N.S.W. COAL STRIKE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2769, 26 March 1910, Page 5

N.S.W. COAL STRIKE.

FEDERAL' ARBITRATION COURT REFUSES' TO ADJUDICATE IN ENGINE-DRIVERS’ DISPUTE.

United Press Association— Copyright

(Received March 25, 4 p.m.) MELBOURNE, March 24

Justice Higgins gave the decision of 'the Federal Arbitration Court in the engine-drivers’ dispute, practically an Outcome of the Newcastle strike. The Judge found that the matter had been brought before him not because the ’claimants had some dispute in three States, but because the New South Wales men despaired of justice from the New South Wales Boards, and in order to come to the Federal Court 'got men in othe r States to subscribe to their demands. That, lie ventured 'to sav, was not his idea of settling disputes beyond one State. The emplov’ers in this case .had shown no desire <’to conciliate the men. The circumstances otherwise showed that- conciliatory action was desirable, and that 'the employers had obtained but a Pyrrhic victory. They had only tlicmfeelves to blame. They were suffering Trom a bewildering number of Boards in New South ‘Wales, with bewildering crossing functions. Apart from the •question of Jurisdiction, he -thought that further proceedings were not necessary or justifiable in the public interests. Therefore he refused to adjudicate in the matter.