MARITIME STRIKE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 2829, 30 August 1890, Page 2

MARITIME STRIKE.

RAILWAY HANDS INVOLVED A (rENEIIAL STRIKE FEAKKU. VOLUNTEER LABOUR FOR THE UNION COM PAN V. RISE IN PRICES. LENGTHY DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE. (IIV TKLKUItAI'H—OWN (XMIIIK.SI'CINDKN i.) A.UUKI.ANH, Last Night. Tub progress of the strikes monopolise public attention. Tlio wharf labourers to-day withdrew from loading and unloading the Union Company's vessels, but no disturbance occurred. The strike is affecting the price of food supplier. The latest quotations arc Wholesale, butter, prime fresh, fid ; second, 7d; third, lid; cheese, ojd to 1(1; fresh eggs, (id per dozen; lard, bladders, f.jd; locil cured hams anil bacon, wholesale. Holders of food stall's in town are, disinclined to sell, or will only with their stock in small quantities to regular customers. In the present disorganised state nf trade affairs it is impossible to fix the value of many staple articles. Taking potatoes, for example, some Auckland holders are selling at about. I'll, while others refuse to sell at all, holding their stocks, waiting further contingencies. Wheal, oats, pearl barley, and southern flour have all risen groatlv. Coal is in very brisk demand, and prices are liieh. but everything is so unsettled that it is impossible to fix any quotations. In local dairy produce large supplies of butter and eggs are oil hand, and prices are low. h'ifty girls have been thrown out of emnloyment in one shirt factory, owing to the delay in the delivery (.f material expected from Australia.

(liY TELEIIKAI'H. —L'KKSS ASSOCIATION). CmusTiJMUiteii, Last Night. About 400 persons went tn the port to-day by the 12.10 trait), and the Union Company engaged a number of hands to help to unload their vessels. Farmers and thensons have offered their services, while merchants and others were also in the train. About SOO were on tho platform at Christcliurch to see them off, and there was a little eroanincr, but 110 disturbance. The Union Company state they have as much labour as they want to unload the vessels.

