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OTHER UNIONS. / ' '
Do Not Want Trouble. ' -
The feeling among the members of
other unions which are likely to be involved
in the dispute is that an industrial lip- '
hoaval such as that in 1917 would be the
worst calamity that couhl befall Australia '
at ilie present time, when there are al
ready 10,000 out of employment in ATc-
(oria alone, and tlio financial resources
o f U ien a Uinia re not ufioui jshte, ' '

condition. Tlie position will, he discussed
at the monthly -'stop woik" meeting of
the Seamen's Union In-morrow, and the
result will be awaited with interest in
view, of tho fact that recent efforts to
arrive nt an agreement lndween the linio'n
and tho ship ownora failed. In tlie first
place the union dcelnrcd that it was not
willing to meet the ship owners/ on the
basis of the last agreement. On the fitlier
hand, .concessions were . stipulated for . hy
the ship owners, and when tlie parties did
meet the whole of the time was taken
up ix discussing the basis on which the
conference should proceed.' Proposals mode
at the coiifcrruce arc apparently still under
consideration, as iio atempt has been made
to rcFunic il.
Recently, when tlie management com
mittees of the Seamen's Union and the
Waterside Workers' Federation were meet
ing in Melbourne n- conference look place
between rcprsciitntivc-s of the two organi
sations/ on the question of forming a "de
fensive" alliance, hut nothing cr.ine of tho
overtures then made by the seamen. As
the members of both unions arc now on
"rbiumou" ground in respect of industrial
disputes it is probable that the proposal
to form a maritime transport federation,
similar to that recently established by
road transport unions, will ho revived.
Tlio fear has been expressed that in the
event of another upheaval "free'.' labor
will be; again employed, and that difficul
ties similar to those experienced in. get
ting rid of the Melbourne and Sydney
free labor bureaus will again occur with
the resultant suffering.
Tt was pointed out by (he Federal pre
sident of the Marine Stewards' Union (Mr.
G.' E. Moate) "on Saturday that the ship
owners would he unable to tic up the
overseas vessels in view of their mail
contracts. Tlie secretary of the Mel
bourne Trades Halt Council (Air. E. J.
Hollpwny) said thnt, judging from the
c(V.respondep.ee between the -parties, he
thought the way was open for negotiation
with a view of averting threatened disas
trous conflict.

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