SEAMEN CHIEF SUFFERERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19150, 16 October 1925, Page 11

SEAMEN CHIEF SUFFERERS.

FOLLY OF THE STRIKE. FOREIGN SHIPPING SCORES. BRITISH LABOUR DISPLACED. SYDNEY CONFERENCE OPPOSED. J | By Telesraph Press Association Copyright. (Received 7.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. -Sun. LONDON. Oct. 14. 1 he British shipowners are taking immediate steps to resume sailings. They hope to till several blanks in their schedules and !<> regularise the sailings in the next three months. A prominent shipowner stated to-day that if would be difficult to estimate the total damage caused by the seamen's strike, but the, shipowners' losses through i delayed sailings would be comparatively small in comparison to the tremendous looses caused by the disturbance of trade. This must cost the Empire many millions of pounds. The most ugly feature of the strike was the impetus it had given to ioreign shipping, which would apparently displace many British seamen. The proprietors of the Australian steamship lines express surprise at the fact that the President of the Federal Arbitration Court, Mr. Justice Powers, should have called a compulsory conference in Sydney | when settlements had been reached m the ! United Kingdom and South Africa by | the seamen voluntarily returning to duty. Conditions had thus again become normal, j and Air. Justice Powers' intervention at I this juncture was especially unfortunate. | It was understood he could have no jurisdiction in the matter. The shipowners have cabled to the Australian press suggesting that His Honor's j intervention is ultra vires, and most mischievous. The chairman of the Shipping Federation states that Mr. Justice Powers' action, if it is pursued, may lead to further difficulties. The affected seamen, being under and amenable to British articles under agreement, may only be further misled in the erroneous belief that His Honor is in a position to benefit them. The Daily Telegraph, commenting on the Australian election, commends Air. Bruce's -action. It draws the conclusion from Mr. Charlton's utterances that politi cal Labour clearly finds itself taken at a perilous disadvantage by Mr. Bruce's ! frontal attack. This was launched at a I moment when the Labour leaders had shown themselves to be powerless to prevent or end the Communist-inspired strike movement. AUSTRALIAN POSITION. LOCAL UNIONS OBDURATE. TACTICS OF OBSTRUCTION. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (R«-d. 12.35 a.m.) SYDNEY, Oct. 15. The Orient Company announces that the departure of the Orvieto. which was to have left for London on Saturday, has been indefinitely postponed. The steamer has a full crew, comprising the unionists who were brought out on her from London. but, the local branch of the Australian Seamen's Union refuses to allow the colliers to coal her. When the president and one of the members of the British seamen's strike committee appeared at the Sydney Police | Court to-day, on a charge arising out. of the strike, counsel for the defence suggested that as the president had been summoned to attend Monday's compulsory conference the case should be adjourned in view of the possibility of the conference settling the dispute. The magistrate agreed and remanded the case until Thursday. At Perth a meeting of British seamen passed a resolution repudiating "Mr. E. Shimvell's cabled declaration calling the strike off, and declaring that they were more than ever determined to win the fight. The Otira sailed from Sydney for London last evening. Her crew included a number of men who had been on strike. It is stated that a number of other vessels have practically secured full complements. Plenty of seamen and deck-hands are offering, but the main difficulty is in manning the stokeholds. At Melbourne striking seamen paraded the city streets with the object of giving a demonstration in denial of the cablegram from the Marine Workers' Union in England stating that the strike had been declared off at all ports. The. general opinion in union circles is that the compulsory conference at Sydney will arrive at a settlement on the basis of the South African, terms. The Demodocus has arrived at Melbourne, and a commencement has been made to discharge her cargo. It is anticipated that the crew will remain loyal. At Adelaide the deck-hands and stewards have returned to the steamer Aseanius, but she is still held up for want of firemen. QUEENSLAND DISPUTE. PERISHABLE GOODS ON SHIPS CALL ON PRIMARY PRODUCERS. A. and N.Z. BRISBANE. Oct. 15. A conference was held between representatives of the Overseas Shipping Representatives' Association, coal workers, seamen's unions, British seamen, the Chamber of Commerce and butter manufacturers The Premier. Mr. W. N. Gillies, presided. The object of the. eon ferenee was to discuss the question of supplying coal for refrigerators on overseas vessels with perishable cargoes. The Premier suggested that, the £1 a month wage reduction, which was the cause .of the seamen's strike, should bo paid into a trust fund, or account, and that this should be held by the Government, or an independent, third party until the strike, was settled. An adjustment could then bo made in accordance with the terms of the settlement, and the money could bo paid over accordingly. The shipping representatives refused these terms. They stated that if the present position continued it would be necessary to appeal to the primary producers and others to assist in saving their own produce. The association asked if the necessary protection would be afforded in that case. Mr. Gillies said apparently an effort was now being made to use the primary producers and bring them into the quarrel between the shipowners and the seamen.

It was unfortunate that the shipowners deemed it necessary to call the primary producers into the dispute without an apparent thought of the consequences. The latest news is that as the negotiations which were in progress for supplying coal to overseas steamers with refrigerators have failed, the shipping companies have asked the Premier whether he will afford police protection to primary producers who wish to remove their products from the refrigerators in which hundreds of tons of foodstuffs are being spoiled. A reply is awaited. NO-fONFI PENCE MOTION. NOTICE IN THE ASSEMBLY. A. and N.Z. BRISBANE. Oct. 15. In the State Legislative Assembly Mr. A. E. Moore gave notice of his intention jo move a vote of no confidence in the Government. SOUTH AFRICAN STRIKE. OFFICIALLY AT AN END. MEN DESPERATE FOR WORK. tßeceived 5.5 p.m.) Router —Sun. CAPETOWN. Oct. 11. The shipping strike officially ended at midnight. The. ships at Durban arc being rapidly despatched. The newspapers comment on the action of the South African Government in cancelling orders for West Australian timber owing to interference with the Govern-ment-owned ship Apolda. They say this is a proof that the policy of State ownership is no gtiarantee against Labour disputes. The seamen who are out of employment are being repatriated in batches. Many of the men are trying desperately to procure work ashore.