THE GREAT STRIKE.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 505, 11 September 1890, Page 3

THE GREAT STRIKE.

[»Y ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL TO STAbDABD.] AUSTRALIA. September 10. The Union Company has purchased 15,000 tons of slack coal at Mount Keera Colliery. An extraordinary run took place on the banks at Broken Hill yesterday. For a considerable time the banks of New South Wales and Australasia were fairly besieged by depositors and others. The excitement was caused by a resolution passed at a meeting of miners to the effect that the Miners’ Association and all kindred Associations give the banks 24 hours’ notice that if they do not at once discontinue monetary and other support to shipowners all sympathisers with labor will immediately demand gold on all notes they may hold, and withdraw their accounts, in gold. The banks made an effort to borrow gold from other offices which had not felt the rush so badly, but were only partially successful. The crowds kept up continual cries of “ The Capitalists ain’t going going to fight us with our own money.” “We will have gold—your paper is no good ; we will have gold for it.” The rush ceased after a couple of hours. LONDON.

September 9. Bums and Tillett were to return to London from Liverpool yesterday. They intend to devote al! their energies to the collection of funds for the Australians. The stevedores send to Melbourne, and £9OO to Sydney. The National Dockers' Union has cabled to Australia.

Owing to the stewards on the steamer Movoria, at Leith, refusing to join the Seamen's Union, the crew- and dockers struck. The Shipowners’ Federation engaged a nonunion crew and dockers, who went to work under police protection. Similar action is to be taken as other cases arise, whatever the consequences tnayb* — The Southampton dockers have struck until their Union has obtained recognition of their demands. They are supported by porters, seamen and firemen. Trade is paralysed in consequence. Pickets are stopping trains between the Station and the docks. Sixty policemen who were sent down from London to reinforce the local division were roughly handled, and everything points to a riot being, imminent. The mails will not be interfered with at Southampton so long as nonunion laborers are not brought into the town.

SUMMARY.

To day there appears to be every indication of the beginning of the end in connection with the strike in this colony. At Dunedin and Auckland the carters are anxious to return to work, and at the former place many of them have already done so. At Napier the difficulty of discharging frozen meat has been overcome, while at Christchurch four prominent members of the Bailway Servants' Association, and who were amongst their leaders at the recent conference with the Commissioners, have been summarily dismissed by the authorities, with a fortnight's pay in their hands. The outlook is therefore not very promising for the strikers. AUCKLAND.

Last night. Everything is quiet about the wharves Two of the Union Company's boats arc expected tc-morrow, but there will be no difficulty in discharging. The Northern Company’s boats are now running on a rodneed service as if nothing had happened, but four of their steamers are laid up, owing to the falling rtl in traffic. The Tramway Company has discharged sixteen hands, and four more will follow next week. The farmers in all the provincial country districts are combining for mutual defence against the striker*, and are offering help to employers. Bo far the cooperative coalmine scheme has fallen through. The Waikato mine, which has not yet resumed work, is Ealph’s. Coal is still scarce, end is quoted at about 30s per ton. In spite of the fact that numbers of men have gone out on strike, business appears to proceed with considerable regularity now that the first difficulties occasioned by the sudden stoppage of work by these men has been overcome. This morning a meeting of employers was held here to consider a letter from the carters, to the effect that the men out on strike were quite willing to return to their work if possible, and asking employers to consider the request favorably and relostate them in their former billets. The meeting considered the matter fully, and eventually decided to reply that they were quite agreeable to favorably consider the cases of their respective employees, but they would not guarantee to reinstate them where vacancies in carting work bad already been filled. NAPIER. Last night, Th« lumpers and others engaged in loading the Star of Victoria with frozen mutton were called cut by order of the Maritime Council. A large body of men came in from Tomoana freezing works and carried on the work uninterruptedly. Tha Southern Cross, Aus tralia, and Manapouri were all worked at the same time by free labor. A large crowd of Unionists looked on, and indulged|in a little rough chaff, but they were perfectly orderly and offered no interference whatever. 80 far as the working of the shipping at Napier ifrgonperued this strike is regarded eg having Collapsed, The storemen, carters, and ex pressmen were called on', bnt refused. Some few Unionists on airike tried to convince them of their error, but beyond a tew black eyes no harm was done. WELLINGTON. Last night.

