LABOUR IN REVOLT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 126, 20 February 1908, Page 4

LABOUR IN REVOLT.

: THE SYDNEY TIMBER STRIKE. (from our special •coiihi:sfondent.) Sydney, February 15. The strike which lias, come so suddenly, upon us in/the timber , trade ill -Sydney lias diverted attention completely from Newcastle, for now we .are faced with a prospect :of a disastrous paralysis of' trade in quite another ' direction. '■ The- operations/otr industry are so complex, and so dependent upon each other, that it is impossible t-o tell -where a - strikovAYill.rend-; when it • once.'commences, or "what .branch of activity, is likely to remain free from the disturbance. .. The ..crisisv'hdsv.iinmodiatcly yiiivolybd the buttfei''expoT^ ( iiMußfry; ) ' l aftd t 'calculated tliafc if -*tllis >eonicfafb •a- standstill, the.' loss will tfpp'rjositnafo "£100]000; w6eKly"at once,, not to speak ' of [the immense blow' which-.will he struck, at this branch ! of our business by, the ■ ldfcs'of ■ permanerit ; markets. ■' Tlio' butter': dealers, frozen' produce' merchants,' and perishable goods middlemen,' who arri ; .Short of •boxes, and- packing casos,' fire very, anxious :just now; and as the timber-workers'havej tho sympathy of the majority of the Unions connected, with the Trades Hall, wo appear to be.in for a bad time unless-some,sottle-'meiit'.is speedily 'arrived,' at— s prospect; by ,110 means hopeful. at the. timo of writing. The butter merchants are : inviting tieir clients to send back all empty, butter-boxes,' tho price of . which has .already eono up from ■Id. to 8d: each. It is hoped, also" that supwill be obtained from Victoria and Queensland, though if the strike extends it' is difficult to say how these will be. liaiidle.fi/ The position is full of difficulty for-builders, as the stocks of timber in hand aro sufficient' only for immediate requirements,'and' on t.liis account many workmen iu the. trade are ex-' pec,ting to receive notice of dismissal froiii contracts, on which they are employed. '' Meanwhile .the strikers are' firm" in their demands for increased, pay, and picketsfhare been'-,stationed at. the; 'extensive- yards /at■ Blnckwattlo and Rozelle Bays, tiie headquarters ;of .the timber, industry. in .Sydney.' Alongside the wharves; vessels 'lib- unloaded, while tiie timber in the'yards remains: in' the condition - in which, it Was /left . by tho mon when they nut on their ; coats and went out on strike. s'ho pickets,read the papers, or chat about the latest cricket score, or exchange banter with thn constable on duty, but they are all very orderly. They appear to look upon tho .strike from its bright side, if it has any—perhaps the men have not yet begun to feel tho pinch of- narrowing food supplies—and unbend from their stern OCllfciO j of duty sufficiently to play impromtpu games of cricket. .Should any free labourer come along, however, tlieir powers of' argument will no doubt be proved to be in good Working order. The employers havo not found any free, labour, and the yards must lie idle apparently until one side or the other, gives way. : '■'■ v . -

At the same time, another strike on tho part of'.the wharf labourers' against, tho coastal, shipping companies is proceeding.. Thoso companies arc willing to pay-'what' tho-Arbitration Court has awarded, but tho inter-State companies aro paring more, and accordingly tho mon who are handling tlio cargo of the coastal steamers, demanding as much as those > working at the mter-Stato boats, hare gone ort on .'strike, ■ Their places ha'vo been filled by' free labour. V

' With all this tronhlo, the position at Newcastle appears'as-critical as evor. The apoeinl Mining Court is vninly endeavouring to keep the niincs 1 working until tho grievances of tile men have been investigated.: Despite protests from'the Bench, the boys employed as wheelers persist in striking, and thus throwing idle the mines in 1 which they -happen to hare been employed. Just now, the Dudley cnlliory is in tronblo from this cause.' Indeed, tho Court lias been flouted in mid way so'frequently that it. has- non- become the subject of derision from all' sections of tho community. - - Tho' Minors' Federation seems to be quito unablo to control, tho bnys, : who simply walk out of themiue and refuse to work until they get what,they' want-. In the midst' of all this strife,'one wonders what, lias become of tho poor old Arbitration Goiirt, Its authority is laughed at by the workmen who themselves agitated for its cs-' tablishment, and. the Court is-worse than useless. It has only four months of- its term to run,; ami [the experiment of . trying to control a bilge body of workmen ■'wit-hunt establishing gaols ! big enough to hold them all if tlioy refuse to obey the mandates''of tli'e' tribunal so appointed will .probably then bo abandoned in favour of sonic other schemeprobably; the wages boards, of-Victoria.- '