CONFERENCE FAILS

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12252, 25 September 1925, Page 8

CONFERENCE FAILS

BOTH PARTIES IN STRIKE STAND TO THEIR TERMS ALL OVER IN A FEW MINUTES MEN DEMAND OLD WAGES, AND PAYMENT WHILE ON STRIKE By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright. SYDNEY, September 24. The strike position is much graver owing to the failure of the conference to-day. The owners proposed at the conference that the men should return to the ships on their original articles, and that there should be no further prosecutions. Clean discharges were also promised, conditional on the men’s behaviour on the return voyage to England. The owners also stated that there would be no remission ot the fines imposed on the strikers by the courts or the masters, and that any grievances the 'men considered they had must be dealt with by the Board of Trade on the ships’ return to England. Hie men’s representatives retired to consider the terms, but after two minutes' deliberation returned and announced that, speaking for all the strikers in Australia and New Zealand, they rejected the proposals. Mr Johnstone, chairman of the strikers’ committee, then submitted the men’s terms, which provided for their immediate resumption of work if the wages in force in July last were restored; the men to be paid full wages for the time they have been on strike; no victimisation, and all records of imprisonment to be wiped out. They also stipulated that at any future conference the representatives of the Australian Seamen’s Union are to be present, and that all negotiations for a conference must come through the Australian Seamen’s Union. The owners, without waiting to consider the proposals, refused .them, and the men’s representatives left. Subsequently Mr Johnston stated that the strikers would not approach the owners in future. Th’e terms which had been submitted were the only terms on which the men would resume, and until the owners agreed to accept these there would be no surrender. It is understood that the servico of warrants, which was suspended pending the result of the conferenc'e, will be proceeded with immediately. The delegates from the "Waterside Workers’ Federation and the Commonwealth Labour Council continued the conference, with the owners’ representatives, but the strikers state that any decision which may be arrived at will be useless if it does not include the terms already stated.

The Oversfea Shipping Representatives’ Association announces that the offer which was originally made the men, that if they returned to work there would be no victimisation, and that the wages of the strikers would be paid, expired on September 4th, and has not since been renewed.

OWNERS SAY AUSTRALIAN SEAMEN COVET STRIKERS’ JOBS

STRIKE CALLED OFF BY OFFICIALS IN DURBAN RATIFICATION NEEDED. Reuter’s Telegram. (Received September 25, 1 a.m.) CAPETOWN, September 24. The Durban strike committee passed a resolution calling off the strike,, the men accepting present wages and conditions. The terms also provide for an investigation and reorganisation of the Maritime Board, no victimisation and the release of imprisoned strikers. Should the seamen ratify the resolution it is proposed to call a conference of strikers and owners. NOT AN ELECTION ISSUE DEPORTATION PROCEEDINGS MR BRUCE’S REPLY. By Teloeraoh —Press Assn. —Copyright MELBOURNE, September 24. In the House of Representatives, amid a disorderly scene, in reply to a question by Mr M. Charlton, whether in view of the fact that the Government was appealing to the country on the deportation issue, it would suspend the operations of the Deportation Board, the Prime Minister, Mr Bruce, said that the Government was not appealing on the question of deportation, but on the Issue of the supremacy of Parliament. 25 GUINEAS A DAY In the House of Representatives, in reply to a question, Mr Bruce said that the members of the Deportation Board were being paid 25 guineas each for each sitting day. MR LANG WAITING

SYDNEY, September 24. In the Legislative Assembly, in reply to the question as to whether the Government proposed proceeding further in testing the validity of the Deportation Act, the Premier, Mr Lang, 1 said that the Government would announce at an appropriate moment any decision reached in the matter. SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S POLICY By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. (Received September 24, 9.5 p.m.) ADELAIDE, September 24. In the Legislative Assembly, Sir Henry Barwell, Leader of the Opposition, moved a motion of censure on the Government for its alleged action in co-operating with the New South Wales Government in opposing the enforcement of the Deportation Act. The “gag” was applied, and the motion was defeated. INQUIRY BAD IN LAW? COUNSEL’S CONTENTION. (Received September 24, 11.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, September 24. At the Deportation Board, Dr. Evatt, counsel for Tom Walsh, attacked the validity of the board. He quoted Mr Bruce’s statement that the members of the board were receiving 25 guineas daily. It was the duty of the board to make an independent inquiry, said Dr. Evatt, but on the statement of Mr Bruce the Government, which was an interested party in the inquiry, was the actual paymaster. When a party interested in any inquiry was shown to he the paymaster the result in law was that the inquiry was of no legal effect whatever. STRIKERSJVjLL CAMP WHETHER PERMITTED OR NOT ULTIMATUM TO GOVERNMENT. By TC "raph —Press Assn.—Copyright. MELBOURNE, September 24. In a letter to Mr J. Allen, Premier of Victoria, the chairman of the British seamen’s strike committee, has issued an ultimatum to the State Government, to the effect that if it does not make available Crown land and give other assistance, as well as withdraw obstacles in the way of encampment for strikers by Government de-

