THE END IN VIEW.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3360, 28 October 1911, Page 5

THE END IN VIEW.

STEAMERS WILL PROBABLY RESUME RUNNING.

(Per Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, Oct. 27. There seems a probability of some of the smaller steamers, which are now tied up, resuming their running, at any rate in the Nelson trade. Wanganui traders are feeling the severity of the present railway rates for cargo, compared with steamer carriage. Some of them, it is understood, have offered to pay shipowners increased rates of freight if the officers’ demands ar© acceded to.

There is something more than talk of chartering a steamer to be run on the hnes demanded by the Merchant Service Guild. Tlie secretary of the Guild, Captain Watson, has been interviewed to that end, but no information of the Guild’s reception of or reply to the proposal is available. The Shipowners’ Federation is meeting daily to consider the present state of affairs. From an official of the Federation it was gathered that several of the “small ship” companies concerned have had intimations from a number of masters and officers of their vessels that the Merchant Service Guild has been notified that masters and men propose to resume work under the present conditions, pending the result of the ballot now being taken in connection with the _ dispute between the officers in the Union, Maoriland, Westport, and Blackpool Companies. On receipt of this information, the Shipowners’ Federation agreed that Mr. Rogers, manager for the Anchor line, Nelson, should wait upon the Guild to discuss the position with its members, to see if some arrangements could be made for running the small boats pending the result of the ballot. Mr. Rogers accordingly saw Captain Watson, and was subsequently advised that a meeting of tho Guild, had decided that if any master or officer resumed work under tho conditions he would do so es of the Guild. The shipowners today considered the Guild’s decision in the matter, and one result of the deliberation would seem to be, as a number of the masters and officers are loyal to the owners, that several of tho small steamers will probably resume running. Captain Watson left for Auckland today to attend the Conciliation Council meeting there in connection with the dispute between the owners and masters and mates employed on vessels on the Auckland registry. From Nelson it is learned that the Anchor Line masters and officers have telegraphed to Captain Watson to the effect that as they* cannot afford to remain idle any longer, they propose to again start work and to continue until the Union Company’s and other large shipowners’ dispute with the officers had been settled. They also added that they were strongly of the opinion that both themselves and the Anchor Line Company wsre being unfairly treated, in >t the Union Company was allowed to run its steamers under the old conditions while a ballot was being taken and until the result was made, and yet the Anchor Company’s fleet was 'held up on a moment’s notice. It is understood that the Union Company was allowed to was signed by ten of the masters and officers of the Anchor Line. CaptainWatson’s locum tenens, when seen by a reporter, described the owners as playing a “game of bluff.” There were owners that were telling their men that other owners were proposing to resume running, so leading them to believe that the boats would start again. There was nothing of the sort done. As for the Anchor Line masters ’and officers' telegram, that was merely a tentative proposal-" to ascertain what the Guild thought about it. The Guild had replied. The men did not say that they that they actually would turn to again. “We are quite alive to what the owners are doing,” Mr. .Spence added, “but we believe they will fail.”

THE ASPECT AT AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND, Oct. 27. An inquiry made by waterside workers whether the steamer Victoria had any cargo loaded by non-unionists at Sydney, elicited the reply by cable that the only cargo is two tons of periodicals, which' the steamer’s crew were able to handle.