The N.S.W Strike.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VII, Issue 252, 17 August 1917, Page 6

The N.S.W Strike.

CABLES RIGOROUSLY CENSORED. LATEST NEWS BY THE MAIL. Wellington, Aug. 16. Inquiries made both of the Governor and the Gov rnment go to show that neither has received any advice of the progress of the strike in Australia.

The following is how the “Sydney Morning Herald” summarises the strike position in its issue of Friday, August 10, the date of the most recent Sydney paper received in New Zealand:— “You can take it from me, this fight is about to commence.” Tne words are those of Mr- W. Morby, vice-president of the Labour Council of New South Wales, who presided over last night’s meeting of that body. All the indications at a late hour last bight were that the strike is about to extend to a large number of unions.

“The deputation this morning,” said Mr. Morby, ‘ is our last word. We offered something more than we should have done on second consideration.”

Late last night the Strikers’ Defence Committee stated they had decided to carry' on the fight until the card system is withdrawn. A declaration is made by the Act-ing-Premier that the Government is prepared for every emergency. A mass meeting of wnarf-labour-ers yesterday decided to cease work until the card system is withdrawn. All the mines on the South Coast were thrown idle yesterday. This was done by the miners acting in sympathy with the strikers in Sydney.

Carters engaged on the wharf have declined to carry goods that had not been handled Dy wharllabourers.

This extends the trolly and draymen’s participation in the strike from the railways to the wharfs.

It is considered certain that the whole of the northern mines will be idle to-day. Only a few of them worked yesterday.

Crane drivers at Newcastle have joined the strikers. Train and tram services showed an all-round improvement yesterday.

In. addition to better passenger services, eight goods trains left Sydney for country centres. A large number of men who had been on strike, returned to work. ( “Tell your menfolk to go back to work,” was the reply of the Acting Premier yesterday to a deputation from the wives of the strikers, which urged the Government to give way.

GOVERNMENT COMMANDEERS COAL. (AUSTRALIAN AND U.Z. CABLE ASS’N.) (Received 17, 11.50 a.m.) Sydney, Aug. 17. The Federal Government has seized all coal in the coal hulks.