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PROPOSED OPEN-AIR MEETING.
BROKEN HILL STRIKE LEADERS
TO SPEAK.
Sydney, July 6.
The owners still express themselves
thoroughly satisfied with the position.
At a meeting of the Trades and Labor
Council to-night subscriptions were an-
no'.uiced from tho wharf laborers
and one or two other societies
towards the strike fund. It ires also
slated that other amounts were on their
way from other societies. Mr. Sioich,
the secretary of fc!>e Seamen's Union, was
[present, and explained the position at
lengtla, and appealed for moral and
financial assistance iii carrying on the
fisht. He made some very strong re
marks with reference to the inequalities
of the law, and to the tvay in which it
was administered. Breaches of law- by
the masters, lie said, were punished witu
small tines, while tho men liad to go to
prison. All sorts of loopholes were
found by which the masters could escape.
In a sulisaouent conversation Mr. .Smith
stated, with reference to the men who
had struck on the vessels where they had
signed articles for three or six months,
chat they had taken this action under the
conviction that as soon as the masters
obtained suliideut non-unionists they
would terminate the agreementa. They
could do tliis by simply laying up the
vessels. The men v.erc iully aware
of what they were doing, as specixl pre
cautions had been token to make them
acquainted, with the results their action
would entail. They treated, their im
prisonment very lightly, believing that
11 would call attention to then
grievances. Mr. Smith added that the
chief object in declaring a strike here
was to assist the man in Melbourne.
A determined attempt had been made on
them there, and they thought that if
matters were allowed to go "any further
the cause there would be wholly lost.
A public open-air meeting of wharf
laborers and other unionists haa
been calied for Saturday, at which
fche leading unionists and several
members of Parliament will speak in
advocacy of tlie men's cause. A demon
stration is also to be held on Sunday
afternoon, at which amongst others the
released Broken Hill strike leaders will
•peak. A collection will bo taken up in
aid of the strike fund.
The seamen belonging to the ship Port
Jackson, which was recently burnt out,
have been discharged, and the Seamen's
Union ate now making overtures to these
men so as to prevent them joining the
non-unionists. With the three more
vessels which left Sydney to-day and
those in the other colonies, there are now
in all 37 vessels with non-union crews on
board.
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