THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1913. PROSPECTS OF A SETTLEMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15911, 3 November 1913, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1913. PROSPECTS OF A SETTLEMENT.

It is gratifying to be able to report that our latest new 3 indicate the probability that a settlement of the trouble between the shipping companies and the waterside workers may be effected within the course of comparatively a few hours. The determination which has been 6hown by members of-the farming community to resist a course of action on the part of the strikers that, if unchecked, would have inflicted a tremendous amount of loss and suffering upon all classes' of the public, and more particularly upon those least able to submit to it, and the preparations which the Government has been making for the preservation of law and order and for the repression of anarchy in the dominion, have plainly impressed the leaders of the workers and have convinced them of the futility of their boasts of the past week. The arrangements for the performance of the work on the wharves at Wellington by free labour and for the protection of the free labourers seem to have been so thorongh that there can be little doubt that the strike would, in the ordinary course of events, have been of very short duration. And it is obvious that this is realised by the officials of the United Federation of Labour and by those associated with them in their foolish attempt to punish society as a whole in the vain idea that thereby they might gain some advantage for the strikers. The proof of this is afforded in tha overtures for a settlement that emanated yesterday from the Federation of Labour. The terms of these overtures involve very distinctly a recognition by this organisation of the untenability of the position i|j has occupied and of its inability to oEtain public support for the attitude it has assumed. It is proposed by the Federation that work should be resumed by the waterside workers on the conditions that obtained prior to the breach by the workers' union of its agreement with the shipowners and' that this agreement should be renewed and extended with the addition of a penalty clause to operate in the event of a stoppage of work as defined in the agreement. It is hardly necessary to point out to those who have followed the details of the trouble at Wellington that these proposals are, in principle, identical with those which were submitted by the shipping companies at the conference convened by the Prime Minister last week. This was, indeed, acknowledged by the deputation which waited on the Prime Minister yesterday to invite his good offipes in securing another conference. Olio of the proposaJs submitted at tho conference on Tuesday last by the representatives of the shipowners was that the recent agreement should be extended, so as to cover the whole dominion, for a period, of three years, subject to the inclusion of a provision under which a penalty of £1000 should be incurred through a stoppage of work as defined by that agreement. This proposal was, however, rejected by the representatives of the union partly upon the pretence that they had no authority to make any arrangements that would affect centres other than Wellington but also upon the ground that they objected to the insertion of any penalty' clause in an agreement. The revival of the proposal on behalf of the side which a few days ago thought fit to reject it is a sign that will be generally viewed as distinctly hopeful. It is, of course, to be remembered that the position of affairs in Wellington has changed materially since the shipowners offered the proposals that were then unacceptable to the waterside workers. The companies axe now virtually assured that thoy are in n posi tion, if need be, to overcome successfully

the difficulties immediately arising out of the strike. And, this being the case, the proposals they had submitted were withdrawn on Saturday. They have, howover, manifested throughout the dispute a disposition to be fair, reasonable, and conciliatory such as has, we feel sure, been recognised and appreciated by the public. And it is hardly to be anticipated that they will allow the fact that their proposals have been withdrawn and the knowledge that plans for the discharging and loading of their vessels have been satisfactorily matured to influence them against the acceptance of proposals which, so long as they ensure the observance of an agreement with the waterside workers, will admit of work being resumed under substantially the old conditions. There tvill be no desire on their part to trample upon those • who have in probably the great majority of cases been the stupidly blind followers of reckless demagogues and professional mischief-makers. And, though the adjustment of the details of a fresh agreement may not be a precisely easy matter, especially in so far as it may be necessary to make a penalty clause really effective, there seems every reason, therefore, to anticipate that a settlement of the strike may De effected upon terms that will allow of the waterside workers returning to. their places before a day or two has passed in the week upon which we have now entered.