COAL LUMPERS' STRIKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13470, 24 April 1907, Page 7

COAL LUMPERS' STRIKE.

SHIPS COALING WITH CREWS.

XOVKL CM A lit; AGAINST CHIN •SAILORS. FRKK LA HOUR ICRS MOLEST By Telegraph.— Association.Copyright 'Received April 24. 12.25 a.m.) SrnvKY, April 23. 1 hi: Ortona has coaled by means nf h<<» own crew. Tin- French mail steamer \arra lias coaled' with iter Arab crew and' got away to-day. i lie coaling of the Xiwaru has commenced. The non-unionist* are working satisfactorily. Arrangements have been made for the hunkering of the Suffolk, which reached j>ort to-day. 1 here i» a novel development in connection with the coaling of the Tainan. Two ot her Chinese crew weie engaged yesterday in working the winches aboard the collier alongside, and the strikers reported the matter to their union, and a warrant was obtained charging the. Chinese with being contract immigrants in contravention of the Immigration Act. and with landing in Australia before the Minister had approved of the contract. The Chinamen were brought up at the Police Court and remanded until to-morrow, bail being allowed.

As a result of the alleged interference to men applying to the Kmployeis' Bureau for work, the strikers have been compelled to remove from (he immediate vicinity, but when beyond the immediate influence of the police the applicants are subjected to the usual attention by pickets hih* taunting and jeering by the. crowd. Pickets also are cruising in the vicinity of vessels coaling in lie harbour.

The general manager of the North German Lloyd.s stales that 1 lie company will be forced' to get coal from other (source* while the present uncertainty in labour conditions lasts. During the past fortnight he has bought 2000 tons outside of Sydney, and their freight awl island steamers will coal there. If the strike extends to i lie miners the company will be able to procure tufliciont, coal at Colombo or in the East.

TROUBLE AT NEWCASTLE.

(Received April 24, LlO a.m

Svdnet, April 23. The employers express themselves rati*, fied with (he number of men applying at their bureau. On the other hand, the strikers assert that very few men are applying.

'i"rouble is threatened between the Newcastle stevedores and the Coal Trimmers'Lmon, owing to delay in coaling a vesuel.j 'I he stevedores assert that plenty of union labour is available to <1 the trimming, bat/ the union refuses to enlarge its membership sufficiently to cop© with the increased trade.