A meeting of the officers belonging to the Union Company steamers was held yesterday evening »» board the Penguin. The officers of the Te Kapo, Wakatipu Dtmgadee, and Penguin present, decided tlmt if non-union seamen or firemen were put on board tliev would decline to go tn sea with (hem. Officers of the Waihon, Pnkuki, Mawhera, Mahiuapua and Grafton lefnsed to come out if the ship's men remain loval to their employers. 'Messrs Kempthorne, Prosser and Co. have announced that the .shareholders have decided t.e declare 110 dividend, owing to the unsettled state of trade. A meeting of employers of labour in tho city was commenced this afternoon. At Lyttleton, to-day, the Rotonia was discharged and loaded by the railway permanent hands, but the quantity of cat go 011 her was veiy small. She left for I hinedin soon after 4 o'clock", taking the crews of the Wakatipu and Te Kapo. (>ll the train with "free labour" arrivingatLyttelton, sixty who had volunteered for work were admitted to the Te Kapo. A detachment of police prevented the crowd from going 011 the steamers' wharves. Kuormous crowds assembled, but were perfectly orderly and good humoured. The hired' abourers were given a day's pay and nent'backby return train. The voluntary men began discharging coal fronitheTekapo about two o'clock, and by five had got some eight trucks out. Their awkwardness caused great amusement, and much of the coal was scattered about the wharf and some dropped overboard. Shortly after two o'clock thirteen volunteers went to the Wairarapa to discharge her general cargo, a task at which they were not more adapt than landing coal. All stuck pluckily to work and improvement was manifest. The sixty have been divided into reliefs, and have arranged to work all night. Mr G. G. Stead assisted by several prominent citizens is directing affairs. Wesltokt, Last Night. .Acting 011 instructions from the Maritime Council to boycott the Union steamers as the company were utilising non-Union men, the wharf lumpers loading the Grafton and Mawhera last night, were called out by the Westp irt Labour Union Committee at '.1.20 p.m., leaving the Mawhera and Mahinapua unloaded. The railway manager then summoned the permanent way men to load the vessels and at five this morning tliey commenced the work ; they were also called out, one man out of twenty only remaining. The strikers were suspended. The Union Company's manager, clerk, and several townspeople assisted in working the vessels. All work at tho Denniston mine clones at 2 p.m.. till further notice by tho order of the Maritime Council. The railway manager notifies that on and after to-morrjw ail passenger and goods trallic 011 the railway will be suspended. A meeting of citizens was numerously attended by the leading merchants, who said there was only three weeks' supply of food in W'estport and 0110 week's at Denniston. All association, to be called the Chamber of Commerce, was formed, and a committee appointed to collect information as to the best steps to take to meet the present emergency, and report to another meeting. All the railway wages men have been given a fortnight's notice. A general strike of railway hands is feared. The Mawhera will probably succeed in getting loaded by the Union Company's hand*, assisted by several townspeople. The Mahinapua is doubtful. Tho Manawatu is now expected heie at two o'clock with a free labour crew. Great interest is attached to her arrival. -Tlii! town is all excitement. At 1 p.m. four railway workshop hands were put 011 to load tho Mawhera, and at 2 p.m. the President of the Local Railway Servants Association called them out. They immediately knocked olf work and were suspended. The Mawhera will sail with her present cargo. The seamen refused to trim tin: coal with the solitary " free labour " man and he was dischared. The Manawatu is over due There is promise of a demonstration on her arrival. Threo shillings per hour is offered for labour, but there is 110 response.^ JJUNKDIN, Last Night. A meeting of the various trado unions has been convened by the Trades and Labour Council and the Maritime Council for Monday to consider the present difficulty. JSi.hnhki.m, Last Night. The Union Company shipped a nonUnion crew for the Ivaneri last night. 1 hey went over to Wellington as passengers and will commence work when the Inion crew go out to-day. The agent had 110 ditliculty in getting hands and there were a large number of applications for employment last night. Tho halyards of tho company s Hag-pole over the offices were cut. Lusiness is depressed and produce is rising in price. Wior.UNOTO.v, Last Night. The Union Company's clerks express their willingness to assist tn the steamer Wairarapa on her arrival. Applications have been received from all parts of the colony for portions of the cargo of coal which the steamer JJaylaw is bringing from Newcastle. None, however, have been acceeded to, as the shipment is intended for Messrs Nelson l'>ros. freezing works at Gisborne and Napier. Jioth tho Takapuna, for the South, and the Kaueiri, for lilenheini, manned with non-Union crews, sailed this afternoon, the "free labourers" being kept below until the vessel was clear of the wharf. The Doric keeps her refrigerators working with coal supplied to them by the Union Company. At 110011 the work of coaling the Doric ceased, tins Lumpers' Union deciding not to handle any of the Union Company's coal. then 1 proceeded between the agent of the Sl:aw, Saville and Albion Company and the Lumpers' Union, and the boycott was removed. 1 The Wharf Carters and Expressmen s 1 I Fnion decline to handle any goods in connection with the Union Company's vessels. I L uiry and Co. report prices for the week ■ as follows Potatoes, SOs to !»0s ; oats, 2 s I 3d ; pollard, il0<; bran, 70s ; chaff, Sss ; oat- 1 meal, t'lli; wheat, Us lid ; flour, roller, .t'l2 . 10s ; wheatineal, £12 IO3; cheese, 4d ; eggs, 1

Nd tn 10J ; onion.s, £]r>, nominal. They express the opinion that there will bo no scarcity in the leading lines of fooil in any of th» centres of population, us they all have buck country to draw fron. Tlie (J,iK Company lia.s only three week's supply of coal. They hail a very large stock of coke but in the last three days they have sold MOO tow,, and it is expected none will be sold after to-morrow. There is a little excitement 011 the wharves, and very few vessels are in. The crew from the Takupr.na, from Nelson, and the Kaueiri, from Blenheim, came out on arrival this morning. Both vessels will be manned with "free labour." 'Pile otHcers do not appeal' anxious to wit.ildiaw, and some assert they will not unless the majority are willing to do so. The wharf labourers are working as usual, hut the secretary states he has instructions to he 011 the alert for instructions from Dunedin. The general opinion is they will he called out diieetly. is severely depressed, Latkk. The wharf labourers have gone out on strike, blocking the Union Company's vessels. The Kaneiri managed tn get away from Blenheim, but the Takapuna, which waste go Oil south still, Ims her cargo on board.

