THE WATERSIDE ROUBLE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4473, 14 February 1917, Page 5

THE WATERSIDE ROUBLE.

POSITION AT GISBORNE REMAINS UNAUtKED, GOVERNED BY SITUATION IN WELLINGTON. ATTEMPT AT AMICABLE SETTLEMENT. DOES MEN’S ATTITUDE AMOUNT TO A STRIKE/ ihe situation in Gisborne so far as the waterside trouble is concerned remains muon aoout tlie same. Both sides continue to no.d meetings, but tlie position seems to be governed by tne trend of events m Wellington. Astonishment i s expressed locally at tiie inconsistency m the attitude of the waterside workers in th 6 Empire City. On the one hand they are working or have worked the Wanganui boats wnich were loaded by free labor and the Wanganui men have rework, but on the other hand the V ictoria remains unworked, although the cargo she has aboard was loaded at Auckland by union workers, the point in dispute being simply that the Victoria was not worked at Napier, the unionists who were engaged receiving “standing-hy pay”* and tbe boat being ordered on to Wellington.

Most interest locally centres around the point as to wnether or not the local men can be charged with a breach of clause 3 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act, 1908, which defines a “strike” as under :

•‘ln this Act the 'strike’ means the act of any number of workers who are or have been in the employment whether of the same employer tir v of different employers in discontinuing that employment whether wholly or partially or in breaking their contracts of service or in refusing or failing after any such discontinuance to resume or return to their employment, the said discontinuance, breach, refusal or failure being due to any combination, agreement, or common understanding, whether express or implied, made or entered into by the said employers—(a) With intent to compel or induce any such employer to agree to terms of employment or comply with any demands made by the said or any other workers; or (b) With intent to cause loss or inconvenience to any such employer in the conduct of his business; or (c) With, intent to incite, aid, abdt, instigate, or procure any other strike ; or (d) With intent to assist workers in the employment of any other employer to compel or induce that employer to agree to terms of employment or comply with any demands

made upon liim by any workers.” In connection with the local controversy, the attitude of the men when * originally they demanded restricted hours of work and the incident in connection with the refusal of the men to work the Ripple are being freely discussed. A prominent waterskier told a Times reporter yesterday that large numbers of the local men have grave misgivings on the matter. He said that it would not be very far out to state that 75 per cent, of the men, if permitted to do so, would agree to. return to work on the terms of the old agreement. With reference to the Ripple incident, he indicated that some of "the men had got it into their heads that the union workers were not definitely instructed that the boat was to be worked. His own private opinion was that if the union were given an assurance that no proceedings would be instituted, and the desirableness of resuming work was stressed by their leaders, the whole trouble wouldi be at an end so far as Gisborne is concerned. Incidentally he mentioned that it would be a very bad thing for the local unions if strike proceedings proved successful against it. The penalty, he said, might, in such an event, go as as £SOO, and, in addition; the registration •of ctlie union might also be suspended in which case preference to unionists locally would be. lost. It was also his opinion that if the present trouble went further, and the Government took over the working of the port, it would be found that there would be more than sufficient free labor available. He did not like the look of tilings at all, but in a parting word opined that the local trouble would certainlv not out-last the mam trouble at Wellington. It s’eems that the local Inspector of Factories and Awards, Mr. W. H. Westbrooke, has been kept very busy since the trouble at the port began. An employer remarked to a Times reporter yesterday that Mr. Westbrooke had been indefatigable in his efforts to secure an amicable settlement. Mr Westbrooke, it was learned, has been working early and late with this obiect in view. He had attended meetings both of tho union and of tho emplovers It was thought that as a result of his efforts at a meeting of the men on Monday night an amicable arrangement might be reached, but yesterday morning the situation was simply “as you were.” Miv Westbrooke, however, is said to be not discouraged, and is continuing his efforts t<3 try and arrange a settlement.

THE STEAMER SERVICE. POSSIBILITY OF AR A HUTU'S ARRIVAL FROM AUCKLAND. MAILS COMING OVERLAND FROM NAPIER.

So far as the shipping service locally is concerned, there is practically no change to report from yesterday. The manager of the Union Shipping Company, Jlr J. W. J. Preston, informed a Times representative yesterday afternoon that efforts were being made to despatch the Arahura from Auckland for Gisborne only, ihe steamei had a quantity of overcarried cargo on board wl ich is urgently required here No d finite announcement has been made, concerning the steamer s departure Horn the Northern port but she wa expected to leave there sometime t -day, and to return north on Thursdr or Friday. The Mom:.vai is fixed to leave Mel lington- on Thursday for East Coast ports', but her departure from that port is uncertain under existing con dit ions Should, however, she he able to get away, she will not arrive here until Saturday morning , Arrangements have been made by the Postal Department for the desfrom Napier. . Tbe niail left yesterday morning and commised 1 gistered and ordinary let.ei s, ana should arrive at Gisborne on F. 7 afternoon. .

NO PROGRESS AT WELLINGTON. POSITION STILL UNSATISFACTORY. Telmn-anh—Speers Correspondent. By NGTON,.Fob 13 The waterfront trouble is still as far from settlement as ev ei. Lne em- ■ plovers to-day decided to take labor

for all ship’s, and labor was engaged this morning for all ships, with the exception of the Victoria, which the men would not work. Some announcement should be made to-morrow as to future action regarding this ship, for the Wellington union is in communication with the Napier union, which declared the vessel “black.”

The real struggle is only postponed by what has happened, however. The employers would have been ready to ' work with free labor now hut for the intervention of the Government, and tlie Government’s intervention up to date has had ho other effect than the disturbance of the employers’ plans. Probably the Government would not tolerate the employment of free labor, knowing that it might lead to serious disorder. At any rate, the employers appear to have abandoned that part of their fight. The conciliation proceedings to-day were absolutely resultless. The union representatives appeared, hut in no other way did they commit themselves to acquiescence jn this reference to the industrial tribunal. They were not ill-hunored at all, however, and the proceedings were quite happy always, but they were quite resultless. As soon as the time came for discussing the business for which the Council' 1 had met, the union men asked for an adjournment to enable them to consult the other unions. It will be the end of next week before another meeting can be held, and in the meantime' the employers have no guarantee that work will go on without interruption, nor is it probable that the next meeting of the Council will bring a settlement. The real difficulty is that a patched-up settlement will not bring about industrial peace on the wharves. There will still be bickering and delays, slow work and trivial “disputes.” The employers had stripped for this fight to get rid of these troubles. The real issue was never whether the Wanganui boats should be worked, because these boats are only tiny steamers which' carry a negligibly small share of the trade of the port.