THE LABOR CRISIS.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 514, 4 October 1890, Page 2

THE LABOR CRISIS.

Last might. Matters were particularly dull at Lyttelton yesterday. The Tongariro was coaled and sailed. y The Brunner took 67 men for Westport to work the coal mines. Twelve more ooastablei arrived st Westport by the Murray yesterday. It is understood they go to DanniatCh on the arrival of tbe free laborers by the Brunner. Three Denniston miners have been Summoned over the recent fray at Wamiangaroa, when free laborers at the Wellington mhie were assaulted. List evening some three hundred miners and their wive, burnt an effigy fit a free laborer who is working the brake at Denniston. Tbe affair took place -opposite lhe miner’s house, upon the root of which some stones were thrown.’

The Labor Conference at Wellington proceeded again to-day. Yesterday afternoon the Chairman (Mr D P. Fisher) read a letter from the Premier, to the effect that Government did not think the presence of the Railway Commissioners would facilitate the settlement of the difficulty. The request for th-ir attendance at the Conference had, however, been forwarded to the Commissioners, leaving thejmatter to their own discretion Subsequently the Conference received a memo from Air McKerrow, stating that as the Commissioners considered they should preserve perfect neutrality in trade disputes, they mnst decline to attend the Conference. This morning Mr Sanford, of the Canterbury Trades and Labor Council spoke at length on the general question of Unionism, and contended that the Union Company deliberately associated themselves with a combination in Australia whase avowed in* tention was to crush Unionism. The true solution of the Labor difficulty was to federate so as to form a C mncil of two classes who could meet and arrive at a settlement of any dieputes arising. The Hon, George McLean said he had nothing to oomplain of with regard to the speeches made by the representatives on the other aide. Bo fat everything connected with the Conference had been carried on in a fair spirit, He defended the absence of members of the Employers’ Association, and pointed out that It was the present strike that bad brought these Associations into existence. Referring to the ao’.ion nf tbe Shipowners’ Aaacoiation in Australia he reminded the Conference that they had not lifted their little finger un(il attacked. They had either to be ruined or defend themselves. Ha had everything to say in favor of Unionism, and it it was gone about in a right way It would undoubtedly bays the effect of amelio. rating the condition of the working classes, but in the present Unions bad ridden tbeh’gh horse and gone too far. Was it, he ached, judicious for men, when they knew the Siupmasten’ Association were losing money every day, to say nothing of their having brought them down on the owners like a slop of thunder? during tjie present struggle an attempt had been made to put ths Union Company in a corner, and although he personally was a peaceable man he was not going to sit and see that done. He declared that since the strike the Company were getting the flower of the young men of New Zealand into the boats. Plenty of officers, cooks, and stewards were, he said, coming back, and he challenged Mr Afillar co take his embargo off the seamen and flromen, and these men would lose no time in getting back to the service of the company. If he Union Company never lifted a finger to crush the Unions, and even before tfie Unions were formed, their employees were treated in the best possible manner. He thought the fault in connection with the present trouble lay in the fact that the Union Company had not been brought face to face with the difficulty before extrepie measures were resorted to, as some means might have been adopted to avoid a strjke. He would ask what earthly good there wap in mixing all other trades up in a dispute which, in the first instance, had arisen be? tween the seamen and the Union Company ?