The Wareatea arrived from Auckland this morning, and her cargo is not touched. The Union Company will endeavour to get the Takapuua away, but it is doubtful if they will succeed. The Doric is not affected by the strike. The lumpers are hunting about the wharf, and everything is very quiet. A deputation from the Branch of the Seamen's Union waited nil the Acting Premier, inf'Uiiting him that the Union had determined not to interfere with the running of the. Hineinoa or Stella, on condition that the steamers only carry Ministers, Members of Parliament, mails, and lighthouse stores. The vessels were not to carry passengers or cargo. Mr Mit.ehelson said it was gratifying to see the Union take such a sensible view. The Penguin was to have left at 7 p.m. for Now Plymouth and the passengers were on board, when shortly before that hour all the seamen and firemen 011 the steamer struck work without notice and loft. The steamer is stuck up tn consequence.

in the House this afternoon Mr O'Connor said he intended to call attention to a most important matter in connection with the seamen's strike at present going on in the colony. The shipping companies, he believed, were availing themselves of unskilled labour, and the law provided that a certain proportion of skilled persons should be carried in vessels, and the Government would be grossly culpable if they stood by and allowed it to be broken. He was informed that every dav alongside the Wellington wharf boys and other parsons totally unfit for the positions were nominally put into them, in order to enable the boats to pass out of the harbour. He asked the Government to consider what would be their responsibility if any of the people were lost

at sea ill consequence of this, or their properties destroyed, It whs said that the Government had even gone further than this, and sent one out of their employ on to the ships at Wastport, and he appealed to the Government to get the authorities at once to move iu the directum of putting a stop to what lie had mentioned. With respect to the men placed on the ship. Mr Fish said he had received a telegrain from Duiiedin to this effect: "Am informed that the Government sent platelayers to discharge curgo steamer in Westport. Find out if correct. Reply." He at once spoke to the acting Premier, who told him that so far as the Government was concerned they had done nothing, but that tile Railway Commissioners might have. The Commissioners, to whom he went accordingly, informed him that it was practically as he had said, the wharf labourers in the employ of the Government at Westport struck that morning, and ths plate-layer;.- were then called upon to take up their work ; the plate layers refused to do so ami were suspended. This shows the Commissioners were disposed to interfere between labour and capital, and if the Government permitted them to persist they would be to blame for the terrible results that would certainly follow. The Commissioners, moreover, made 110 secret of it, and he hoped the Government would do something to avert the possibility of something far worse than at present existed. Mr Hodgkiuson expressed gratification that the railways were beyond the control of the House, for in this crisis they would have been paralysed had they hud the railways in their hands, especially as there were

a great many iiiembars in tho House wild considered themselves special representatives of this win king mail and they would have harrowed the Government in every way. Tho working pnopli; had been fooled to the top of their bent by demagogue politicians to such an extent that they did not know whether they were standing nn their heads or their hee!s. Me characterised tho present movement as a dishonest one and said no honest, man ought to liave any sympathy with it.

Mr Fisher said this was no time forinHainm.itory speeches, they were now in Llio

severe throes of .1 contest between capital ami labour. He had been consulted by

"oine of the railway employees, over the Whitcombo and Tombs' dispute, and ho advised them not to coiiio into conflict with the Railway Commissioners. • Now, however, a strike had taken place, and it was the duty of the < iovernment to see tlicU oion Company should not mau its ships with boys. He condemned the action of tho K lihvay Commissioners in sending platelayers from the railway to man ships, and it was the duty of the I iovernment to see the Commissioners should not violate, the law of the land in this manner. I f ltailivay servants weie to be placed at the disposal of tho Union S.S. Company, thero would be an ond to all good Government in the colony.

