WHAT MR. WILLIAM JONES SAYS.

Evening Post, Volume LXIV, Issue 141, 11 December 1902, Page 6

WHAT MR. WILLIAM JONES SAYS.

• Mr. W. Jones, Secretary of the Federated Seamen's Union of New Zealand, interviewed, said he thought it was just possible that the Australian seamen might accept a reduction of their wage if shipowners satisfactorily showed that the state of trade warranted a reduction. But against this suggestion, it was to be remembered that the men are familiar with this statement, which has been made before when the men knew that trade was not as bad, as shipowners made it out to be. Mr. Jones has gathered from those who go down to the sea in ships on the Australian coast that trade has not been and is not bad, and that, therefore, the reduction of wage demanded is not warranted. The shipowners in the colonies had done remarkably well by the South African war, and the interstate trade was flourishing. Therefore, Australian seamen take with the proverbial grain of salt statements that trade is bad. Mr. Jones recalled that just such statements as these put forward at the recent conferences in Australia were made by Australian and New Zealand shipowners at a similar conference held on the other side in 1886. At that conference and upon the dull trade statements made there, said Mr. Jones, was laid the groundwork for the great maritime strike of 1890. Mr. Jones declared emphatically that as a result of the 1886 conference the ' shipowners deliberately sought to bring about the big strike of four years later, because they desired to break the power and influence of the Seamen's Union, which was then a splendidly-organised body. It would be a strange coincidence if a strike followed the conference held yesterday in Sydney. The Australasian Union is financially and numerically stronger even than it was prior to the strike of 1890. If a strike resulted, Mr. Jones thinks it would not be on the same scale as that of twelve years ago. Then all seamen and waterside-workers throughout Australia and New Zealand were involved. Nowadays the seamen and watersideworkers of New Zealand are barred from taking > part, owing to their working under awards of the Arbitration Court. The wharf -labourers of Newcastle (New South Wales) arc- also working under an award of the newly-set-up New South Wales Arbitration Court, and there might be some doubt about other watersideworkers in New South' Wales joining in the strike. Mr. Jones thought that Mr. James Mills, general manager of the Union Steamship Company, .would endeavour to get an agreement made in Australia to exist until the New Zealand award expires (on 31st December of next year). If such an agreement could be effected, then the shipowners (who are federated under the title " The Australian Steamship Federation) would probably endeavour to get a united agreement for the seamen throughout the Commonwealth and New Zealand. "And if a strike resulted, Mr. Jones? What do you think our men would do?" asked the pressman. " Oh," replied the Secretary. " I think the New Zealand seamen would support the strikers strongly financially, but I do not think they would come out again."