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SHIPPING DISPUTES.
SERIOUS DEVELOPMENT.
Waterside Workers' Support
Melhnnrne. June -17.
The threatened action by the water
side workers to stand by tbe seamen in
their present dispute was to-day put into
effort wh«i n cn!J was made for wharf
labourers to discharge the cargo of the
Melbourne Steamship Co., Ltd.'s steamer
Monaro. There was no response, ana su
efforts by the company to secure ju--
our were futile. It is 'ikeiy- that the
cargo, which is already overdue in Syrt1
ney and (Newcastle, wtt towe to remain
in the' vessel's hoMs for the presfent
This is regarded as the first step in ex
tend-pg the dispute. The next step is
expected to-morrow, when the Howard
Smith steamer Time will have to sngn
on a now crew at Sydney. It is expected
in McBbonrne that the company ml. take
the same action as the owners of the
Monaro, as. they also are members of
the Commonwealth Steamship Owners
Association. Aithough not a feature of
the dispute regarding the renewal of
articles, there was further irritation to
day- when tbe interstate steamer KarpoJa
was delayed- an hour in her departure for
Fremantle owing to the absence of three
firemen; from the vessel at saung time.
Any possibility of a settlement being
reached at an early date is discounted by
the determination of the shipowners to
see the trouble through. , There is not
yet any indication that attempts to secure
other ' than union labour for the -dis-
charge of the Monarp's cargo wii be
made. It is. not regarded, as ffikeiy that
volunitear labour ?will be sought at the
present juncture. The refusal of the
wharf labourers to work the ve;sse.
which was to have , discharged into
the Adelaide Steamship Oo.'s Memwa
was not unexpected, as an announcement
of such a policy had been made on be
half «f Hip union.
The attitude that will be adopted J-y
the management of the Commoaweiwth
Line towards tbe seamen's demands when
the Esperance Bay reaches Sydney on
Tuesday is being awaited with great in
terest ' by all concerned in the dispute.
Statements made in Sydney to1
the effect that the Seamen s Union
was not sufficiently financial to
withstand a long strike were
brought under 'the noticeof the Federal
officials of the union in' Melbourne tp
diy. It was stated that for the six
months ending June of last year the
union had only £2 in hand and £164 in
the 'bank. According to the .baJance
Bheet submitted to the Arbitration Court
however, the New South Waies branch
had a credit balance . of more than £500
and the Victorian, .branch £300. The
revenue received iy the; committee of
management from the branches for the
half-year was £4,436 and the expendi
ture fiOOT. Of ; this sum Victoria remit
ted £787, Sydney £2,547, Newcastle
£2H Queensland £288, South Australia
'£315, and Western Australia £203. It
is believed that none of the branches at
the present t&rie have large lank 'bal
ances. _,
The president of the union (Mr. T.
?Walsh) dedined'to make any comment
on the statement The general secre
tary- (Mr. W. Baeburn) said that the
policy of the committee of management
was to use the funds contributed by the
branches in striving 'to obtain improved
conditions for the seamen. It .was' not
wise, he added, for the committee to
build .up a central banking account,
especially when the branches had ample
funds with which to carry on.
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