TEST OF BONA FIDES

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 5 October 1925, Page 5

TEST OF BONA FIDES

OF STRIKING SEAMEN.

; THEIR UNION BOOKS 'I WILL TELL THE TRIUTH. ■T CABLE—BRESB ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. Received Qfcfc. 5, 10.15 a.m. LONDON, Oct.

•Mr. Havelock Wilson has sent messages to the president of the IVaterside Workers Federation at Sydney,, as follows: “I am much impressed with your statement .advising the strikers to return, .to light out the trouble in England. If you desire to test the bona tides of the minority conducting this strike, demand the inspection of thedit union 'book and you will discover who and what they are. If they say they left their books at home, do not be bluffed. Tell us the number of their books and we will cable their financial position. If this course is adopted, J believe the trade unionists of Australia will get a terrific shook. We have inspected the names and addresses of the thousand men in the six ships on the South African coast, and can only discover twelve members. The truith is that many of the men on these liners have been a drawback to us for the last five years. Demand the showing of the books and you will know the tine position.” —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

“SHALL WE ACCEPT?” STRIKERS SEEK ADVICE. AN APPEAL TO LONDON. LONDON, Oct. 3. The Marine Workers’ Union has received a cable from the strikers in South Africa, asking: — “Is it advisable for the strikers m South Africa to accept the following terms: No prosecution of men; no victimisation; no pay until the men resume; the Capa and South African Governments to urge the Imperial Government to hold an impartial inquiry? Eorty-eight hours have been given to us to reply. The men at Durban are solid. If the Marine Workers’ Union considers the strike should continue, reply, giving us your absolute confidence. ’’ A special meeting of the union has been, called to consider the matter, and a cable will be sent immediately a decision is reached.

TERMS DISCLAIMED.

UNAUTHORISED BY OWNERS.

CAPETOWN, Oc. 3. With reference to the cable sent by the strikers to the Marine Workers’ Union in England, the steamship owners .state the terms therein mentioned are quite unauthorised so far as they are concerned. They point out that whatever the reply may be, the fact remains there will he no detention of outward sailings from Britain. The only effect of the agitation by the Marine Workers’ Union is that! willing workers are intimidated and non-union-ists are securing the jobs of representatives of the union.

ALL QUIET IN SYDNEY. WILD CHARGE AGAINST MR BRUCE. SYDNEY, Oct. 4. The strike position is quiet. The striking seamen are. participating in the Eight Hour Day procession to-morrow. Speaking at the annual eight hour dinner, Mr Willis declared that Mr Bruce was arming his secret police, who were walking about amidst the Labourites for the purpose of being provoked by them. He urged Labourites to keep their heads and coneen: trate on winning the Federal election.

PLIGHT OF PASSENGERS. ' SIX WEEKS IN CAPETOWN. CAPETOWN, Oct. 3. Nine hundred of the, 'Ballarat’s passengers for Australia have been in Capteowm sdx weeks and have no official assurance as regards: resuming the journey. They demand that something be done to end the position, laying stress on the hardships women and children ar© compelled to undergo. A STRIKE INCIDENT. USE OF'A REVOLVER. A SECRETARY FINED £5. LONDON, Oct. 2. Reed has been fined £5 in the Thames Police Court for possessing a pistol without having a police certificate. s [A reeent cable stated that George Reed, branch secretary of the Sailors’ Union, was acquitted on a charge of firing a revolver at two strikers. Reed said that when the unofficial strike started on August 4, Coeklin and Johnson, the two men concerned,, took a leading part. They intimidated members of the union and assaulted some of them. On August 21 Coeklin came to the Board of Trade office and told witness that one man had his nose cut off and another had an eye put out. Reed" would get: the same if he did not stop shipping “blacklegs.” Johnson, according to witness, subsequently g'ave a speech threatening to pull down Reed’s office, and “do the officials in.” Johnson, in a speech to a crowd of 200 to 300 on August 26, urged them to “limb the bloodsuckers.” The meeting became menacing, and Reed, who was nervous, fired three shots over the heads of the crowd in order to frighten them. He denied having intended to hit or murder anyone.]

MONEY MAHKEX. AFFECTED. BANKS. ISSUE WARNING. (BY TELEGRAPH. —VWTIPH ASSOCIATION/) WELLINGTON, Oct. 4. The damaging effect that the shipping hold-up is beginning to have ujoon the finances generally of the Dominion i s well exemplified by a recent warning issued by the banks to their borrowing customers connected with the export trade. This warning points out that should the hold-up continue it will be necessary for the hanks to request such customers to utilise their accommodation facilities at sparingly as possible,

and further indicates the desirability of the need for caution to be exercised in their disbursements. Dairy companies are at present specially affected, and should it become iecessary to enforce a curtailment of financial accommodation it is understood that a reduction in the pay-out to the numerous suppliers to various dairy factories throughout the Dominion will become inevitable. The circular also suggests that later on, when other kinds of Dominion produce come in, such as wool and meat, the same principles will have to be applied to those associated with those industries unless the trouble is in the meantime satisfactorily settled. The widespread ramifications which the trouble may assume will thus be appreciated, and a very plain illustration is afforded of bow vital it is to the Dominion’s .prosperity and progress that the: export trade should run on smoothly and continuously. As a matter of fact the whole of the trade is being thrown into confusion an danger when the export trade is jeopardised.

