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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12772, 25 May 1912, Page 2

(Special to Herald.) AUCKLAND, this day. The Auckand Waterside Workers did not commence -work as usual - at ■ 8 o'clock yesterday morning, but adjourUed to their roonik m the^ Harbor Board's biiildiiigV where a" meeting was held to discuss the Union's position ;in connection with the Waihi strike)- Considerable • excitement ■< about .the wharves during the two hours for which the meeting lasted, and by 9 a.m: a •large crowd had gathered' at the foot of ;the. stairway leading to the roona where •the meeting was in?progress, and' whence at intervals sounds of excited, conversation, cheering, and hooting could be heard. . Shortly after 10 o'clock the meeting broke upj. and the men went aboard lhe vessels on -wrhich they *' were- employed, \and, without comment- commenced work. s A Star reporter who, ■spoke to several members who were pre-' sent at the .meeting gathered that, (tiLO Questions at issue were what .levies Should- ba. made, on: the .union for-- the assistance of the members of Uie Federa*,

tion who were,; ont of work? as the '-result 0f the Wailii- strike, and /whether, m the event of it being decided to strike, work should be discontinued at once' or the matter should be left, m the hands of the president of the- 'union (Mr Ew Catiha-m), who is at present a delegate- : to .the federation of Labor 'conference iii Welv Ungton,. . . It is •understood ; ' that - ->\ after considerable discussion it wa»' decided' by . a_ :majority;4, of 96 votes to ■ leave • the irialiter entirely in' theMiands of 3Mr Cam ham, ;lA "connection, with the levy it is stated that each" 'iriember of the union is to contribute the 'sum of 2s 6d weekly. The va/riotts ' shipping companies received no intimation from the Waterside. 'Workers' 'Union" that : it wk .^ttt W tended -tot'eommende - work yesterday mbrmhg,-ahd a-ddbrdihgly ni'kdo an'angß-menta-with tKeii' elnployees and business' .'firms' abO\it'*tho* citjr to ,: receive ; aild-ship cargo from 8 a.m. as, usual. •- WJien seen by /a reporter the* manager -of a local snipping company said-thlt, to sa-y the least, tnO Union hadMtreated^the^corifel panics most- - discourteously -'-in 1 not infofming them^thaff-w^Oi'k'-^vas not tribe commenced. The .-'--'delay ; caused general- inconvehience 1 , and one-'of-f the ■results would be. that J ivesseb}- that were to Haiv'e sailed that day would now not be able to get away till to-day. Until tlie^'nie.eting.. liadi^erminated -it- was-'not khowiifdr how long, the 'members of the union intended to refrain from working, companies- wei?e.n6t -nrf V a i>osition tb< acisept -consignments of cargo, or>-*tO: pi(srtiise defiv.ery of goods.-i A: number' of -firtnsr which' iwero 'Urgently m Heed of cargo aboacdr- ■; -^ateamersv bffered^to take men down and unload-it,. '• t?Vis; o^f cotir^e'^could not ■•be done; 'Amdricj ilip ye§ae'ls. de'layfecl*^ was , tlie. F.H.Sr' steamer '"Kent," "" which, was dis-. •cliai!ging Liverpool i oaugo at -the Queen street wharf." It "Had be&ri intended to despatch t'hfe Steamer early m the afternoon,-.; but she was delayed until. 'that, night or daylight next morning. ..-The Vessels of the Union Company's fleet at the •' 'wharves also suffered- .delay. The Mokoia, which was <tb sail at noon to-day for Gisborne, , will now not leave i for .southern ?.pWte i: tbefore 3' p.m>, and there Was '-^possibility of steamers bßing delayed for a day.,** , :- : , _ Apart from the meeting of the waterside workerii" there has; been^.no .activity on the part of the other nhioiis. , The other federated unions instructed their delegates b>fpr£ they left for thO con-, fereuce m Wellington that they were to use their own >judgnient as' to whether they. voted on the question of the attitude to be adopted m connection with the 'Waihi strike. 4riy decision to declare a general strike, or a kttike affecting certain of the unions -cohnected with the -Federation, of Labor,- must- -come from the conference,— lt is understood that the confer"endes' %*& routine -.work whibh will occupy the attention vfor wme time, and ;hO, instructions- relauve to t/lie strike are expected to be" sent out to-daV.' -.'• :.V,«:, l:J. :'. i •.".-.; :: •

'.'■ " PC^TION AT WAIHI. > - . J^. c Star's >Wayhi ■«x)h ,| eisportdent' wifes '■:' Affairs m connection with the miners' strike passed Off "quietly yesterday-after-noon, nothing unusual having 'occurred, except the issuing of a manifesto by the strike committee m reply: to the recent manifesto by the new union: < . _ A football match under the Northern Uiuon^ rules will be played this afternoon between Karangahake and Waihi. The (Wet proceeds of the game will be handed over to the workers' relief fund. : G"° of the local coal dealers has just landed 100 tons; of coal. A .mass meeting of miners was convened for 10 a.m. yesterday, but was .postponed till ;tbk morning, presumably to await news from the conference. , bports were held on the recreation reserve yesterday • , I . . fSpeelai' to. Herald.) '. , rk / \ I v- -AUCKLAND, this:day.---j w lne Herald, commenting editorially, I says : ;.'lhe Waihi miners are still marking time, apparently awaiting with patence the decision. -of the Federation confieren.Qe. Tliei«e been rumors of a general strike, but the information published to-day -indicates that "at least some^leaders qf the , Federation' realise that a huge mistake has been made at Waihi. Whether. , tli ey will frankly admit this and sue foi'' peace, or whether they will make a. bad case worse by bringing such Other unions -as" they may be able to command into^the turmoil remains to be seen. One' thing clear-' is that the Waihi miners, • even if backed by the , Federation, can never ' hope to win strike on which they rashly entered a fortnight ago. Two weeks have already been Wit. J&yen. if the strike be called. Off on .-, Monday as pre-; dieted m our '^correspondent's message from, Wellington, the miners must face i ■ considerable vpefiod of idleness before the mines, at Waihi- are ready,, to be worked. This term may be prolonged if tho mining -companies demand, as fcbey reasonably may > a binding agreement with the •, workmen before recommencing operations. , ■■The'' strike, however it ends,- caji; only be a somewhat costly lesson to the miners - who have 'jufortunateLy allowed themselves to be drawn into it."