CALL TO ENGINEERS, FIREMEN AND DRIVERS

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6735, 11 October 1928, Page 7

CALL TO ENGINEERS, FIREMEN AND DRIVERS

To Aid Watersiders HEADY RESPONSE DEEMED UNLIKELY 8500 VOLUNTEERS ENROL. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Received Wednesday, 7.0 p.m. MELBOURNE, Oct. 10. A conference of strike delegates, convened to decide whether there should be an; extension, of tho strike, resolved to' recommend that carters, drivers, and tug-boat engineers and firemen should cease working with nonunionists, Steps have already been taken to involve the gas and electric light employees. The shipowners are continuing to develop their plans for the retention of volunteer labour. There are now more than 3500 enrolled, but it is unlikely that more than’ half; of these ivill remain at work permanently. Strikers’ Appeal Unheeded NERVOUS SUBURBAN TRAIN TRAVELLERS. Australian Press Association. Received Wednesday, 7.5 p.m. _ MELBOURNE, Oct. 10. Plans being made by the central strike committee to withdraw members of tho Enginedrivers and Firemens’ Association from tugboats and lighters are unlikely to succeed as these men have already opposed a proposal to strike. The carters meet to-night, but it is believed that they, instead of resolving to'join the strike instantly, will demand that the watersiders should first take a secret ballot of their own members to see if they really favour continuing what is regarded as a hopeless fight. The train service from the city to Port Melbourne has been suspended. It was nearly two hours late last night, owing to reports of bomb outrages being planned against trains carrying free wharf workers. The police and. railway authorities guarded the line carefully and a thorough search revealed nothing sinister. Theatre patrons and others going home towards midnight, when the trains resumed, travelled with uneasy mimic and nerves. The line was strongly guarded all night. Thirty Ships Worked at Melbourne zk STILL IDLE. Received Wednesday, 7.5 p.m. MELBOURNE, Oct. 10. While a mass meeting of strikers was in progress this morning 1900 volunteers were working 30 oversea and Inter-State ships. Over 35,000 enrolments have been made already, including a number of Unionist -workers from Queensland. There are still 26 idle inter-Statc ships in Melbourne. 1 ■'* Tension at Meeting PURNITURE SUFFERS IN FEDERATION DEBATE. Received Wednesday, 7.5 p.m. SYDNEY. Oct. 10 A meeting of tho Waterside Federation in Sydney to-day was marked by exciting moments. Feeling ran high between those favouring the extension of the waterside trouble and those contending that the Sydney men should continue to work all vessels. It is understood the furpiture of tho meeting hall was roughly handled and tho men dispersed in disorder. “Utter Failure” ARBITRATION SYSTEM CRITICISED IN BRISBANE. TRADE UNION AUTOCRACY. ’ BRISBANE, Oct. 10. Mr. William Brooks, in his presidential address at tho Inter-State Conference of Employers’ Federations, said that the compulsory arbitration system was an utter failure, resulting in chaotic conditions. It had created artificial prosperity and increases in tariff to keep pace with the inflated cost of production. Output had generally decreased, and the cost of production had increased. The system also had fostered a trade union autocracy, which placed itself above the law. The only remedy was a reversion to the good old principle of conciliation.