EXCITING EPISODE LOYALISTS HUSTLED. SCENE ON WELLINGTON WHARF. WELLINGTON, Oct. 5. About 100 men, said to he strikers, assembled on the wharf on Saturday night, and attacked some loyal seamen who were about to be taken out in a tug to a steamer in the stream. Police Sergeant Melville and Constable Cleverley, by tactful handling, prevented the trouble from becoming serious. For a while the crowd’s hustling tactics seemed likely to make things awkward for the loyalists, one of whom had a rough experience at the strikers’ hands, but was rescued from a warm corner by Constable Cleverley. Eventually two firemen strikers were arrested, and the crowd dispersed after the tug got away. DAIRY COMPANY AFFECTED. OPOTTKT, Oct. 5. A telegram has been sent by the Opotiki Dairy Association to the Prime Minister, istfeating that it will 'be seriously affected iby the shipping strike and urging him to make every effort to get ocean steamers away, stating that drastic steps should be taken. The message concludes: “We believe you will have the whole country behind you in whatever action you take.”. FREE LABOUR ADVOCATED. DARGAVILLE, Oct. 5. A meeting of the directors of the Northern Wairoa Co-op. Dairy Co. last Saturday passed a resolution strongly urging the Government to take immediate steps to have the ships manned and despatched, also to advertise for men willing to act ae stokers and seamen to take the ships away. Already quite a number of men have made application. and no difficulty should be experienced in getting the quota from Northern Wairoa should it be necessary to call on their services.

A GRAVE SITUATION. RUIN BEFORE THE COUNTRY. GOVERNMENT CANNOT STAND STILL. AUCKLAND, Oct. 5. Sir James Parr, in the course of a speech to his constituents, said 1 that in Auckland' alone there were nine overseas ships held up by the seamen’s 'strike. New Zealand was never faced with a more serious situation. Inward and' outward cargoes involved amounted t® over £2,750,000 in value.

Probably three-quarters of the cargo of primary products was destined foi England, while the inwards mer- ' chandise was urgently- required by, the •importers and the public. He estimated that New Zealand dairy produce and meat to the value of £4,500,000 was hekl up. If the strike continued into the summer, our exports, 96 per cent, of which are primary products, would not be forwarded and the country would! lose over fifty million pounds in the year. The strike had 1 got the whole community by the throat, and .its continuance would mean the closing down of every industry, office and business in New Zealand. The Government realised the gravity of the situation, and couldn’t stand idly by to see the country mined.,

TO-DAY’S CONFERENCE. PRIME MINISTER’S EFFORTS. WELLINGTON, Oct. 4. The Prime Minister (Hon. J. G. Coates) is still exerting every effort to try to bring about a settlement of the shipping strike as it affects New Zealand. On Monday Me Coates mil confer with representatives of the striking seamen and the overesa shipowners. CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 4. Two seamen’ H delegates from the Hororata were liberated from Paparua prison yesterday, and went north to attend the conference convened by the Premier. A SIDE ISSUE COASTAL SHIPS AFFECTED. AUCKLAND, Oct. 4. The Kurow’ s 'crew are on strike because the vessel has cargo on board from the steamer Kent. The Kurow completed loading on Saturday evening for Gisborne, Wellington, Lyttelton, and Dunedin. Owing to the men refusing to take the ship to sea she anchored in the stream to await the settlement of the trouble. TROUBLE ON THE KUROW DISPUTE SETTLED. AUCKLAND, Oct. 5. The objection by the crew of the steamer Kurow to the transhipment of cargo from the steamer Kent and the refusal to go to sea has been overcome, and: the officials of the Union Company and of the Seamen’s Union have advised the men to resume duty, otherwise they would he acting illegally. The. crew demanded that the cargo from the Kent he fully unloaded from the Kurow. The men, after discussion last night, decided to take the Kurow to sea. She sailed at 11.50 on Sunday night.

At a meeting of the Taranaki Employers’ Association held at New Plymouth on Saturday night, the: following motion was carried: “That this meeting of the Taranaki Employers’ Association urges upon the Government the need ’for immediate action on its part to secure the early resumption of transport of Dominion produce, and assures the Government of the whole-hearted support of employers throughout the district in any action it may adopt to secure the manning of vessels, whether bv free labour or otherwise. ”