The Tongariro is being discharged by her crew. An attempt was made to load the Duke cf Westminster with meat this morning, but the carters conveying nregt from the daughter ' yqrd at Ngahuranga Were stopped on their arrival in town. A further attempt will be made this afternoon, flatters OU the wharves are very quiet and peaceful Several cf the railway bands on this section have seceded from the Eailway Servants’: Society, bqt state that that they arc willing to rejoin if the Society disas.aociates itself from the Maritime Council. Several storemen have retured to their Tomer smplagera. - The Directors of the Qear Meat Company ']ta«e appointed three of' their number, Meoeee Beid (Chairman), Thomson and Buckley, to ait rm the Arbitration Committee Which is to deal with the question of the Company supplyingmeat to the Union Company’* vessels. The arbitrators appointed bv the Butchers' Union are Messrs Smith (President), Moore (Secretary), and Burrell. An outsider-will be chosen ehairmau.

Or J of the free laborers has laid an information against a man named Lewis, a Unionist on strike, for an assault alleged to nsvs been committed on him yesterday afreraonn at the tn Wane* te ihg wharf. Lwj* was arrested. Tbs polios have effected anew n-we arrest* of persons charged with Interfering with nsetjnioniste, The boiler makers have decided to do no «Otk foe the Union C >mpany. According to the Registrar General’s retwn* the vias of lbs Trades Unions in tbs gebuy duly amount to about £5700, of which • sun £4,000 belongs to the Seamen’s Union. LyTTELTQN, Last night. She Harber Board Chairman and tha Mayos MLrt telion have arranged for special I constables fry doty at the port. They have arranged with Me Brown , President of the Lumpers' Society, for 60 members of. the bogisty b driin that capacity. It is stated that the ships moored at Gladstone pier an io be shifted to other wharves, in oruer that thaw mwr ha BUM £Ajulv fixaiaaiad. A ro. •I I . mVr’rr' 1 '-d 11 * ■' 9 . 1 '■■■ l “*

WftMot&OUtefag offered for the eon victiM St Itos persons who assaulted nonur>ioni*t ionyew ofl ike Bridle track and Wilson's

The retail staff of Whitcombo andTombe yesterday offered to forego one- third of their salaries until trade revives. The Directors refused the offer.

Four of the permanent members of the Railway Servants’ Society—Messrs Winter, Elvines, Neaton, and Eiven—were called in this morning before Mr Gow, Traffic Manager ; Mr Burnett, Engineer, and Mr Koynaue, by direction of the Commissioners, and were asked (1) to sign a declaration to refrain from inciting or urging other employees to disobey the Commissioners’ commands ; (2) to resign ; (3) or to be dismissed. 'I hey declined the first two couises, and were immediately dismissed, with a fortnight’s pay in lieu of notice. This action by the Commissioners has been taken in consequence of the speeches made, and resolutions proposed, by the abovenamed railway employees at a meeting of the Railway Servants’ Association, as reported in the newspapers of September 4th. DUNEDIN. Last night. The Piako is being discharged by her own crew and nonunion labor. The boycott has been withdrawn from the shore so far as carters are concerned, and all Duthie's men turned up this morning, and expressed their willingness to do any work they were eet to, without, question. Mr Bines, Secretary of the Carters’ Union, stated that it was deemed advisable co keep the boycott entirely off the shore, and confine it to the wharves. It is further stated that Mr

Bines admits a mistake has been made, and his Union is willing to recede from tha position as untenable, and ineffective, and having caused irritation never dreamed of. The Lambton hands have all returned to work. The Union agree to make good any loss nonunionist labor has sustained, by paying their fares back if they will vacate their places. This was carried by a small majority. Nine of Duthie’a men returned to duty, and the rest are willing to go back if all the nonunion labor is dismissed, which Mr Duthie declines emphatically to do. BLUFF. Last night. It having 1 een stated that the accident to Mr Ratt, second officer of the Waihora, was caused by the carelessness or inexperience of the winchman, Mr Batt, being interviewed, said this was untrue, seeing he was rolled overthe side of the gangway. He saw coming, but owing to three men standing behind him, and the confined portion 0! tht after hatch, he could not gat out of the way, and waa struck on the shoulder and thrown over the combing.

