AFTERMATH OF STRIKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16670, 15 October 1917, Page 4

AFTERMATH OF STRIKE.

-*•»' '' ■ ?<ilf WIDESPREAD DISTRESS^ STATE RELIEF PROVIDED. ! 1 [feom OtJE SPECIAL COBEISPONDENI.] !?:! SYDNEY, Oct.sS The strike is practically over, but th» .'•'- disorganisation of industry has been sotl great that thousands of workers will bs'-i unable to return to their former employ..; some time, if at all. The long period of negotiation between the coal, ; miners and the Government ended this week in the men commencing work. R e / ports received last night indicate that'' almost all the mines are in operation : again. It was a surrender in the case of the miners, as in all the other industries. '-.' The steamer services are exacted to b« in full s\v;ng again next week, much to the relief of travellers. Thousands of people, in the eastern States, are await, ing transportation to West Australia and the northern territory of New Zealand. Judging by the inquiries made at the, shipping offices, the New Zeaianders " stranded" here awaiting steamers num. ber several hundreds, including many in. valided soldiers. There are many cases of people having waited six and eight weeks | for a berth. ] Reports of great distress among ths ! families of men out of work are being disseminated from the Trades Hall, and 1 an organised appeal for public ass.stance | is being made. The public is rot viewing the matter very kindly. People see, on one side, the leaders of the unfortunate strikers asking assistance for the fami- . lies of men who were deliberately dragged away from work, on the other, helpless women and children, who are in i no way to b'.ame for the strike, literally • starving because of it. The extent of the distress is wide. Food is being distributed from the Trades Hall, and all day long a stream of poverty-stricken women flows ! throuch the building. At the hall, one day this week, it is estimated 1200 persons, mostly women, sought and obtained I relief. Some harrowing tales of poverty | come from the slum districts around Pyr« | mont and Redfern. | Fund of £20,000. 1 An announcement has been made by the ' 1 Acting-Premier, Mr. G. W. Fuller, that § the Government had deeded to vote | £20,000 for the relief of the distress at present existing in New South Wales. Mr. Fuller said the Government was hopeful that before very long industrial conditions , would get back to normal, but unfortu. . nately a great deal of distress did now ; exist, and the Government had decided to set apart as a first instalment for ths • relief of the distress the sum of £20,000. If, unfortunately, there should be any fur. th'er necessity the Government would see l that a sufficient sum was set apart eo that . women and children would suffer as little I as possible. i The distribution of relief is being organ- . | ised by the Attorney-General. Mr. D. R. Hall, who is utilising the services of Qm'i ; Benevolent Society of New South Wales in Sydney, and of the local Mayors in th« • Buburbs and the country district.}. Stopping Food for Troop,!. "I do not intend to waste time in expressing my opinion of the action taken .:«. in stopping supplies for the troops," said V Judge Curlewis, in cancelling the registration of the Cold Storage Employee?' . v Union. "Treason and baseness are such rcommon attributes of a certain type of j?, unionist in these times that one has ceased *;.; ; to feel surprised. This union cannot boast -*■«■ that it was as traitorous or as base as the f unions who refused to coal transports or £ man hospital ships, but it has the consola- '■; f tion of knowing that it was as traitorous, pi and base as it had the power to be. I ■,?$■ believe that in removing this union from ;|g the register, and giving an opportunitv for'Sp the formation of a new union, whose mem- p. bers will be ashamed of giving active assis- 3|| tance to 'the Germans, I am conferring a'p; benefit upon those men." J| In explaining the origin of the applies M tion, Judge Curlewis said that on August '.-;'.- 16 Galloway, secretary of the union, :& called, in company with two members of the executive of another union, on the a: general manager of the Fresh Food and "i; Ice Company, and informed him that ail % meat in cold storage had been declared %! black by the Strike Defence Committee, >? and that the members of his union would ;| refuse to handle it. The material which . | the men refused to handle consisted partlv % of meat required for military camps and $ partly of rabbits rennised for a transport.- 'V In the case of the Skating Flink Company part of the material was urgently required for a transport. In the case' of John i Cooke and Company the material con- ; sisted of meat, the property of the Im- ; : perial Government, required for war pur- % poses. This Galloway and his union, h knew. The Judge also ordered that the pre- .■ ference clause should be struck out of the ' award.