Mr Mitehelson said tho Government very much regretted that this struggle had happened, but they were going to remain at all events for the present, strictly neutral. As to the remarks of Mr O'Connor, with reference to unskilled persons being given employment nn the steamers that was a question they should have enquired into for if they were breaking the law, of course the Government would have to see the laws should bo strictly complied with. As for the Railway Commissioners' action it seemed that Mr Fish's statement was correct in that the men who usually took coal from the NVestport staiths and trucks and put it into the steamers have struck, and the Commissioners had requested platelayers to take ui) the work whereupon the men refused. The Government had not power to interfere with tho Commissioners who had the whole control of the railway in their hands. The Commissioners had a duty to perforin to the public and they Here supposed to carry coal oil the wharves and place it on board the steamers and they must see that that was done. He was satisfied the Commissioners would do nothing but their duty either in helping tho labourers oat on strike or helping the Union Company. When the time came for the Government to interfere ths Government would do everything to bring about a j settlement, but at present, they intend to remain perfectly neutral and would do their best to maintain the law.

Mr Moss thought the strike was a fair stand-up light between the seamen and the ship-owners; one that was deliberately undertaken by both sides. If, however, it was true, as stated in that day's paper, that the coal-owners at Newcastle had decided to refuse coal to other vessels than those of the Ship-owners Association, the Government would have to interfere, for the public would not submit to such a blockade.

In reply to Mr Cudinan, Mr Mitehelson said he understood that all the men employed nn the railway and wharf were in the employ of the Commissioners.

Mr Reeves (Kt. Albans) expressed an opinion that the Railway Commissioners would take uncommonly good care that they did nothing hostile to the capitalist's class. They were in complete.sympathy with that class ; and they were confronted by Unions and especially with that formed among their own employees. When the employees lirst asked redress the Commissioners blustered in a very childish way, but at the conference they were out-argued, out nianunivred, and defeated in every way. The Commissioners were anxiousnow to force this strike amongst tht.ir own men so that they would have as allies the capital istclasses and they knew well that, the platelayers would not do the work they were asked to do. if the Government could not control the Commissioners Parliament could, and it would be the duty of those sympathisers with the Unionists, to demand that the Commissioners should not interfere with this struggle. He did not expect to sway the House, lor nineteen»t\vcntieths of its members were hostile to the labour organisations while twent-nine thirtieths of tho Legislative Council ware also hostile, which was proved by the scandalous treatment of tho , Labour Bills. Finally, ho said the Government would not be acting in a neutral inau-1

ner, if they allowed the Railway Oumtnisioners to throw their weight into the struggle now going on.

Mr Thompson (Marsden) deprecated the tone of the last Speaker, and contended that such speeches should not be made in the House. The two parties to the struggle should be left to fight it out, and Parliament should in 110 way interfere. r I,*' ( j rK V said tiie Commissioners sympathised with the capitalists, and if they departed from neutrality they ought to observe that it was the duty of the Government to bring then, back to their position of neutrality. In thai respect he agreed with Mr Reeves, that under certain circumstances it was the duty of Parliament to interfere where it could do good and avert disaster.

Messis (irimmond, Taylor and Reeves (inanppihua) also spoke, after which the subject dropped. In the House last night, Air Joyce said ho had received a telegram from Lyttelton, to the ettect that consequent on representation from the Union Steamship Company a body of police had been sent to Lyttelton to coerce the Unionist*. He asked the Minister >f Justice whether that wad correct or not. Mr Russet! said he had had no communication of any kind, but that morning he had received a telegram in his official capacity to the effect that free labour was to be sent to Lyttelton to certain steamers, aud there was a possibility of a riot occurring. He immediately gave orders that ample police force should be ready to protect the labour, either u free " or ii bound," in the execution of their duty, but that no unnecessary exhibition of the police was to be made which might produce irritation. The Minister added he felt it his duty to maintain order, and intended on all occasions to follow tlmt course of nefcion,