Melbourne, August 27. A complete change has come over the state of feeling at the Trades Hall, On Monday evening no measures were too aggressive to be actively adopted, and the feeling was that the ship-owners should be coerced into giving way, and tbat all sections of the associated trades should fight to the bitter end tn humble the ship-owner and maintain the principles of trade unionism. It was regarded as a certainty by many that money would be cabled from the trades in England in the same manner as the sinews of war were supplied by the people of Australia to the London dock laborers during the dock strike. But, so far, no money had arrived. Then, again, the funds are hardly coming in as was anticipated. Last night, for instance, the Engineers’ Society only passed £lOO for payment of the £2,000 that was voted, and £5 and £3 were voted by the Female Operatives and Hairdressers’ Unions. At present the ordinrry trade unionist only considers that he is likely to have a holiday. Bnt the leaders, on whom the responsibi'ity rests, are realising far mors. They begin to see that every man who “ strikes ” has to receive strike pay, and if all come out, and there are no wages being earned, no levies can be made, and after the funds of the unions are exhausted an awful collapse must be inevitable. They recognise that if trade unionists go hungry they may not be so orderly as the quiet, peaceable trade unionist earning his daily bread. Then, again, (hey fear that the dangerous classes may make fhe.i- depredations under the cloak of trade unionists on strike.. 80 great has this fear became tbat last night the strike committee issued a manifesto to secure the maintenance of lhe peace, pointing out that it having been reported that persons connected with trade organisations have been pnil'y of acts of lawlessness in connection with the present maritime dispute, all members of the associated trades of Melbourne ate urged to avoid acts of violence for their vindication. • Patriotism, good order, and discipline to trade union principles will,” it is claimed, exert public opinion to secure a victorv for the working classes > n the present crisis.” )

The leaders, too, are beginning to doubt whether they are not paving too high a priee. They are beginning to question how they are tn prevent anarchy if all the trades cease work. Thev feel tbat they are bringing about an awful state of things simply to support a body of men who, they are willing to acknowledge, only joined the Trades-hall Council to use it as a lever, and whose support they do not need. If the marine officers could be thrown over to-morrow with honour they would cease to be affiliated with the Trader-ha’L Why, it is asked, should the Trades hall be brought into endless trouble over a class of men who reallv have nothing in common with labour., skilled or unskilled —occupying the position of professional men ? The strong opinions that were held some days ago about the absolute necessity of ‘he marine officers being affiliated wi‘h the Trades-hall have entirely abated, and are only now held by irresponsible trade unionists. Publicly the utterances of the leaders have undergone no change, but privately the leaders are appalled at the extent of the developments which have taken place, and they stand aghast at the enormity of the crisis which they see looming ahead. There are Trader-hall leaders at the present who fear, if they go further, they will open the gates of socialism, when they recognise a farewell may be said to steady work in the trades. Last night a prominent trade unionist said that for months past the Trades-hall Council had been doing its best to keep back the waves of sncialism, and had been content to be reviled by socialists. Yet, if the present state of things continued, all its efforts would be brought to nought, as the socialists would be ab’e to overcome the ba-Hers which it bad erected, There is on. doubtedly a feeling at the Trader-hall now that things have gone s great, deal further than was ever anticipated, and that they may go too far if not checked, When the struggle was entered upon tba trades-union leaders were of the opinion that the ship owners would give in, and could never stand firm owing to the competition in the shipping trade. But they have been surprised, and led into a position which they never dreamt of occupying.