STRIKERS PAUSE

Taranaki Daily News, 20 August 1935, Page 7

STRIKERS PAUSE

MORE SHIPS INVOLVED DEFERMENT OF ACTION BOISTEROUS MEETING MODERATES WIN THE DAY COMPULSORY CONFERENCE By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 10,10 p.m. Sydney, Aug. 18. A mass meeting of'seamen at Sydney this afternoon decided to defer further action with regard to the strike until the management committee of the union meets to-morrow.

The proceedings to-day were extremely boisterous, resulting in several fights. A section of the men wanted an extension of the strike but the moderates gained the day when they overwhelmingly carried a motion to defer action.

The climax is likely to be reached tomorrow, when the Federal executive officers will meet at Sydney to adopt a policy for presentation to the compulsory conference at Melbourne on Wednesday. Four more vessels were involved in the strike to-day, including the Union Company’s Kakariki, which arrived from Tasmania with potatoes aud fruit. Three vessels become idle at Brisbane. It is stated that official circles believe that the Government may take a hand in the strike by withdrawing the dole from unemployed seamen. As the shipowners are determined not to employ the Murada men until all idle vessels are manned it is reported that there is no immediate prospect of the strike ending unless by order of the court at the compulsory conference. At a mass meeting at ' elbourne yesterday speakers feared that the shipowners intended to victimise the Murada men, and it was decided to continue the strike pending a meeting of Federal executive officers at Sydney to-morrow.