SHIPPING STRIKE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16878, 5 November 1925, Page 8

SHIPPING STRIKE

“BRACK" VESSELS DECLARED •WHITE.” DEVELOPMENTS AT PERTH. Jilec. Tel. Copyright—United l’ress Assn. MELBOURNE, Nov. 4. The management committee of the Waterside Workers’ Federation decided there should be no hold-up of cargoes inward or outward by lumpers, except in cases where engineers in place of seamen supply steam. The policy will have a far-reaching effect. Several vessels at present “black” will be declared “white.” PERTH, Nov. 4. There was a significant development in the shipping strike at Fremantle'. A pilot launch manned by Australian seamen put off to the Orsova carrying a pilot, who took 'her to the anchorage. Hitherto the pilot, and crew refused such service in the case of held-up ships. The Australian Seamen’s meeting passed a vote of confidence in Mr Houghton, who is alleged to have been the instigator in most of the trouble on the waterfront recently. A feature of the meeting was the announcement by a Karoola seaman that Air Houghton had received a message from the Eastern States advising him in no circumstances to permit the Karoola to he held up, and that the message was suppressed by him. When taxed on the matter M.r Houghton in an excuse said lie had put. the wire in his pocket unread.and forgot about, if.

About one hundred seamen of the Orsova, after agreeting to resume duly, unexpectedly left fbe vessel. The authorities are now determined to cause the removal of ’hold-up vessels, and in the event of the captains refusing to leave the wharf all police protection will be withdrawn.

VESSELS MOVING

DEPARTURES FROM AUSTRALIAN PORTS. (Received Nov. 5, 1.1 n.m.) SYDNEY, Nov. 5. The Ceramic has sailed with a full crew. PERTH, Nov. 5. The Seamen decided to take the Karoola to'sea. The Orsova and Borda have sailed with skeleton crews. The Apolda sailed from Bun bury with a full crew. DEFIANT RAILWAYMEN. QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT TAKES A STAND. BRISBANE, Nov. 5, (Received Nov. f>, 11 a.m.) The Government has suspended twelve railwaymen. at Bowen oil a charge of refusing to truck coal to the wharves. The railwaymen have called a stop-work meeting for to-day, at wliirdi it. is expected a decision will be reached that, all railwaymen shall cease work. The Premier stated there would be no turning hack. So far as the Government was concerned. The 'Government was not to he dictated to by a body which set itself against the Government, ’s aut liority. The farmers have commenced loading sugar into ships at Bowen. SEAMEN’S DEMONSTRATION. (Per Press Association ! AUCKLAND, 'this day. Yesterday afternoon about thirty striking seamen left behind from their ships made a demonstration outside the polling booth at the Queen’s wharf after marching from the Trades Hull carrying the Red Hag. One of the strikers spoke, attacking the Government in connection with the strike. The men were persuaded to disperse by a policeman. They then made a demonstration alongside of the Corinthie, which resulted in one of them being arrested. To prevent further Trouble the wharf gates were closed last, night. STRIKE’S COST. FREIGHT EFFECTS. BTC TRADE SHIPS MAY NOT BE BUILT.' LONDON, Oct, 24.—Declaring that the shipping strike’s after-effects oh British shipping are likely to be most far-reaching, shipping authorities point out that the ships idling in Australia are among the most expensive afloat. They wore built expressly to transport Dominions produce, under sailing plans, which are now wrecked. Owners’ losses already are very great, and they could not face the cost of bringing tho, ships home empty. One litier, which came homo without passengers, and with only a part cargo is estimated to have cost the owners £50,000. Besides causing, serious unemployment at the home docks, through the lack of the Australian arrivals, the present position must inevitably postpone the possibility of freight reductions which British shippers were considering before the; 'present trouble started. These were to he dependent, on a steady flow of cargo oVer a, series of years, but it is recognised in this regard that the Australian shipping trade has suffered its most serious setback, from which recovery must he very low. If there is tp be any further large scale building of costly Dominion trading ships, there shall need to be ah assurance the Dominions Governments will be "prepared to act in accordance with the Merchant Shipping Act, in which the responsibilities of employers and employees are carefully defined. Shipowners will undoubtedly hesitate to incur risks involved in building vessels of the highest type, if they are liable at any moment to be forced into idleness at {he instigation of extremists, whose real purpose is to ruin the British shipping industry, us an essential step in a scheme to commercially ruin the British nation. £1.000,000 JTED UP. PRODUCERS SERIOUSLY AFFECTED. BRISBANE, Oct. 24.—About £1,000,wortli of the products of Queensland are on board British vessels; held up in this State owing, to the strike. The total includes sugar, valued at aboht £400,000; meat , £250,000: butter, £150;COO; wool, £100,000; and other cargo £IOO,000. Inward cargo for Southern States, valued at about £150,000, also is lying in the hatches of idle vessels.

It is computed thfit, the British shipping held up in Queensland ports by the strike is worth about £4,000,000. Estimated at the rate of 7 per rent, the shipowners are losing about £23.000 per month in interest bn capital, apart from upkeep, deterioration, and port charges, which amount to many thousands monthly. TYRANNOUSMINORTTY. ANOTHER EXAMPLE AT CAIRNS. CAIRNS, October 22.—Since the seerdt ballot on the rotary system was taken at the Court House on Tuesday, and which resulted in a vote of 185 to 9 in favor of a resumption of work bn the old system, the position has not .improved. This morning a, moating of the rotary, advocates decided to proclaim to-day a holiday, and a notice was posted to that effect. Upon the names being called for labor under the) original

system this afternoon the men deft the hall, where they are usually picked up, and proceeded outside to be picked, followed by their opponents. It was then found to be against the rules of the union to call the names outside, so they then returned to the hall, when the “rotaryites’’ declared it was illegal to call the men, because it was a holiday. Tho crowd then returned outside, whore another attempt was made to call the 'names. There were cries of ‘ Scab, etc., and violent scenes appeared > m * minent. The attempt to secure labor was then abandoned. Iho steamers Dorrigo and Hopewell are waiting to be loaded. Five hundred tons of sugar are on the trucks, and a train load of logs is at thei waterside .waiting to bo unloaded. To-dayV- tactics are typical of those employed by the rotary men throughout thA trouble.