SHIPPING DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1270, 27 October 1911, Page 5

SHIPPING DISPUTE.

9 ■ IS IT FIZZLING OUT? SOME OFFICERS READY TO WOH.V BOATS MAY BESUME BUNKING. There is more than a possibility of the disputo between owners and officers, which has led to the laying up of the small steam craft trading to Wellington, being settled permanently or temporarily within a day or two. At any rate, it is practically certain that some at least of the officers will coine back to work Iheij , ships as scon as arrangements oan lxi made for them to resume their running. During the last twenty-four hours the shipowners have received information personally and by telegram from certain uf their officers that tho latter aro prel».r<xl (o resume work under the terms offered by tho federation, pending the result of the ballot Ixmig taken in connection with the disputo between tho own ere of Iho large ships and their officers. This information was conveyed by the federation to the guild, and it wan arranged that Captain Kogcrs, manager lor the Anchor Line, should wait upon the guild yesterday to discuss things with tho members, and to endeavour to make an arrangement by which tho small boats might resume their Tunning. This interview effected nothing, for tho guild refused •to a«r<o to anything short of a grant of all their demands, and stated that if any master or officer resumed work under the conditions suggested, ho would run the risk of expulsion from tlio guild, Tho Latest Development. This was tho state of the negotiations when tho federation met to discuss things yesterday. At that meeting the owners' representatives decided to take back all officers offering, and to run as many ships as possible. About twenty masters and officers have stated that they are willing to resume, and t'ho moral eii'cct of a secession of so many on the others may or may not bo considerable. Tho Anchor Lino masters and officers telegraphed from Nelson to tho guild (staling that they could not afi'onl to remain idlo any longer, and that they proposed to go l>ack to work, at least until tho dispute with tho big companies had been settled. They stated also that they thought they and their company were being unfairly treated in that they had not been allowed to run tho steamers while negotiations were pending, whereas tho Union Company were allowed to run all their boats under tho old conditions. This communication was signed by ten of tho masters nnd officers of tho Anchor Company. Tho suggestion emanates' from tho guild office that the letter and tho other communications received by the shipowners amount to nothing, and that they aro either the result of or part of a game of bluff which the owners have been playing. Those in control of tho guild's affaire meantime state also that they believe tho owners will fail in their endeavour to get the ships running ngnin. They further state that tho Anchor men did not sny that they would go back to work, but merely mado a tentative suggestion to tho guild to that effect. The guild replied, but tho text of tho reply is not available. What the Union Company Men Will Do. Whatever may bo tho correct opinion concerning tho purport of tho officers' offer, and, their real intentions, it teems to bo. fairly clear that they aro not going to bo helped in their disputo by tho O.S.S. Company's men. So far as can bo learned, the red funnel men will bo practically unanimous in their decision to accept tho terms offered by their company. If they do this, Iho men now ashore will l>o in an infinitely worso position to treat with the cwners than they now aro, and Bomo shrewd and well-in-formed members of tho rmM may have i come to tho conclusion that their wisest ' course is to compromise now. Everybody ; recognises, however, that there is every ; prospect of another enforced rest when < tho sailors nnd Bremen make, tlrar do- > mauds—a few weeks. It is generally al- . lowed thnt they will strike unless they r got all they ask for, and that if a 6trike . occurs it will bo a well-organised affair. ; Tho effect of the interruption of tho i service is bring seriously felt in some ' of tho coastal towns, notably Wanganui. Tho railway freights are heavy, and shippers have even offered to pay to owners extra freights to recompense thorn for the higher rates of wages to be paid if tlio ships can bo run again. It is oven rumoured that somo members of tho guild have negotiated for tho charter of a vcpisl to be run under the guild, conditions, but it is not known whether these negotiations, said to havo been under way for some weeks, aro likely, ,to result "in anything. i