CRITICAL. SETTLEMENT OR CATACLYSM.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 134, 3 December 1909, Page 7

CRITICAL. SETTLEMENT OR CATACLYSM.

NEW SOUTH WALES STRIKE. STATEMENT BY MR HUGHES. By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Copyright. (Received December 3, 10.15 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. The Labour Party Caucus formulated a proposal for a settlement of the strike. The nature of that proposal is a secret. It will be submitted to the' Strike Congress to-day. Mr. Hughes states that the situationis critical, and that everything depends on the next twenty-four hours whether there will be a settlement or a great 'in-, dustrial cataclysm. CABINET MEETING. THE SITUATION DISCUSSED. REQUEST BY P. AND O. COMPANY. SYDNEY, 2nd December. Mr. Learmonth, chairman, of the> Northern Colliery Proprietors' Association, saw My. "Wade, Premier, and subsequently a Cabinet meeting was held at Mr. Wade's residence, when the strike position was discussed, but nothing was divulged as to the progress of negotiations for bringing the parties together, or the Government's intentions in tha> event of failure in this respect. It is believed the probability of the parties coming together is not promising. The Strike Congress considered a request from the P. and O. Company for the Coal Lumpers' Union, to discharge 6000 tons of Japanese coal which arrived to-day by the steamer Palermo, and is intended for the company's mail liners, and late to-night it was announced that the^ coal lumpers would work the coal.' The Young Wallsend mine started working to-day. FRUITLESS INTERVIEWS. ACTION TO APPOINT A BOARD. LUMPERS' UNION NOT SATISFIED. (Received December 3, 10.15 a.m.j SYDNEY, This Day. Mr. Wade's interviews with Messrs. Learmonth and Hughes were fruitless. Action will be taken to-day to appoint a board under the Industrial Disputes Act to deal with the trouble. Although the Strike Congress decided that the Palermo's coal should be handled, the Coal Lumpers' Union is not altogether satisfied, holding that the importation of coal is a blow at the Southern mines, which have a contract to supply the. Peninsular steamers. MANY IDLE IN MELBOURNE. OTHERS WORKING SHORT- TIME. MELBOURNE, This Day. There are 3000 persons idle in tie city through the strike, and as many more aro working short time. "IF IT COMES TO THE WORST." Mr. P. Bowling addressed a large j meeting of miners from twenty-four lodges in the Wallsend district at West Wallsend on the 24th November. In the course of his speech, he said they could not possibly win a fight if they lost this one. However, no fight was without some sacrifice, and he hoped that they would continue the fight, even if they had to subsist on one meal a day. 'But while they would be showing their manhood by going short themselves, they would be less than men if they allowed the women and children to starve. They should make a systematic canvass of the whole district, ,for they would find that many people wojild be ready to supply them with food for the women and children. If the worst came to the worst, Mr. Bowling added, they should not see food without getting it, and he said that in front of- the police. He wanted them to obey the law at all times, as far as it was possible, but there was a law above that made by man. There was the law of humanity, and when that took first place the law of man must take a back seat. i