THE SEAMEN'S STRIKE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIII, Issue 19, 5 January 1923, Page 3

THE SEAMEN'S STRIKE.

OWNERS SATISFIED WITH TUI'. POSITION. Wellington. Jan. 4. Mr. B. L. Hamniona. acting secretary of the Shipowners' Federation, stated to-day that the position regarding the shipping dispute was still unchanged. The Federation did not desire to continue the newspaper controversy. The seamen’s secretary was well aware or the facts, which were very different from what ho wished the public to believe. He was fully cognisant of the terms on which a settlement was possible and must realise that a newspajot-r controversy could not assist in that direction. Tlie shipowners were satisfied with the present position. Plenty of labour was offering and they were getting the ship? away all light, and, considered the next move with the union. MEETING OF SEAMEN’S UNION. AN UNACCEPTABLE CONDITION. There -was a largely-attended ing of the Wellington Seamen’s Union on Wednesday morning. Consideration was given to a statement regarding the conference recently held with the shipowners, in the course of which the meettffg'was informed that there did not seem to Be the slightest hope of the shipowners agreeing to tne condition made by the union—that the men at present at work should be replacecTTjy members of the union, and in the event of that being done an undertaking would be given to work under the new award. The position was discussed for some time, but the decision arrived at has not been disclosed. So far nothing has been done in regard to resumption of the conference with the shipowners.

It is reported that most of the seamen employed on the small steamers trading out of Napier came from the country districts in Hawke’s Bay, and their opinion is that the new conditions of work are much more satisfactory than they had any chance of getting ashore.