MARITIME DISPUTE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21951, 12 May 1933, Page 9

MARITIME DISPUTE

PRACTICALLY SETTLED WAGE REDUCTION OF l\ PER CENT. OLD CONDITIONS RETAINED (Per United Pbess Association.) WELLINGTON, May 11. The'shipping dispute has been practically settled. The conference framed a new agreement providing for a 2£ per cent, cut instead of the proposed 5 per cent., and also for a continuation of the old conditions. The agreement has been ratified by the Wellington Union, and the other centres are expected to follow. No official statement was made available to-day, but it is reliably stated that a complete agreement was reached on Wednesday by the committee of interested parties which had been endeavouring to arrive at an agreement acceptable to the shipowners and the union, and that copies of this new proposed agreement were sent out that night to the four unions. The Wellington Union met to-day and accepted the new terms. The men at Auckland, Lyttelton, and Dunedin will meet to-morrow. The crews will sign on the vessels to-morrow on the conditions which were in force when they were signed off, and these will remain in force until the end of this month. The 1\ per cent, cut will come into operation on June 1. Members of the Cooks and Stewards' Union will also sign on under the old terms. It is understood that the agreement reached by the committee also included the paying off of all non-union crews engaged since the hold-up started. There are nearly 20 ships paid off in Wellington which will be recommissioning, while there are about 30 more in other ports. The ships in Wellington will be recommissioned to-morrow with the exception of the Monowai, which will leave next Thursday for Sydney after missing one round trip.

The crew of the Nelson ferry steamer Matangi left Wellington to-night by the Maori. The Matangi has been laid up at Nelson for annual overhaul, and will now resume : , running. The Arahura will lay up at Nelson.

POSITION AT DUNEDIN DEPARTURE OF THE TEES. ; The steamer Tees, which has been i lying in port since last Friday, left at noon yesterday for Napier, Waikokopu, and Oisborne, via porta. The crew of this vessel, in common with the crews of other vessels on the coast, left the ship as a result of the hold-up last week, and most of them went north to their homes in Lyttelton. As already stated, however, the crew was ordered back by the Seamen's Union, and arrived in Dunedin Tate on Wednesday night. The men signed articles yesterday morning,, and returned to their ship. The Tees will call at Timaru, Lyttelton, and Wellington on her way up the coast. No advice was received by the local office of the Union Company yesterday from Wellington concerning the Waipiata, which is held up at Dunedin. The vessel has loaded a large quantity of general cargo here for east coast ports and Auckland. Messrs H. L. Tapley and Co., local agents for the Canterbury Steam Shipping Company, stated yesterday that there was nothing new to report in regard to the steamer Storm. This vessel has been held up at Dunedin for nearly a week. i Most of the crew have returned to their j homes in the north. I ' _. MERCHANDISE MARKET XO SHORTAGE OF STOCKS. ; ' It was stated yesterday that local merchants have experienced very little inconvenience as a. result of the hold-up of shipping since Friday of last week. Sugar is one of the principal items which might have been affected, but sufficient stocks have been held to tide over any shortage which might have followed on the hold-up. Consequent on the fact that the Wainui, now at Wellington, and the Waikouaiti, now at Lyttelton, were unable to leave for Australia, considerable transhipments are lying in the wharf sheds at both Sydney and Melbourne. The principal line awaiting shipment from the other side of the Tasman is tea, but as good stocks are held in Dunedin, the week's delay in transport from Australia will not affect importers. As a matter of fact, local merchants have not had the slightest difficulty in fulfilling their orders frqm the stocks they are carrying.

POSITION IN AUSTRALIA (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) MELBOURNE, May 11. Officials of the Waterside Workers' Federation regard as remote the possibility of the Australian waterside workers' becoming involved in the New Zealand shipping dispute. No official intimation of the trouble has yet been received by the union. It is contended that New Zealand unionists have a better chance of success by confining the dispute to the smallest area possible. MAUNGANUI LEAVES SYDNEY' (United Pres 3 Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) SYDNEY, May 11. (Received May 11, at 8 p.m.) The Maunganui sailed at 3.45 for Wellington and all was quiet on the wharf. Among the passenger were Sir James Parr, Leader of- the Legislative Council, and members of the Australian Universities team which is to tour New Zealand. /• j Ten additional stewards were engaged here owing to the big passenger list. It is understood that they are unionist*. The whole volunteer crew was re-engaged for the return trip to New Zealand. ,