NO RESPONSE

Southland Times, Issue 22351, 16 June 1934, Page 6

NO RESPONSE

LABOUR FOR MONTEREY CREW DISCHARGE CARGO POLICE GUARD ON ■ WHARF. (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, June 15. Because the cargo was loaded by non-union longshoremen and the crew consists of free labourers, the Auckland watersiders to-day ignored the call for labour to discharge the Monterey which, laden with about 700 tons of general merchandise for Auckland, berthed at 8.30. The all-white liner was completely black. to the eyes of watersiders. In addition, the regular taxis and carriers shunned the wharf and its vicinity and the problem of meeting passengers’ requirements was left to a few private taxis and cars. The ship’s crew, supplemented by about 10 free labourers, began discharging the cargo under considerable difficulties. During the morning a motor truck while being unloaded slipped from the slings at a critical moment and disappeared over the side of the wharf. A strong police guard was on or near the wharf before the ship arrived, and it was maintained. The wharf was closed to the public, and about 500 people spent the morning idly watching developments from Quay street. Radio advices received by the Monterey last night indicate the possibility of a settlement of the trouble on the Pacific Coast, but whatever happens it is intended the Monterey shall clear Auckland for Sydney at ten o’clock to-night. Passengers by the Monterey say the situation at San Francisco and Los Angeles was tense because of the strike. There were strong police guards everywhere on the waterfront. Passengers on arrival from San Francisco were taken to the ship’s side by railway train and experienced no difficulty. Harbour launches were flying about in every direction and some contained strike pickets trying to prevent free labour being put on the ship. The crux of the dispute was the union s demand for the “closed shop.” The companies had indicated they would agree to practically all other demands but would not concede the union’s privilege of selecting labour. Mr E. S. Walker, passenger traffic manager of the Oceanic liner, said the dispute was now in the Government’s hands. He mentioned that some of the crew of the Monterey who walked off were Australians who had families in Los Angeles. They were very foolish, because they would be deported within 60 days. . It is learned that the majority of the crew is non-unionist, but contrary to propaganda circulated here yesterday the captain, officers and engineers are the ship’s ordinary complement. A large contingent of uniformed and plai:'. clothes police, including a mounted squad, are on duty on or near the wharf. . Passengers express surprise at the hostile attitude displayed towards the ship in Auckland. The Monterey brought 696 bags of English and American mails and this was unloaded immediately. Some of the ship’s fruit cargo is on consignment to Christchurch and it is expected this will be transhipped by the Port Whangarei. Feeling was running high on the wharf at Los Angeles on the day the Monterey sailed. Some members of the crew state that in a fracas which occurred; one man had been killed and a number taken to hospital. The purser, Mr R. Jose, was attacked and suffered a nasty cut over one eye. Today he made light of it, saying “A few roughnecks set one me, but beyond getting a bit of a mauling, I was none the worse.” He said it surprised him because he had never been molested before. The injury did not affect his programme for the remainder of the day, which included his wedding. This was celebrated according to schedule. The laundryman on the ship was also “beaten up.”

MONTEREY SAILS ALL OF CARGO DISCHARGED. VOLUNTEER WORKERS. (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, June 15. With the ship’s band playing and all her cargo for Auckland discharged, the Monterey sailed for Sydney at 10 o’clock to-night. A number of the crowd on the waterfront “booed” two or three times as the vessel’s ropes were cast off and went through the process known as “counting out,” but the sound was not heard at the Monterey’s berth. After dark the beams of a searchlight on the vessel were trained on the wharf gates and part of the waterfront where the crowd had gathered and the light was kept burning until the ship was ready to leave. The crowd was not a very large one and was composed mainly of sightseers, including several women. The work of unloading was completed with time to spare, volunteer workers who assisted the crew being taken home from the wharf in motor cars. The crowd was not aware they had gone, although they had to make way for the cars as they passed through the gates. Taxi cabs conveying passengers and friends plied freely to and from the wharf and apart from the number of police in evidence, the scene at the vessel's departure was no different from usual. Streamers were passed from the ship to the wharf and the usual cheering and good-byes mingled with the music of the ship’s band. A strict watch was kept on the vessel’s gangway by the company officials throughout the day and was maintained until the gangway was removed. Only officials, passengers and friends were allowed on the wharf. By 10.20 p.m. when the Monterey was heading down the stream the crowd had dispersed from the . waterfront without any untoward incident. Private advice has been received in Auckland that there is no sign of a settlement of the waterfront dispute in San Francisco and owing to the uncertainty of the position the Union Commany’s cargo steamer Waihemo, after : being idle at San Francisco for over three weeks, was to sail from that port to-day for Auckland. The vessel was to have loaded at a number of American ports on the Pacific Coast, but she is bringing cargo only from Canada. The company’s steamer Wairuna was also to have loaded at Pacific coast ports, but owing to the strike she loaded only at Vancouver. She is to leave there on Monday for Auckland. “BLACK” BAN SPREADS SYDNEY LABOUR COUNCIL. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) Sydney, June 15. The Monterey, which is due at Sydney on Monday, will be declared “black” by the Labour Council. Th. Seamen’s Union reported to the council that during the Pacific Coast watersiders’ strike non-unionists loaded the Monterey. Tlie watersiders’ unions nave been called upon to refuse to handle the Monterey’s cargo. Steps are also being taken to have the “black” ban spread to Melbourne or any other port on

the Australian coast which the Monterey may visit. MEETING OF UNIONS. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 7.45 p.m.) Sydney, June 15. Officials of the Matson Line here have received advice from New Zealand that the Monterey is expected to sail for Sydney late to-night. The maritime and transport unions are meeting here to-day to discuss whether the Monterey will be declared “black” on her arrival on Monday. NO DEFINITE DECISION. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 9.35 p.m.) Sydney. June 15. The maritime workers’ meeting was attended by ships’ cooks and butchers, seamen, deck hands and firemen, but not watersiders. No definite decision was reached. A prominent unionist stated that there did not seem any likelihood of an extension of the trouble with the arrival of the Monterey, but he would not answer for what might happen when the Mariposa arrived, when the Waterside Workers’ Union would determine its attitude. A message from Melbourne states that Trades Hall officials there do not anticipate any trouble on the Australian waterfront as a result of the Sydney Labour Council’s decision declaring the Monterey “black.”

