The Hawaiian gazette., 1890-10-21
COLONIAL NEWS.

The Labor Strikes = Federation Con-
ference = The san Francisco Mail
Route. etc.
The r. NJ. S. Zealandia brought
full files of late Sydney and New
Zealand papers, from which we clip
the following items of interest:
At the conference on the subject
of Federation, held some time ago in
Australia, New Zealand was repre-
sented by Captain Russell, Colonial
Secretary, and by Sir John Hall, one
of the oldest politicians in the colony.
1t was agreed then that a convention
should be held, at which all the colo
MES should be represented The New
Zealand representatives stated frank
ly that they did not think the time
was come for New Zealand to federate
with the Australian colonies, but it
was agreed that Parliament should
be asked to appoint delegates. Ultl-
mately it was agreed that New Zea-
land should be represented at the
convention by three delegates. Cap
tain Russell, the Colonial Secretary,
was appointed as one, while the
others are Sir George Grey and Sir
William Fitzherbert The delegates
are not authorized to bind the colony
to any constitution that may be
adopted by the convention, but all
documents must be submitted to
Parliament.
The New Zealand Herald of &C.
tober 9th says: The dispute from
which our strike has arisen began in
Australia. The Australian steamship
companies objected to the union of
the officers federating with the sea-
mems union. One man was dis
charged from a steamer, and the
unionists insisted that he should be
reinstated. The shipowners objected,
and the men struck. The Union
Steamship Company of New Zealand
were part of the Shipowners' Union,
and therefore the men of the Union
vessels struck. The Maritime Coun-
Gil of New Zealand, in order to boy
colt the Union Company, called out |
the engineers and officers, the wharf |
laborers, all carriers, and lastly the /
coal miners, in order that the Union /
Company might not get any coal.
The carriers soon went back to work,
but the seamen and the wharf labor
ers still remain out. Their places,
however, are gradually being taken
up by free laborers, and in very few
weeks no inconvenience will be felt
to trade. Great difficulty, however,
is felt with regard to coal.
During the last session of the New
Zealand Parliament a resolution was
passed which provided for the con-
tinuance of the San Francisco route
and the direct service. The liability
on the former will not exceed $780,
600 and,as it is the quickest route be-
tween England and New Zealand, the
is a very favorable one.
1t was carried that the port of call
in the colony should be left to the
contractors, instead of Auckland be-
ing specified, as was done in the re-
solution as originally proposed by
the Government 1t is not at all
likely, however, that there will be
any change. Auckland and the
Northern portion of the colony are
at disadvantage in respect to the
direct and the Brindisi services, and
IS entitled, on that account, to pre-
ference as the port of the San Fran
cisco service. 1t is, besides. the port
n New Zealand which steamers
rom San Francisco can the soonest
each, and it is the headquarters of
he Pacific trade, which is connected
With this route, as the mail steamers
'eceiye mails at Samoa.