THE SHIPPING STRIKE

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12251, 24 September 1925, Page 5

THE SHIPPING STRIKE

THE PRESENT POSITION AS IT AFFECTS NEW ZEALAND STATEMENT BY GOVERNMENT PROMISED “THE CREDIT OF THE COUNTRY IS AT STAKE” Interesting references to the shipping strike were made in -the House of Representatives yesterday, and the Prime Minister announced that, in a very little while, he proposes to make known the intentions of the Government in regard to the trouble. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr G. Forbes) asked if the Government was giving any consideration to the question of overcoming the present hold-up of shipping. He said that if the strike continued it would mean a serious dislocation of the produce trade, and result in heavy loss to the farmers. The Prime Minister, the Hon. J. G. Coates, replied that the Government was well acquainted of the circumstances leading up to the strike and the action that had been taken since. He thought he should say that the New Zealand Government did not come in strictly with the contract between the shipowners, through the Maritime Board, and the sailors and firemen. That was to say, the Maritime Board had approved a contract to which the owners and the men had agreed, and that contract was signed. He understood that every man who joined his ship joined knowing what the r contract was. It was difficult to say how the Government could move. The Government had in mind practically what would be done, and they realised that the credit of the country was affected, for the credit of New Zealand depended on the maintenance of the import and export trades. In the course of a day or two he would indicate to the House and the country what, in detail, the position was. The Leader of the Labour Party (Mr H. E. Holland): Will you give the House an opportunity of discussing it? Mr Potter: Give jt to them, and we will welcome it. Mr Coates: The honourable gentleman has had many an opportunity of saying where he stands. Mr Holland: I am asking a serious question, and don’t want it ridiculed.

Mr Coates said that, personally, he had no objection to complying with Mr Holland’s request. In the course of a day or two he would state the Government’s position, and the effect that would arise if the matter was not soon settled.

END OF STRIKE IN SIGHT? UNIONS EXPECT, SETTLEMENT IN A FEW DAYS *7 WATERSIDERS WILL NOT BE DRAWN INTO DISPUTE ' i By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright. (Received September 23, 9.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, September 23. Ihe wharf labourers, at a stop-work meeting to-day, decided to continue their present policy of loading and unloading oversea This is s further repulse to the Seamen’s Union officials, who, since _ the strike started, have been endeavouring to embroil the watersiders in the dispute. To-day’s, decision, while it does not ~ e s *-? amers Fort Hobart and Lycaon, which Eire still black, may have a profound effect on the strike, as it is a direct challenge to the Seamen’s Union officials. . The proceedings against a number of strikers to-day were adjourned until Friday, the magistrate stating that he took the action in the hope that a settlement might be effected by that time. Counsel for the Crown announced that no further warrants would be issued for the arrest of strikers. It is stated in union circles in Melbourne that the strike will be settled m a few days. The only stumbling-block is the seamen's demand for payment during the time they have been on strike. (Received September 22, 11.25 p.m.) The conference of representatives of the Oversea Shipping Representatives Association, the striking seamen, the Waterside Workers’ Fed--0 “? Commonwealth Labour Council discussed the strike situation at length, but again failed to reach the basis of a settlement. -The conference adjourned until to-morrow. str!ki , ng seamen decided not to return to work granted BtrllCers ■ been releas ®d from goal and their original demands shipping conference adjourned to ’enable the strikers’ representatives to attend ,the meeting of the men* *

“ONLY TWO SIDES” DR. PAGE STATES THE ISSUE ORDER VERSUS CHAOS. / ' By Tel e«rr aph • —P ress Assn.— CoDyriffht. MELBOURNE, September 23. Dr. Earle Page, Federal Treasurer and Leader of the Country Party, addressing the Victorian Farmers* union, said; ‘‘The real issue before Australia to-day is whether Australian ideas of government' and British traditions of conduct and constitutional methods in settling industrial disputes ate to prevail in this country, or whether direct action, job control, and revolutionary methods are to be the rule. “There are only two sides to a clear-cut issue of this sort. The issue is between order and chaos, between continuous employment and unemployment, between rural prosperity and rural distress, between democratic rule of the majority and the dictatorship of the few, between a composite Government standing firmlv for everything that makes national progress possible, and political Labour betraying trade unionism into the hands of a few foreign extremists ! and trade agitators. POLITICAL LABOUR MUST SHARE THE BLAME

