AUSTRALIAN SITUATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19125, 17 September 1925, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN SITUATION.

ANOTHER PEACE EFFORT. A CONFERENCE ARRANGED. PARTIES TO MEET . TO-DAY. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received 12.30 a.m.) A. and N.Z. . SYDNEY, Sept. 16. Mr. Baddeley, Minister for Labour, has arranged to meet the representatives of the owners and the men to-morrow, in a further effort, to arrange a settlement. Measrs. Beaseley and Garden, president and secretary respectively of the Commonwealth Labour Council, have asked Mr. Seale, deputy-president of the Overseas Shipping Representatives' Association, to meet the Trades and Labour Council to discuss the strike. Mr. Sealo replied that the owners' representatives can see no advantage in holding a conference, the only settlement possible being the unconditional return of the men to the ships. Contention by Shipowners. The shipowners maintain that the National Maritime Board is the only body by which rates of pay ma'y be fixed. The only ground on which the men can be released from gaol at the instance of the shipowners is that the men are prepared to rejoin their ships for full duty. The position is a deadlock. The crew of the steamer Port Wellington who were informed of the reduction before they left home were offered, but refused, the opportunity to sign off. They have joined the strikers at Melbourne. The crew of the Automedon, which left Liverpool seven days after the reduction, refused to join the strike. Other vessels which left Home since the reduction are expected during the next few days. The attitude of their crews to the strikers may have a most important influence on the continuance or the ending of the strike. Forty-five seamen dealt with by the Melbourne Court have been sent to prison, for periods varying from seven to twenty-one days, and ordered to forfeit two and three days' pay. Five apprentices from the steamer Cornwall were ordered to be returned to the ship in custody of the master. More Seamen Imprisoned. A further batch of strikers were to-day sentenced to seven days' imprisonment. Twenty more strikers from the steamer Min at Newcastle were also sentenced to a similar term. The Government has decided that the sentences, passed on the seamen shall ,be uniform, and reduced all to seven days. The strikers who have served this term were released to-day. In retaliation for the departure of the Port Hobart, which left the striking members of the crew behind at Brisbane, all overseas vessels arriving at Brisbane are to be declared "black" whether the crews are on British articles or not. During the hearing yesterday of charges against 28 seamen, counsel for some of the shipowners stated that he had been instructed to inform the men that if they unconditionally return to the ships they will receive the prevailing rate of wage and will, be docked only for the time they were off, the ships. He said the seamen here cannot hope, to force an Increase on ... the_ owners especially . as. they represent' only 1 per cent of the seafaring community. Counsel for the men asked. for., a remand until to-day, which was granted. 1 '' - A LABOUR MANIFESTO. THE DEPORTATION ACT. TRANSPORT STRIKE THREAT. \,? v.. vj,* ■. • • / *.• ; .' v . • . A. and N.Z. SYDNEY. Sept. 16. The Commonwealth Labour Council has issued a manifesto urging united industrial and political action in the event of the deportation of-any citizen. The manifesto declares that the conference of .councils fully understood the danger to the workers of the country through the deliberate attempt by the Bruce Government to silence the working class advocates by passing the deportation. legislation. The Act was a direct challenge to the whole Labour industrial movement of the country. The conference therefore recommended that should the Government attempt to deport any citizen, the workers 'should refuse to assist in giving effect to the deportation. In carrying out this policy each State council should limit industrial dislocation as far as possible consistent with achieving the defeat of deportation. To that end the conference expected the loyal assistance of all land, sea; transport, harbour trust, dockyard, * tugboat and similar employees.