THE SHIPPING STRIKE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 225, 29 December 1920, Page 2

THE SHIPPING STRIKE.

TASMANIAN PREMIER ON STRIKE. QUESTION FOR THE PEOPLE. HHOBAPvT, Doc. 23. The strike vigilance committee uppointed 1»V the crti7eiis, lieaded by the Mayor (Colonel Snowden), waited upon the Premier. Bir Walter Lee, and strongly urged the Government to purchase a *teamor. It was oontonded that even if the Government, had to pay a high price for a steamer it. would pay them to do so, in view of the heavy losses Tasmania is likely to suffer. • . The Premier, in reply, expressed the opinion that State-owned steamers were not a solution of the shipping striko. The time had come for plain speaking. The Government was right up against it for inonev. Ha lind a few -lays ago put a proposition for the purehiuso of ft. small boat at a low price from the King Island trade, but the Treasurer had said he could not find the money. Chartering of a vessel would only be a temporary solution. Ihe only solution to these trouble*—and Federal and State legislators would have to face itwas to determine whether the unions of this country were going to hold up the business and social life of tho community ■ by adopting these methods, or whether the ! people would see that moans of communioni lion were kept open between different parts ,of the Commonwealth. Whether that would bo done, without a revolution lie did not know but we were getting close to a crisis. It was a serious thing to contemplate, as he was afraid Mich a movement would not be carried through withoiit force.* but. we wore getting to a point when we could not nubmit to this sort of thing much longer.