50,000 WORKERS IDLE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 2 December 1927, Page 5

50,000 WORKERS IDLE

MANY MORE LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED

(Received 2nd Dec. 10.5 a.rn.) ■SYDNEY, This Day. The shipowners are determined not to give Way to the men and are now considering a plan for the establishment of a free labour bureau at every port, in the Commonwealth. The strike has now enmeshed thousands of workers who until the last day or two had but the slightest interest in the shipping dispute, and if the anticipated developments occur to-day a national crisis rivalling in magnitude and consequences any previous industrial disturbance is threatened.

So far 50,000 workers haVo been idled, and it is expected, if the dispute is not speedily settled, that many thousands more will bo affected.

In a statement the owners emphasise lh O' gravity of the situation and state that unemployment must spread through every industry until workless men will bo counted not by the thousand but by the hundred thousand. It continues: “We sadly mistake the temper of the Australian people if such conditions will be tolerated.” The statement concludes: “The honour of the Watersiders’ Federation is apparently so poor a tiling that it is not worth a few hours’ purchase.” It is' anticipated that by Sunday oversea vessels 'oi a tonnage of 160,000 and inter-Statc vessels of a tonnage of 65.000 will be idle in Sydney alone. The Union Company is endeavouring to keep its steamers to schedule. The Maunganui and Marama are due to sail to-day, and if necessity arises will leave cargo behind. Although a great part of the new season’s wool clip has already been shipped abroad, there remain many thousands of bales yet to be sold. Other lines of commerce were experiencing a busy period, and inter-State trade at this time of the year is usually very heavy. _ The skeleton service- provided by the lines exempted from the Union’s campaign will be able to deal with only a very small portion of the shipping trade.