STILL A DEADLOCK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14819, 24 October 1911, Page 7

STILL A DEADLOCK.

SYDNEY WHARVES DISPUTE. CONFERENCE SITTING.. A MINISTER' DUALITY. By Telegraph.—Pre *z Association.— Copyright. (Received October 24, 1 a.m.) Melbourne, October 23. The compulsory conference of parties to the Sydney wharves dispute, under Mr. Justice P. Higgins (of the Federal Arbitration Court), sat again to-day for an hour and a-half. At the conclusion the Registrar of the Court reported that the conference had been resultless, and had been adjourned till to-morrow. REBUKED BY A MINISTER. OWNERS' DEPUTATION. i (Received October 24, 1 a.m.) Sydney, October 23.

A deputation of merchants and coastal steamship owners waited upon Messrs. McGowen (State Premier) and Carmichael (Minister for Labour and Industry) urging the exercise of their personal influence to obtain a settlement of the strike. A similar deputation had waited upon Mr. Carmichael on Saturday, and had promised him. that they would produce certain information. Mr. Carmichael to-day expressed surprise that the deputation was in such a hurry to bring the matter before the Premier. He thought that before they thus tried to impress the urgency of their case they might fulfil their promise to produce the promised information. He declared that they wished to advertise themselves as friendly to the farmers. Mr. McGowen said that if it was at all possible to arrange a conference between parties he would do [ so. •

MINISTER-UNIONIST. MR. HUGHES AND STRIKERS. Melbourne, October 23. The council of the Waterside Workers' Federation met here to-day to consider what action it shall take with regard to the strike on the coastal and inter-State wharves in Sydney. The chair was taken by Mr. W. M. Hughes (Federal Attorney-General and till recently Acting-Prime Minister), who is president of the Waterside Workers' Federation. After the meeting Mr. Hughes said that certain action had been decided upon, and he thought that the dispute was capable of settlement. The other day Mr. W. M. Hughes, while Acting-Prime Minister and Attor-ney-General of the Commonwealth, found himself as president of the Waterside Workers' Federation, at the head of a body of workers that was threatening the community with a general transport strike, in sympathy with the Queensland sugar workers, who were then engaged in striking. At that time Mr. Hughes said that if the general strike was declared he would resign his presidency of the Waterside Workers' Federation. As the general strike did not come off Mr. Hughes did not resign. ■ His position was, however, much criticised. '

EFFECT ON PRODUCE. PERISHABLE CARGOES. ORE . REFUSED. . (Received October 23. 9.20 p.m.) Sydney, October 23. The steamer Cycle has arrived here from Port Pirie with a cargo of ore for transhipment. The recognised rates for handling ore are Is 6d per ton, but the wharf labourers declined to handle the ore. The union officials express astonishment at this action.

In other directions the position with regard to the strike is unaltered. The seamen, acting under the advice of their Melbourne executive, continue to handle perishable cargo, therefore the dairy and produce markets are not affected. The produce trade from Melbourne.and Tasmania is, however, at a standstill, and this affects the potato and chaff markets. All the inter-State vessels sailed on Saturday without Sydney cargo.