COLOSSAL LOSS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 3 December 1927, Page 7

COLOSSAL LOSS

INDUSTRY AT STANDSTILL. THE AUSTRALIAN HOLD-UP. EFFECTS SPREADING WIDELY. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. Received 11.50 a.m to-day. ' SYDNEY, Dec. 3. . As the strike is developing the effects are becoming more widespread. Many thousands of men have been rendered idle throughout the Commonwealth, involving colossal loss to industry. Ali inter-State commerce liaa ceased, and the loss in wages alone is estimated at £30,000 per day. The waterfront at Sydney presents a desolate appearance, for apart from a few ships which have been exempted from the operations of the strike, the harbour is filled with idle ships and the wharves are deserted. It is expected that to-day 10,000 miners on the northern coalfields will be thrown out of employment as the result of the hold-up of inter-State and overseas shipping.

SETTLEMENT CONFERENCES. EFFORT TO OPEN NEGOTIATIONS. Received 11.30 a.m. to-day. MELBOURNE, Dec. 3 . Senator McLaehlan, after separate conferences with representatives of the Oversea Shipping Association, the Commonwealth Shipowners’ Association and the secretary of the Melbourne Trades Hall Council, said he was more hopeful of an early settlement than he had been prior to the conference. It is understood that further- conferences are being held to-day. Efforts were made by officials of the Australian and New Zealand Council of Trades Unions and the secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council to open negotiations for a settlement of the dispute. After these officials had conferred with the Federal management committee of the Watersiders’ Federation, it was announced that further representations would be made in view of obtaining the intervention of the Arbitration Court. In event of this course failing to bring about the required result, a conference of all waterside organisations in the Commonwealth will immediately be convened to frame a common strike policy. A DIRE CALAMITY". CHRISTMAS GOODS AFFECTED Received 12.50 n.m. to-day. SYDNEY, Dec. 3. There are approximately sixty-four steamers in Australian waters with a tonnage of 440,000. All these are affected by the strike. Mr. Meeks, president of the Sydney Chamber of Commerce, states that a complete hold-up of shipping at the pro. sent juncture can only he described as a dire calamity. All steamers arriving are carrying seasonable goods, which, if they cannot be placed on the market for the Christmas trade, will have to remain in the bond stores for twelve months and risk deterioration and loss. Inter, est will be a big burden for the commercial community.

MORE TALK OF INTERVENTION. FEDERAL ARBITRATION COURT. ITS ASSISTANCE TO BE, SOUGHT. Received 1.20 p.m. to-day. MELBOURNE, Dec. 3. The shipowners have decided that if the dispute is not speedily settled that a number of steamers at present tied up .shall sail without discharging or loading cargo. At a conference of .representatives of the Seamen’s Union with tlie management committee of the Watersiders’ Federation, the seamen urged that there should be joint control of the dispute and that other organisations whose, members were involved should immediately be consulted before the strike developed further and thousands gf other unionist® were rendered idle. Since the beginning of the strike the watersddrs have adopted the attitude that it did not want intervention by other organisations, but this policy has relaxed during the past few days, and aTter their conferring with the Australian and New Zealand Council of Trades Unions. The latter, in an official statement, says that the Council is taking steps to intervene with a view to arriving at a settlement of the dispute, and is endeavouring to induce tlie Arbitration Court to move, in tlie matter.

Plans are also formulating for the convening of an inter-State conference of all the unions concerned, and there is also a probability of the Federal Ministry being approached with a view to eliciting its assistance. It is contended that the Arbitration Court is now faced with a much more serious position than it was when the dispute was only between the .shipowners and th,3i watersiders, because practically every federated union is now either directly or indirectly affected. That 'aspect made it absohitelv imperative that the Court, which was the recognised authority for the settlement of disputes should intervene without further delay. It was therefore suggested that the Court should call a compulsory conference of the parties to the dispute.