THE SYDNEY STRIKE

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 September 1917, Page 2

THE SYDNEY STRIKE

THE LATEST NEWS. STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. UNION HEAVILY FINED. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This DayThe Sydney strike hews from files to 19th September indicates that the outlook was then considered promising’ for a settlement- Turn. G. W. Fuller, Act-ing-Premier of New South Wales, referring- to the miners’ strike, said that In* believed it could, as the miners claimed, he settled in a few hours. The Government wanted a settlement, hut ft must he one establishing- the right of the Government elected by the' people to control the affairs of the State-

lit*, suggested that the miners should lake a secret ballot on the question whether members would support the attitude of the Federation.

The position on the Sydney water front was that the men appeared to he waiting for developments* 'the coal lumpers were waiting for the miners to give a lead. The coastal steamers were still maintaining* their time-table* That showed an improvement each week, for volunteer labour continued to expand* Though the unionists were resuming in sections, the various industries still found a difficulty in fully reinstating their works and services ,and volunteer camps were nimble to meet all the demands for labour. The following figures relating to the railway service were published on the 17 th:Staff employed Aug. .1... $7,123 Remaining loyal Aug. 14 15,004 Strikers re-employed to Sept* 15 8,030 Strikers who signed forms for re-employ-ment, hut not yet taken on - .8,519 Strikers who had not yet signed forms ... 4,970 Total 37,127 The new hands employed numbered 3,142. The Australian Gaslight Company applied on September 17th for a cancellation of the registration of the Gas Employees Onion and a recision of the award* The Union Secretary gave evidence that the Executive had endeavoured to keep the men loyal to the Company, but they went out. Judge liolin said that it_ was plain that the Union had instigated the strike through its Executive- Something had been said about Democracy, hut Democracy spoke through the laws. . The voice of Democracy was heard through that Court, not through mobs* There was no freedom outside the law. Every man owed a duty to the State to do his job to the best of bis ability* The strike promoters set out to starve the community and would have succeeded it free labour had not come in. _ The Union’s registration was cancelled and the Union fined £soo*