WELLINGTON NOTES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 620, 19 November 1913, Page 2

WELLINGTON NOTES.

Wellington, Saturday. '.We have now entered upon the fourht week of the waterside workers' strike, and so far as the members of the original Waterside Workers' Union are concerned there appears to be very little movement towards reemployment, the irreconcilable attitude of the United Federation of Labour, and the fear of their fellow unionists deterring the majority, who are disposed to return to work, from doing so. The arrest of the strike leaders—Messrs W. T. Young, K. Semple, Peter Fraser, Henry Holland. and George Bailey, in Wellington, and of Thomas Barker, in Auckland —on various charges of sedition does not appear to have had a very disturbing effect upon the Federation to which they belong, and in a manifesto issued by the Strike Committee on Wednesday afternoon the statement was made that "the waterside workers are determined to fight on, well-knowing that this is not the movement of a few men, but a large body of educated militant unionists who de-n're to see an effective change made in the present waterside workers' eeonditions." The port is, however, being steadily unlocked, and it is stated that the n«w Wharf Labourers' union now has a membership of 480, amongst them being several members of the old union. The secession of the latcer will, it is believed, lead to a general breakaway on the part of the strikers, and the Federation leaders atill in ae-

tion are evidently alive to and apprehensive of the circumstance, for, at the Opera House meeting on Wednesday, at which it was reported that three resolutions were agreed to, a warning note was struck in the form of a resolution expressing condolence on what was termed the "industrial death" of a member of the Waterside Union who has joined the new Arbitration Union, the member referred to being named in tbe resolution. The other resolutions agreed that none of those present—the theatre is said to have been packed, and no one was admitted without a card of membership should return to work until the employers argeed to terms under which the men should be allowed to place themselves under the ecope of their own organisation : and that the work of the Federation should be carried on without interruption by the men appointed to take the place of the arrested leaders. The "call" mado to the workers by the Federation on Tuesday for a general strike met with a very feeble response. Men were sent round by the Federation on Tuesday morning to the several workshops and printing offices, etc., to call out the hands engaged in the several industries, but the "call" fell upon deaf ears, and Mr M. J. Reardon, secretary of the General Labourers' Union, made a spirited protest against what he termed ihid "mad call in the hour of panic," strongly adjuring the members of his union to remain at their work, and pointing; out that if the men engaged in the sanitary work of the city were to respond,the first to suffer would be the wives and children of the workers themselves, who would be liable, to be scoured by pestilence and disease farmers dangerous in iti effects then the disease with which they had been visited in the north lately. The Hon. J. Barr, M.L.C., another Labour secretary, heartily endorsed Mr Keardon'a protest, and although both gentlemen have been denounced as "traitors''' to the cause of Labour, by no less an authority than the Hon. J. Rigg, M.L.C., and by the Federation leaders generally, there can be no question that they speak for and represent the sane unionism of the country and that if such men are to be driven cut of the ranks of Labour by the militants of the mad Federation, unionism will receive a blow from which it will take a long time to recover. The indications, however, are thai Messrs Reardon and Barr will ba well supported in the stand they are taking against the syndicalist and revolutionary organisation that is attempting to paralyse the industry and commerce of the Dominion, and that in its madness is wrecking hundreds of homes in Wellington and Auckland, by insisting that the breadwinners shall remain on strike. With the strike in progress the business of Parliament does not make much headway, and the prospects of the session closing before Christmas appear remote. It is understood to be the intention of the Government to press forward with the Sh.ips and Offices Act Amendment, the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment, the Second Ballot Re- , peal, the Naval Defence, and the Li- i censing Bills —the last three of which j have still to bs introduced. Then j there is the Defamation Bill and other j measures are pending. The Public j Works Statement has still to bo | brought down, and the Supplementary j Estimates remain to be dealt with, I and there is always the chance cf ob- I struetion, so that Parliamentarians j have still much work before them, and j are unable to say that the end of the j session is in sight.