MARITIME STRIKE PROBABLE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1642, 8 January 1913, Page 3

MARITIME STRIKE PROBABLE.

VICTORIAN EMPLOYER'S' VIEWS. . Although 'an. inspector ; :of /the'Depart'-; uusut of : Labour arid Industry* lsew South Wales has reported ' that thore; is gravo likelihood of an iirtmcdiato dislocation of : the shipping ' industry in ". New Suth Wales, prominent employers in Melbourne look upon industrial trouble, in Victoria as. a ,vory - remote probabi lty. They do not oven agree witli the Sydney inspector that there will be. an interruption of the New South, Wijles coastal The decision of the High: Court (says the Sydney "Telegraph") affects Inore. officers in New South 1 Wales; than in any other State, because the coastal trade there is on a scale of much greater magnitude than ifr is anywhere else in tho Commonwealth, but still in. every other Stato there are one or'more purely local lines which come' within prohibition. ■ While no definite statement; will ..bo mado as to the intentions of employers in Victorin, who are 'by tlio judgment 'of tho-High. Court'released from the conditions imposed by the Federal Arbitration, Court's award, it is unlikely that any ; . immediate,' 'changos will be made. The conditions of employment axe so different from what they are in Now South' Wales that in some instances il would be necessary to - alter tho conduct of business to reclassify the officers. , The opinion was expressed on Saturday thai a determination of the , Sydney Wage: -Board would put the nlatter beyond dispute, so far as Victoria was concerned, but. whatever developments' may tak< place in regard to local lines of steamer.' nny!great maritime struggle is considered extremely improbable. A. leading member of the guild statec that so far as Victoria was concerned, il was improbable even if members of thi guild in New South Wales'went out 01 strikp, that those in the Victorian'brand would do so. Also that there was n< quarrel with the Victorian shipowners and up to the present no'variation hat been made as far as was known 1 in th< provisions of the award by Mr. Justice Hipgins, notwithstanding the advers l decision of the High Court.