COOKS AND STEWARDS THE UNION COMPANY DISPUTE. STATEMENT BY UNION SECRETARY. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, June 15. The cooks and stewards of the Monowai which was due to sail for Sydney to-day have given notice to the Union Company. Referring to the statement in the Press yesterday that owing to the refusal of members of the Cooks and Stewards’ Union to answer calls for employment the sailing of the Makura had been delayed—it has since been cancelled—Mr Kennedy, secretary of the union, said the matter in dispute between the Union Company and the union went back to the time when the 10 per cent, was taken off wages in June, 1931. From time to time the union had asked for the restoration of the cut. The Press statement said it was the attitude of the union that had stopped the Makura from leaving. That was not so. The responsibility was put on the owners themselves by their refusal to meet the unions in conference to discuss the question of wage restoration. Had that conference been arranged the Makura would have been worked in the ordinary course. It seemed the employers blamed the union for something it was not responsible for and by their refusal to meet the union in conference the responsibility rested on the owners and not on the union. They had had meetings before the Conciliation Council and no agreement could be reached, therefore the award was cancelled under the amended Arbitration Act, so there remained no award or any agreement, the union being left with only contracts they signed from time to time in the articles. On February 16, 1934, the union made application that the 10 per cent, cut be restored to members of the union employed by the Union Company. The union suggested that the matter be discussed at a round-table conference. The manager was sick and on the company’s suggestion the matter was put off. Later it was again taken up with the company 'by the union and the union was told the conference could not take place, one reason being that the other maritime union had an interest in the matter as well as the cooks and stewards. Tire secretary of the union suggested to the company that it would be advantageous to have a conference of all unions concerned with the company. The union had discussed the matter with other maritime unions and on Monday last representative. of the Seamen’s and Cooks’and Stewards’ union waited on Mr Smith of the company and discussed the matter with him. The union’s proposal was that the employers be informed that the Seamen’s Union and Cooks and Stewards’ Union desired to meet them in conference early in July for the purp° se °f discussing the question of restoration of the wage cuts, work to proceed normally pending some decision. The reply to that was that the company would meet them to discuss their agreement. That was not the matter it was intended to discuss at all. The matter to be discussed was one of wages. It is announced that the Government is being kept well informed of developments in the shipping dispute, but up to the present it has not been considered necessary to intervene in any way. DISPUTE SPREADS TWO MORE SHIPS INVOLVED. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, June 15. Two more vessels became involved in the dispute between the Union Company and the Cooks and Stewards Union at Wellington to-day. The four now affected are the Monowai, Makura, Maori, and Kaimai. On Thursday while the liner Monowai was bound from Auckland to Wellington a number of stewards gave notice. On her arrival at Wellington this morning they refused to reconsider the matter and early in the afternoon 44 men were signed off the vessel. These men all had their homes in Wellington and were nearly all bedroom stewards. An attempt was made to despatch the Monowai for Sydney at 3 p.m. but it is understood the remainder of the crew refused to take her to sea short staffed, and as a consequence the Union Company cancelled the vessel’s sailing and gave notice to the remaining 140 members of the crew of whom 57 are members of the Cooks and Stewards Union and the men are to be paid off to-morrow. The second vessel to be affected, the collier Kaimai, arrived early to-day from Westport. One of the stewards had become ill on the trip from Westport and went ashore on arrival in port. Several attempts were made yesterday to replace this man, but all proved unsuccessful and during the afternoon the company gave notice to the crew who will be paid off. No further meeting of the union was held to-day but one is called for tomorrow morning. . The Government is being advised oi all developments in the dispute, but so far has not considered it necessary to intervene in any way. The Post and Telegraph Department, when the regular mail steamers are held up, transmits all mails by the next best dispatch available. THE OWNERS’ SIDE REPLY TO MR KENNEDY. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, June 15. Mr T. Bishop, secretary of the New Zealand Shipowners’ Federation, in commenting on Mr Kennedy’s statement, says it is substantially correct, but not entirely so. For instance while it is true the awards were cancelled a letter was sent to Mr Kennedy on December 14, 1933, advising that the federation members were prepared to endorse the articles with the statement that wages and aonditions of the

expired award would continue to be observed on the understanding that this arrangement was temporary until such time as the question for a new agreement between the federation and the union had been finalized. This had been done at Mr Kennedy’s own request and had the effect of continuing the old agreement in operation penchng the making of a new one. As* to the immediate cause of the present dispute, the Cooks and Stewards’ Union and the Seamen’s Union had asked for a conference in July for the purpose of discussing the restoration of wage reductions. The federation had replied that the employers were prepared to meet the unions jointly or separately as they might prefer for the purpose of discussing their agreements. The Seamen’s Union award does not expire till August 31, but the undertaking to meet in July, a month before expiry, was in accordance with the usual procedure. The shipowners were not prepared to limit the discussion to the one question of wages, but were prepared to discuss a complete new agreement in accordance with the invariable custom of many years.