SHIPPING DISPUTE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18757, 10 January 1923, Page 5

SHIPPING DISPUTE

POSITION IN WELLINGTON. PROSPECTS UNFAVOURABLE (Pee United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, January 9. The shipping position is not yet settled, and there does not appear any immediate prospect of a settlement. It is denied that the Seamen’s Executive had a meeting, and Mr Young (secretary of the Seamens Union) slates that the men are happy and contented, and that the shipping companies know' the terms upon which they will agree to go back to the ships. _Mr Toting has also made a statement criticising the inspector of police for refusing to allow the procession of seamen. A UNIONIST'S VIEWS. TROUBLE NEARING AN END. UNION SHORT OF FUNDS. BIG UPHEAVAL IN SEPTEMBER I'ORECASTED. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, January 9 “I think that the shipping dispute will come to an end in another fortnight, for they have not the funds to carry it any further. If the shipping law is reinstated and the number of competent men available at present to man the snips is not sufficient there will in all probability be a further attempt to tie up the ships. The next and main fight will be in September next, when the present award runs out, and it is generally anticipated that this is going to be the fight of their lives.” The above is an extract from a statement made to your representative to-night by a well-informed member of the Seamen’s Union w r ho has been present at the last half-dozen meetings and a number of other meetings. There have been several misleading and not altogether accurate reports in the press during the last week or two, and these have been used by union leaders for propaganda work.’ The following statement, however, throws a good deal of light upon what is the actual state of affairs, w'liich is somewhat different from what the public has been led to believe. My informant added that there was every probability these statements would bo contradicted. Nevertheless he assured me of their accuracy. He said: “It has been reported that the relief to single men has been stopped, but that is not so. All the men affected by the shipping dispute and w-ho are in necessitous circumstances, and these form the great percentage of the whole, have been given relief. That relief has now been cut down in the case of single men to £1 per week and married men to 30s per week, with 2s 6d allowance for each child up to four children.” Witn regard to union funds, a week ago they had, he said, in the bank a sum of approximately £3IOO. Ihey had also a small sum on fixed deposit which had not yet matured, but the executive was trying to arrange with the banks for the release of tliis money. Since then £l4£o had been withdrawn, and out of this £169 had been paid for a shorthand report of the Arbitration Gonrt’s proceedings, a large sum for relief, and a very considerable sum for tobacco. The relief required for Auckland and Wellington amounted to between £9OO and £IOOO per week, so that another fortnight would about exhaust their funds. “I think,” he continued, “the dispute will come to an end in about another fortnight for they have not the funds to carry it any further.” On Monday last there was to have been a meeting of representatives of the Labour Party, and the Alliance of Labour with a view of arranging matters with regard to a deputation to the Prime Minister on Wednesday ‘(to-day). With the object of arriving at an agreement throe proposals submitted to the Shipowners’ Federation, of which one seems to be the stumbling block —viz.’, the dismissal of competent men who have been taken on during the trouble will be brought before the Prime Minister. Should no arrangement lie arrived at concerning these things the next proposition will bo to trv and get the shipping law reinstated. Should the reinstatement come into effect and the number of competent men available to man the ships is not sufficient., there will' in all probability bo a further attempt to tie up the ships. In the event of the shipping law being restored the shipping companies would have to dispense with the services of all those men who have not proved fullv competent. This, rny informant said, would mean that the shipping companies would have to call foi: the sltvices of union men, and although the mlh might officially be told to return to work he did not think it would have that effect, with the result that the ships would be held up again for want of mem He thought that the greater percentage of the non-union labour was quite competent, and if these men were retained there would bo about 700 of them in various ports. As they bad stood by the shipping companies during the trouble and had kept the boats going could not seo why the companies should -dispense with them in order to take back the men who had thrown down their job. The next and main fight, he continued. Would be September next when the present award runs out, and it is generally anticipated that this was going to be the fight of their lives. The result of the ballot regarding? the resumption of work with the present crews was 951 against and 99 for tne executive of the union. They were not unanimous os regards holding out, and the minority felt that the cause was lost, and that they could expect little help from other unions. In regard to entertainments -euchre parties, etc- —Mr Young has denied that the union was instrumental in organising these things, but he stated that they were done with the full approval of the executive witn the object of raising funds to help the dependents of the sailors. This certainly did not appear to be the case on perusal of the union’s finances. Although it was illegal for other unions to give financial help to a union in such a case as tills it was quite an easy matter to get round the law. Suppose an entertainment or euchre party was being run there was nothing to prevent other unions from purchasing £IOO worth of tickets and giving them away or destroying them, and, of course, there would be an understanding that such money would be returned when they were in a financial position to do so. Replying to questions relating to financial matters and membership, this member rf the union whose membership card was produced for inspection, said that at the beginning of the trouble the union had approximately about £BOOO in funds. No relief was given for the first month, and this would pretty well exhaust the private means of most of the men, many of whom had wives and families to maintain. Another fortnight would just about empty (he union’s coffers. Regarding the future, he concluded bysaying that there was every indication of a big labour upheaval coming in September next, when the present awards expire. The Alliance of Labour was prepared for something of the kind, and there would be one big fight by all (he unions. It was possible that if there wore a big strike the combined unions would be able to bold out for six weeks to two months, but certainly not longer. They had not the money to do it. What surprised him was that no anplication was made for the de-registration of the Seamen’s Union, and after that had been obtained flint non-union men did not form a new union that, would have brought the trouble to an end before now. for a lot of mombertjfcf the old union would have joined it, andsShoy would have boon back at work now. The immigrants, however, were coming into the country in greater numbers than ever, and os they would provide a lot more labour this might be a deciding factor when the time came.