THE AUSTRALIAN STRIKE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19374, 9 January 1925, Page 5

THE AUSTRALIAN STRIKE

PROSPECTS BRIGHTER. MEETING OF TRANSPORT GROUP. A STORMY DISCUSSION. Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. SYDNEY, January 8. The prospects of a settlement of the “picking-up” dispute with the seamen are brighter. The coastal shipowners will meet the union to-day to decide mutually upon “picking-up” places in terms of the award. , A meeting of the transport group decided to accept a compromise upon the “picking-up” place dispute, and instructed the Seamen’s Union, to accept the offers .of a conference. It is not known, whether the union will comply with this order, as in the past it has accepted instructions only when they were agreeable to its views. The meeting was very stormy, delegates from the Watersiders Federation bitterly attacking the Seamen s Union for its ruthless attitude, which, they stated, had seriously endangered the agreement completed by the federation at the Melbourne conference. This led to heated interchanges. COMMUNICATION WITH HOBART. FOOD SHORTAGE IN WEST AUSTRALIA. SYDNEY, January 8. The Commonwealth liner Largs Bay is due to sail for Hobart on Saturday. She i=, being rushed by those who are hold up as a result of the Zealandia not sailing. As the Largs Bay is then proceeding to Melbourne, she will be able to relieve tho acute position caused at Hobart by the suspension of the inter-Stato services. The Bay liners are also carrying meat and butter to West Australia, where a shortage has arisen. Should tho Largs Bay be held up tho position will be serious, as the food shortage in Western Australia has become acute. THE NEW LABOUR BUREAU. POSITION COMPLICATED. COASTAL DISPUTE SETTLED, SYDNEY, January 8. (Received Jan. 8, at 10.30 p.m.) Consternation has been caused in local shipping circles over the establishment of the new Labour Bureau, as if the owners apply there for men they will bo committing a breach of tho agreement reached at the recent conference, while if they ignore tho bureau the State Government, in view of Sir George Fuller’s announcement that ho would stand firmly behind the Preference Act, is certain to take action, which will force tho owners to observe the State law. A special conference has been convened for to-morrow between tho oversea representatives, tho inter-Stato owners, tho coastal owners, the Government, and the union representatives with a view to arriving at a settlement. The coastal companies have agreed to use tho union rooms as a picking-up place, and their vessels are now working, but there is no cliange in tho inter-Stato position. WATERSIDE WORKERS. THREAT FROM MELBOURNE. MELBOURNE, January 8. (Received Jan. 8. at 10.30 p.m.) It is stated that it the shipowners in Sydney apply to the new bureau for men the Waterside Workers’ Federation will instruct its members in other ports to regard the ships so loaded as “ black. MAILS FROM TASMANIA. DESTROYER TO BE USED. HOBART, January 8. (Received Jan. 8, at 10.30 p.m.) Until the shipping trouble is over tho destroyer Huon will be commissioned to carry mails to Sydney. Tho Huon is at present on the Hobart station as a training ship.