‘The political Labour leaders,** said ®r*. to evade their complicity in the guilt in connection with this stoppage of work and the degradation of the condition of the workers. They cannot dissociate themselves from it, however, because during the past ten years they have allowed themselves to be used as spokesmen and advocates of the I.W.W, Communist and the alien wrecker, and of all who desire to mix the Australian worker up in foreign quarrels that do not concern him. It w idle for Messrs Charlton and Anstevto declare that Communism and the I.W.W are enemies of the Labour movement, when among the selected Senate candidates for New South Wales there has been chosen a man who wa* convicted with other I.W.W. men of incendiarism and was released by the Labour Government, of which the present Premier of New South Wales was a member.**

POLLING DAY FIXED Mr Bruce has definitely announced the polling day for November 14th.

COLLAPSE IMMINENT STRIKE IN SOUTH AFRICA VOLUNTEERS PLENTIFUL. Austra" *. 1 ' w ” - Association. ■ CAPETOWN, September 22. The general impression is that the strike may collapse at any moment. The sailing of the Arundel Castle from Capetown and several strike’ ships from Durban, together with the refusal of the crew of the incoming Edinburgh Castle to join the strike, has undoubtedly damped the ardour of the strikers. There are only six strike-bound ships at Capetown, and the number at Durbgß has been reduced from 52 to 18. The Government’s White Labour Department reports that numbers of men employed in railway construction have left for coastal ports to "get work on the stranded steamers. The British Empire Service League also has many applications from men wishing to work their passage to England, It is understood that the Government’s attitude, while unlikely to bring pressure to bear on the strikers, will certainly afford protection to men willing to work. Should the occasion arise; the Government will be prepared to intervene actively to protect the interests of the exporter, and safeguard not only tbe trade but the peace and safety of citizens. DEPRIVED OF WORK WATERSIDERS IN ENGLAND. (Syfine- "Sun" Cable 1 LONDON, September 22. The fact that nearly 80 vessels of over 750,000 tons are delayed in Dominion ports, and the non-arrival, of South African steamers, is increasing unemployment among Tilbury dockers, Thames barge-workers, and lightermen.

The efforts of the Plumbers’ Union to call a London conference to influence tbe shipyards workers at Southampton to join the strikers was a complete fiasco, the Federation of Engineering and Shipbuilding Trades declining to participate. It is explained that the Trade Union Congress decided that it was powerless to intervene in a strike not recognised by the executives of the unions concerned.

The Amalgamated Engineering Union of Boilermakers, Shipwrights, and Transport Workers also declined to attend.

SMELTERS WILL BE CLOSED P- Telegra I - Press Assn.—Copyright ADELAIDE, September 22. It is unofficially stated that as a result of the shipping strike the shipments of lead from Port Pirie overseas "'ill cease. This will result ih' the closing of the smelters at Port Pirie, and 1700 employees will be idle. deportattoFboard WILL NOT CALL MR BRUCE. By Telegraph.—Press fissn.—Copyright (Received September 23, 9.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, September 23. At the Deportation Board to-day, the chairman announced that the board did not propose to call Mr Bruce and Senator Pearce. Mr Watt, counsel for the defence, thereupon said he had summonses prepared for both Mr Bruce and Senator Pearoe, calling on them to give evidence, and he' would offer the summonses for the signature of the board at the proper time. ORYIETO PASSES A PORT

B.v Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright (Received September 23, 9.5 p,.m.) PERTH, September 23. The Orvieto passed Fremantle without calling, her skipper being advised by the owners to bring the vessel direct to the Eastern States. The strikers at Fremantle boasted that when the Orvieto arrived her crew also would strike.

The watersiders had decided not to work the Orvieto’s cargo and mails until her crew had been able to attend a meeting of seamen on shore. The Orvieto left England after tbe reduction of wages had been effected.