GREAT MAJORITY FOR RESUMPTION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 22 December 1913, Page 5

GREAT MAJORITY FOR RESUMPTION.

MINERS TO CO BACK SOON.

BY TELEGRAPH—PRBSS ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, Dec 21. The official statement from the Federation of Labor* states that the conference of delegates from various strike centres, together with the executive of the Federation, decided that m the interests of those most closely concerned it was wisest to call the strike off as from Saturday, the 20th instant, for all engaged, with the exception of miners. ■

"So far as the miners are concerned, we are but awaiting a conference with the mmejowners and the miners' representatives to discuss matters relating to that industry. Once that conference is arranged and matters are ;Satisfaciofily adjusted, the miners will, we believe, be ready to return to work. , This, in our opinion, is but a question of days:" ( f : The aianoiihcement that the strike had been called off was made at a mass meeting of strikers' held in the Olympia Skating Rink. The attendance, was one of the largest seen at a strikers' indoor gathering since .the trouble began, about 10b0 men being present. ■--•■':. : '

Mr Glover presided, and practically] all the local leaders and many ffdini^j other parts of the' Dominion were ill; attendance, including the delegates to' the Federation conference. The meet-v ing lasted for about two hours, and altogether there , were some dozen speeches, the tenor of them - all being that it was useless to hang back any longer, especially in view of the fact that the firemen and seamen had gone bact to work.

-M£ W, T. Young, president of ;ihe Federation, who was not. present, came in for some v6rv strong criticism for the attitude he had taken up. \ Mr P. Hickey, the secretaty of the Federation, explained that it -vas the lack of information regarding the seamen's likelihood to return to work that had prevented the strike from being called off several days1 ago. In his remarks Mr Hiekey did not refer to "defeat," but admitted that the strike would have to be declared off.

Other speakers followed in the. same strain, none of them advocating the continuance of a forlorn hope. Some of the speakers stated that it -was known by the seamen's officials on Monday that the seamen were returning, and bitter complaint was made at the manner in which the news had been withheld from the other officials, who should have known. \ > .' So far as can be asoertaihetT, the vote on the question of whether the strike was called off was carried by about a five-to-three majority. •