AUSTRALIA'S TROUBLES.

Feilding Star, Volume II, Issue 534, 30 March 1908, Page 4

AUSTRALIA'S TROUBLES.

COMBINATION OF OWNERS. [BY KLBCZRIO TBLEGBAPH — UOrriUGHT, [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Sydney, March 28. The latest development • of the strike is that a meeting of the deepsea steamship companies Tesolved to give every possible practical support to the . coastal companies in theii struggle for the maintenance of the principle of freedom of contract. It was also decided to assist the coastal companies by procuring engineers and officers for their fleets. The fight is between the three coastal shipping companies, supported by 300 non-unionists, and the .unionist wharf labourers on the companies' wharfs, supported by the Wharf Labourers' Union. The Sydney Herald says: — "As the wharf labourers have ; been replaced by non-unionists on three wharves, the seamen have struck. Where the seamen on strike have been replaced by non-unionists, the officers, engineers, and cooks have been asked to strike. If non-union-ists take the ships into dock the dock hands strike. If these latter were replaced by non-unionists the unions would probably bring another reserve line of unions up into action, and so on. It can be seen at a glance what sort of support the unions are giving one another in their fight against free labour. (The question is free labour. If the question were 'pay,' the other unions would force the wharf labourers to arbitrate.) It can also bet seen at a glance what support the coastal companies are eettine on their side." Unions affected or likely to be, infllud©'. Seamen's, Merchant Servants' fruild (officers), Australasian Marine Engineers, Stewards and Cooks, Dock Employees. Carters. Farriers. Masters, and # Engineers' Association ni Australasia fterry boats), and Cold Storage Employees.