ONLY A PRELUDE

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19311, 16 May 1928, Page 9

ONLY A PRELUDE

DISMISSAL OF CREWS.

SHIPOWNERS MAY FIGHT. UNIONS FEAR UNEMPLOYMENT. (tTHITZD PRESS ASSOCIATION —BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH—COPYRIGHT.) (Received! May loth, 8.30 p.m.)

SYDNEY, May 15

The shipowners' drastic action in giving notice of dismissal to the crews of four vessels is taken with the object of bringing the cooks' strike to a head. The owners are working on a plan which they are keeping strictly secret, and there is little doubt that tying-up of the ships is only a prelude to further action.

The campaign is being directed from Melbourne, and has so far resulted in rend'ering idle 300 men. Developments within the next 24 hours will determine whether, the country is to be faced with a crisis similar to the 1917 strike, or whether the cooks' strike will come to an abrupt ending. The latest move by the owners is regarded by other Unions with grave concern, as already unemployment is rampant. There are now 14 steamers idle as a result of the cooks' strike. At Melbourne an amazing situation has arisen in connexion with the efforts of Union leaders to settle the dispute. Although the Australian and New Zealand Council of Trades Unions yesterday adjourned the Maritime Union Conference until Wednesday, to enable Mr Tudehope to attend, the Waterside Workers' Federation to-day summoned! a maritime conference of its own for the same hour to-morrow, to deal with the dispute. It is now stated that Mr Tudehope will attend the watersiders' conference, although he was expected at the other. Despite the now divided efforts of the Unions to arrive at a settlement, it is believed! that the outcome of the two conferences to-morrow will be that the cooks will be asked to resume work.—Australian Press Association. OWNERS WILL FIGHT. FURTHER VESSELS LAID, UP. (TJHITED press association—bi elictrio TELEGRArH—COPXBIOHT.) SYDNEY, May 15. Owing to the failure of the marine cooks to man the eight idle HuddartParker vessels, the shipowners have taken the extreme course of laying up four additional vessels. Twenty-four hours' notice of dismissal has been given the crews,of the following vessels: —Karoola and Ulooloo, both in Sydney, and Bombala and Lowana, both in Melbourne.

It is significant that the principal members of the Inter-State Ship Owners' Federation are concerned in the latest move, while the Australian United Steamship and Navigation Company became involved when the Kanowna was held up. The general belief is that the shipowners intend to take up the gauntlet and fight the cooks on job-control. .The Marama, Maunganui, and Kaiapoi, which are on New Zealand articles, are not likely to be drawn into the conflict, and the Union Company's vessels Ngakuta and Ngatoro, which • leave Sydney to-day on Australian articles, are so far unaffected.

No official reason has been given by the shipowners for their action beyond the statement that it accords with their ultimatum and that they are being forced to lay up their steamers owing to the uncertain position on the waterfront.

A meeting of marine stewards is being held in Sydney to-day to discuss the position, and also the sale of the Commonwealth Line, as it is reported that the crews of this Line are being paid off by the new owner, Lord Kylsant, on arrival in London, and are being replaced with lower-paid crews, the Australians being repatriated. No representative of the Cooks' Union attended. The conference of the Australian Trades Unions at Melbourne has been adjourned till Wednesday at the request of Mr Tudehope, Federal secretary of the Cooks' Union, who arrived in Sydney from Brisbane yesterday, and has left for Melbourne.—Australian Press Association. OFFENSIVE CIRCULAR. URGES GO-SLOW POLICY. MELBOUENE, May 15. Mr Justice Lukin, in the timber workers' case, received a copy of an offensive circular urging the workers to reduce their output 8§ per cent, if their hours were extended from fortyfour to forty-eight. He said that he would embody it m the records of the Court, whereupon the Union advocate hotly objected, saying that the circular was anonymous. Mr Justice Lukin said that he would give the advocate two hours to try to locate who published the leaflet, otherwise he would place it in the records. — Australian Press Association.

SECRET MEETING HELD. (Received May 15th, 5.5 p.m.) ' SYDNEY, May 15. The Cooks' and Stewards' Union, at a meeting to-day, is discussing the waterfront position arising from the latest developments and the shipowners' actions. The nature of the discussions is not "divulged.—Australian Press Association.

NO DECISION REACHED. (Received May 15th, 10.20 p.m.) SYDNEY, May 15. A meeting of the maritime cooks considered the strike position, hut did not reach a decision as to future action. It was decided to send Mr Tudehope to Melbourne to-night to participate in to-morrow's maritime conference.— Australian Press Association.