LABOUR TROUBLES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 96, 16 January 1908, Page 7

LABOUR TROUBLES.

'. _ . CONGESTION AT NEWCASTLE. CRANE EMPLOYEES JOIN. IN THE STRIFE., , MANUKA'S DIFFICULTY. or TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYHIGIIT. , Sydnoy, January 15. Owing to tho block of traffic at Nowcastlo harboijr tho .departure of tho Manuka for • Now Zealand has been delayed until noon tomorrow. The Manuka has been at Nowcastlo since Friday awaiting coal. Although a supply is lying alongsido tho wharf: in railway waggons, the steamer was unablo, up to last night, to securo a loading berth. Tho company proposed to bring tho Manuka back to Sydney to coal, but found thore was no coal available. * In support of tho wharf labourers' strike, the crano employees at Newcastle hare decided not to load coal on any vessel employing non-unionists. ) MINERS AT WORK. WHARF LABOURERS OUT.' [FHOM OUIt SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, ] ' ! Sydney, January 9. This time last week a crisis threatened in tho Ncwcastlo coal trads becauso of tho action of a few shooters and fillers in tho Northern Extended, Northumberland, Rhonnda 1 and Pacific collieries who struck work, but now, happily, all is peaceful again. Judge Hoydon'o/ Special Mining r Court hold that the men woro wrong in throwing down thoir tools and ceasing work in order to assort their claim's,. instead ;of waiting fori. tho Court •to dccido tlieni. In delivering judg-, mcnt in tho matter at Nowcnstle on AVednesday, his Honour disclaimed any wish to say a Word'unfriendly, to tho mon, as ho sympathised with, them. He had had close relations with tho mining classes, and had always found them manly. But in :this instance there was no justification for, their action. Tho : men had a perfect right to make a claim, for an advanco\ in. Wajjcs, but to strike in order to assert that claim, when it had already been filed as, e, dispute beforo. tho tribunal/was a step he could see no justification for: Therefore ho asked tho men to •: return, to , thoir work, though ho i knew .it was, .the . hardest test of a man's manliness ' to be able to lose well; Under a clauso in tho agreement tho owners had a right,'to withdraw from the Court,- but ho hoped that thoy would give an examplo of forbearance and prudenco, ;So. that a strike might be prevented. In viow of tho decision of tho Court, tho discontented workmen, upon the advice of tho Executive of the Miners', Federation, decided to resumo their work next day,, and as tho owners have resolved not to withdraw from the agreement to rotor tho matters'in disputo to tho Special Mining Court, all is well again. Tho Court will proceed at onco to investigate, the questions in disputo. • Moaiiwhilo the t-roublo with tho .wharf labourers at 'Newcastle lias- extended to Sydneyj and a striko is now-in full forco. The meil mado certain demands upon tho Coastal Steamship Owliers for increased wages, which wore not fully met, and accordingly they refused at Nowcastlo to load or dischargo cargo at tho steamers of these companies: Most day tho Sydney wharf labourers came out in sympathy with'their Newcastle comrades. Only tllo Illawarra and Nowcastlo and.mmiter River Companies aro affected, and about 200' workmen nro ooncernod in tho striko. Tlio nien sav tho matter will bo fought to a finish. However, their pliices have been taken by non-unionists, . _,