TRADES AND LABOUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2045, 4 May 1893, Page 28

TRADES AND LABOUR.

(Pbr Pbess Association.) London, May 2. Mr Gladstone, replying to a deputation of mine owners, reiterated bis objection to a legislative enactment for eight hours. He admitted that future Liberal statesmen are likely to hold different opinions, thereby attaching less value to individual freedom. Men employed at the Victoria docks are visiting the ships and asking the unionists to leave their vessels. The police are guarding the mills in Dundee. Twenty tLousand hands are idle. The Dockers' Union have affirmed the decision of the confederated trades against a national stiike. The dockers have renewed the Btrike at the Albert and Victoria docks, London, and have denounced Ben Tillett for refusing to order a general strike. May 3. • A great fire has occurred at Sampson's saw mills, near the Victoria docks, Hull. The buildings in three small streets were also destroyed. Incendiarism is suspected.

CHEAP FOREIGN LABOUR. (Fbohi Ouk Own Cobbespondent.) Auckland, May 3. By the steamer Manapouri our already large alien population was considerably augmented by the arrival of some 40 Austrian?, who immediately subsequent to disembarkation proceeded straight to the Auckland railway station and left by train for Helensville, en route for the northern gumfields. This undesirable flock appeared to carry very little luggage along with them, and certainly did not seem to be overburdened with wealth. The chief reason for the influx of these foreigners is said to be the avarice of a northern gum dealer. A person in the North Auckland district interested in the gumfields has an agent in Sydney, who during the last few months has engaged large numbers of aliens, chiefly Austrians, to come over here and proceed up to Kaipara to work on the fields there, The object of this is to obtain cheap labour wherewith to extract the gum, as it is stated the Austrians will accept a very much lower price for their produce than an Englishman will. This course is steadily driving the Maori and English gum diggers off the fields, and they have been forced to shift on to other fields where the aliens have not made their presence felt. The number of Austrians on the gum fields in the northern district, principally on the Kaipara flats and in the Northern Wairoa, now total upwards of several hundreds, and the advent of every Sydney steamer sees a not inconsiderable addition.