AUSTRALIAN SEAMEN'S STRIKE

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXVII, Issue LXXVII, 23 May 1919, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN SEAMEN'S STRIKE

COMPULSORY CONFERENCE

CALLED.

DEADLOCK OVER A BALLOT.

NEW ZEALAND SHIPS AFFECTED

: JZ CABLE—PEESS ASSOCIATION.-COPYEIGHT

SYDNEY, May 22. Matters in connection with the shipping trouble are quiet. The chief development is that the State Government, at the request of coastal steamship owners, has ordered a compulsory ballot of members of the Seamen's Union, under powers conferred by the Arbitration Act, to ascertain if the majority favor a strike. ;

Representatives of shipowners and seamen received summonses to-day to attend a compulsory conference called by the Federal Arbitration Court, to be held in Melbourne on Monday. As the coastal vessels reach the various home ports in Queensland, New bouth Wales and Victoria, their crews leave. Many vessels are tied up It is stated that so far as the Union Company's steamers are concerned) it is only individual members of the crews who have left the ships in Syd-1 ney, which is not the home port of all of them. It is also stated that it is not expected there will be any trouble' regarding New Zealand steamers. i A deadlock has arisen over the compulsory ballot. A special meeting of the Seamen's Union considered the! matter, and decided that as a strike! existed in more than one State it was I now a Federal matter, and the New South Wales section could not, therefore, be compelled to take a ballot. The scrutineers appointed by th© Department of Industries to act for the seamen refused' to act.The Karori and Atua have arrived from New Zealand. The crew of the former gave twenty-four hours' notice. The Kanna's crew also gave notice, expiring to-morrow, but it is hoped to get away before the notice expires. The Manuka was due to have sailed this afternoon, but was delayed partly owing to the heavy rain and also to a number of the crew giving notice. It is hoped to get her away early in the morning.