partments, the strike committees in Australia will concentrate in a camp in the environs of Melbourne all the strikers throughout the Commonwealth, in opposition to the expressed desires of tne Government. If the Government is prepared to accept the conditions of the committee and shoulder responsibility for the men now on strike in Melbourne, numbering 600, the committee undertakes to encamp only that number in Victoria, and give guarantees relating to the conduct of the camp, the medical inspection of the men, their sobriety, and general conduct. MEN HAVE BEHAVED WELL Referring to the behaviour of the men, their leader says: “You must agree with me, when I say that their conduct has been ten thousand times more gentlemanly than that of the sailors who visited Victoria in July of this year. Not one British seaman has been in conflict with the police. None has been the worst for liquor, nor transgressed the civil laws in. any shape or form.” He admits that the Government is only doing its duty, according to the law, in prosecuting strikers. hold-upof~produce MOST SERIOUS EFFECTS. . By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright SYDNEY, September 24. The president, in his address at the quarterly meeting of the Primary Producers’ Union, stated that the present oversea shipping hold-up was - deplorable, and unless speedily terminated, would have a most serious and farreaching effect. Every week brought an increasing amount of butter and cheese for export. The hold-up of the usual regular shipments must of necessity have an unsettling effect on oversea markets. BRIgBANE ?4 Mr Powell, a member of the Sugar Board, states that unless the seamen’s strike ends speedily the crushing at all the sugar mills in the State will stop within a fortnight.

OUT OF WORK DIRECTLY DUE TO STRIKE. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, September 24. The shipping hold-up has had a serious effect on the employment of casual railway workers at Christchurch and Lyttelton. The number of casuals who secure work in the Christchurch goodssheds is in the vicinity of 120, and about 80 have been idle during the past week as a direct result of the strike of the British seamen. REAL AIMOFSTRIKE “AGAINST TRADE UNIONISM” will injurelXbour cause. i neuter's Telegram. (Received September 24, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, September 23. The “Daily Herald” publishes an appeal to the seamen by Mr Henson, an official of the Seamen and Firemen’s Union. “I have the full authority of the executive committee for saying that the present strike is not against the employers, but against trade unionism itself,” he says. “It is monstrous that Shinwell and company should call members who are loyal to the union ‘blacklegs.’ Shinwell is actively assisting the Communists to do a serious disservice to the Labour movement in Australia. Tho strike, fomented by Communists, has presented the antiLabourites in the Commonwealth with a first-nate election cry. If Labour is defeated at- the elections it will bo thanks to Shinwell and his Communist colleagues.” WILL TAKE NO PART BIG BRITISH UNIONS. Renter's Tfletrram. LONDON, September 23. The general council of the Tracies Union Congress has declined to interfere in the seamen’s strike. Seventeen shipyard trade unions were invited to participate in the con-

ference, which decided to approach the council, but the communication forwarded to the council emanated from only six smaller unions. . The remaining eleven refused to be parties to the request. A PETTY DICTATOR' By Tileg-eph.—Press Assn.—Copyright SYDNEY, September 24. Sir George Fuller, addressing the annual convention of the N.S.W. National Party, said that “from the moment Mr Lang found the coveted Premiership within his grasp, he behaved in an offensively high-handed manner, and he has played the beggar on horseback. He has introduced some elements of Russian bureaucratic terrorism into the public service, and has encouraged the disloyal section of the service to come out into tho open. Generally, he has behaved as though the people had elected him dictator and dictator for all time.”

(Received September 25, 1 a.m.) The Overseas Shipping Representatives’ Association has issued a message to the striking seamen, stating: “Recently the association asked the question: If the British seamen are stranded in Australia" as the result of this strike, will tho Australian .Seamen’s Union admit them to membership? The officials of the Australian Union discreetly refrained from answering the question, hoping it would be overlooked by tho British seamen.

“The plain fact is that the officials know that British seamen are not allowed to join a coastal vessel until given membership in Australia, and they know that even if they are admitted to tho union they must wait six months from the time they leave ship. “British crews of new or chartered vessels to Australia have had in the last twelve months a heart-breaking experience of the attitude of the Australian Seamen’s Union. Cast adrift by the insistence of tho union that they must- be replaced by Australians, British seamen have vainly tried to gain admission to the Australian body. Finally, they have been taken back to Britain by British . ships—repatriated because they are not wanted here. “It is already well known that there is rejoicing in tho Australian Union, because when the strike ends Australian seamen at' Australian rates will presumably replace the British seamen who have found shore jobs, but not in tho union.”

The message concludes: “We say to you again, before it is too late: Rejoin your ships, return to your own land, and present any grievances to your own union, and tho British Board of Trade, and you will have a fair hearing.”