A THREATENED STRIKE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1915, 3 August 1888, Page 13

A THREATENED STRIKE.

(Peb Pbess Asbooiation.)

Sydney, July 27.

It is understood that the Maritime Labour Council and Seamen's Union will take similar action regarding the mail steamer Alameda aa they did with the Mariposa.

July 30.

It is thought that a serious labour crisis is impending. The Maritime Conference has decided to support the Newcastle miners against the masters. It is reported on good authority that a general call out of the seamen on the coastal vessels is contemplated, though no reason for such action is assigned. If the threatened strike of seamen takes place it will be the largest known in the Southern Hemisphere. It is difficult to ascertain the exact facts in consequence of the reticence of the Seamen's Union and Shipowners' Association. The principal cause of the difficulty is the Northern Steamship Company of Auckland. The seamen having discovered that the Shipowners' Association i had subsidised and assisted the Northern Company, called a conference of delegates to consider the matter. They were determined to bring affairs i to a crisis, and invited owners to confer for [ the purpose of settling the dispute, but the hitter declined, but at the same time expressing their readiness to refer to arbitration certain matters which had been .at issue for some time past. Subsequently, it appears, the owners agreed to a conference re the Northern Company dispute and two questions of overtime and overmanning, and made a proposal that time for time- should be allowed with eight hours' work only in the 24 hours for the ordinary rate of pay. The latter proposal led the seamen to suspect an attack on the eight-hour system and the prevailing rate of wages, and they intend to decline arbitration including these points, holding the owners responsible for the continuance of the strike against the Northern Company. The owners , denied having any designs either upon hours or wages, but the seamen persist in their suspicion, and gave notice to all unionists to withdraw from their vessels on a date hereafter to be fixed. At a meeting of consignees it was decided to assist the captain of the Mariposa to unload that vessel if no immediate settlement of the difficulty was attained.

There is a depression in coal shares in consequence of the probability of a seamen's strike.

The Gibb line of steamers have decided to withdraw the Chinese portion of the crew off their vessels as soon as crews can be obtained from England.

July 31.

The Maritime Council decline to allow the transhipment of exhibits for the Melbourne Exhibition by the* Mariposa. Should the shipowners agree to confine the conference to the New Zealand difficulty it is believed that a meetine with the Sea-

*men's Union can be arranged.

To The Deaf. — A person who wa3 cured of deafness and noises in the head of 23 yeara' standing by a 6hnple remedy will send a description of it free to any person who 'applies to Nicholaou, Lincoln's Ina Chambers, William street, Melbourne,