No Time for Increasing Wages Hongkong, Feb. 7.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the shareholders of the Hongkong, Canton & Macao Steamboat Ca. to-day, the Chairman, allude ing to the present seamen's strike, remarked that, taking into account the present depressed state of shipping industry all over the world, with owners having been face with the necessity of cutting down overhead charges in order to mako both ends meet, the time was inopportune for the demand for a general increase of wages.
The demand for practically a flat rate of increase on all: lines operating from Hongkong was on the face of it unwarranted by the conditions nor did it afford a fair basis upon which to conduct negotiations.
Tue Rervsa, oF AupirRaTION.
The mest important point for consideration was the refusing of the original offer of arbitration which implied that the Union admitted the weakness of their posttion. The resort to intimidation in an endeavour to embroil other workers in a dispute with which they were not directly concerned
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.