforce the resolutions passed (at the instance of the unionists) at the meeting on Saturday. 7th February." A conference was held to-day between tho executive and a representative of tne old union regarding Saturday's meeting, but no definite decision was arrived at. he upshot will probably bo a tost caso in the Supreme Court, with the view of obtaining a mandamus.