H.—ll.

Shipping, Wellington. —The crew of a vessel complained about the quality of the food that was being supplied to them and refused to work the boat. A conference of the representatives of the employers and the workers arrived at an agreement regarding the food, but the crew declined to accept the decision of the conference, and the employers decided to lay the vessel up for the time being, and discharged the crew. It was decided not to institute proceedings for the breach of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act that had taken place, as the matter was being investigated under the Shipping and Seamen Act. Shipping, Auckland. —Objection was raised by the seamen on a vessel to the employment of one of their number whom they described as a " scab," and his dismissal was demanded. This was refused, and the vessel was held up. The following day the men withdrew the charge, but said that the worker objected to was " bearing tales " to the officers of the company. This charge was disproved, but the members of the crew concerned nevertheless left the vessel. Action was taken against the men for striking, and fines were imposed. The men were bound by an award under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Shipping, Wellington.—The firemen on a vessel refused to fire the ship, after it had left the wharf, until four passengers who had been voluntary workers on a British ship during the strike of British seamen had been placed on shore. This was done and the vessel sailed. The men were bound by an award under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, and action was taken against them under the Act for striking. Fines were imposed. Shipping, Auckland. —The firemen of a vessel refused to take the ship to sea with a stoker who had signed on at 9 p.m. to fill a vacancy. It appears that the union had directed its members not to sign on after 5 p.m. except in the case of a vessel leaving before midnight. Apart from the question of the validity of the union's direction, the men wrongly interpreted it, and the union was therefore not responsible for the delay of the vessel. The following day another man was engaged. Action was taken under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act against the men, and fines were imposed, the men being bound by an award under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Coal-miners, Paparoa.—A trucker was discharged for using obscene language to a deputy, and ninety-five men ceased work. The trucker was subsequently re-employed, but was prosecuted by the management under the Coal-mines Act. The stoppage lasted four days. It was decided in the circumstances not to take proceedings for the strike. Coal-miners, Stockton. —In this case the union requested that a loco-repairer be transferred back to the substation where he had previously been employed. The company acceded in the instance in question, but reserved the right to take men out of the substation to other work when there was not sufficient work in the substation to keep them fully employed. 228 men ceased work, and after a stoppage of three days the company allowed the worker to return to his former station unconditionally. A breach of the Labour Disputes Investigation Act was committed, but it was decided not to take proceedings for the offence. Seamen. —A strike of British seamen took place against the reduction in wages of £1 a month decided on by the Maritime Board in England in accordance with an agreement entered into by representatives of the British Seamen's Union and the shipping companies. The strike spread to the British ships in New Zealand ports. The men repudiated the agreement and refused to recognize their representatives on the Board. Action was taken by the owners under the Shipping and Seamen Act against the crews of a number of the ships for refusing duty, and sentences of imprisonment were imposed. The strike did not come within the scope of the New Zealand law relating to strikes, which applies only to New Zealand ships. The employment of New Zealand seamen was not affected. Firemen, Greymouth. —Five firemen on a steamer refused duty on the ground that the vessel was a hard one to fire and two trimmers were needed. Action under the Shipping and Seamen Act resulted in the men being imprisoned. Negotiations between the union and the employer resulted in the employer providing the trimmers required, and the firemen resumed duties. The disturbance lasted approximately three weeks. Although these men were bound, by the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act it was not deemed necessary to take proceedings for striking, in view of the action already taken under the Shipping and Seamen Act. Waterside Workers, Dunedin.- —'The waterside workers at Dunedin refused to accept engagement to unload a certain vessel unless an extra rate was paid on account of the allegedly dusty nature of its cargo of coal. The employers thereupon refused to engage labour for the other vessels in port until the boat in question had been unloaded. The matter was referred to the disputes committee provided for by the award. No breach was committed by the men, as it is not an offence to refuse to accept engagement. Flax-millers, Miranui, Palmerston North. —Approximately one hundred flax-millers ceased work in order to compel the company to pay a higher rate to a gang of flax-cutters who had completed one block and had not arrived at an agreement with the employer respecting the rates for the new block. An independent umpire was appointed, who decided upon the rate offered by the employer. This was accepted, and work was resumed after a stoppage of a week. Proceedings were taken against the men, and fines were imposed. Coal-miners, Rewanui (Two Stoppages). —250 miners employed at the State Coal-mine declined to continue work until the management supplied more sets of timber and mining-props to safeguard working-places against falls of coal. The management agreed to do this, and work was resumed two days later. About a week later, however, a dispute arose as to the method of timbering to be adopted, and work again ceased. A method of timbering was finally agreed upon, and work was resumed after a stoppage of over a month. Breaches of the Labour Disputes Investigation Act were committed, but no action was taken in either case.

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