THE BARWON'S COAL.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 153, 28 June 1919, Page 7

THE BARWON'S COAL.

FOR ADMIRALTY USES. WATERSIDERS' REFUSAL TO WORK IT. MINISTER EXPLAINS POSITION. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday. The refusal of the watersiders here t transfer 1,350 tons of coal from th Ivomata to the Barwon, which is boun for Australia under Admiralty order: arose from the fact that representation liad been made to the waterside worker that the coal was consigned to the Ai miralty. while it was badly needed i Wellington, and that by shifting it int the Barwon the waterside workers woulbe removing from Wellington a larg quantity of coal which would otherwis be available for distribution here. Th argument had its effect. It i understood that the men have no obje< tion to discharging the Komata, eithc on to the wharf or into coastal collier: The watersiders' ca.se was stated to th Hon. A. M. Myers this morning by M; Clover, president of the union, wh states that about 50 per cent of th members have no coal, and that some c them are in groat distress, with cases < sickness in their families. Mr. Myei explained that about 700 tons of co; would be available within a week c two for distribution in the city, an also that tho Department was about t open a wood depot. Mr. Glover calk a mooting of the union, and informed of what the Minister had said. H states that the men will not accept en ployment in such cases as that of tl Komata while they are in such need < coal, and while the rest of the commi nity is also suffering in the same ma; Mr. Myers had mentioned a reciproc arrangement by which the coal is sei to Australia no the condition that •« equal quantity is brought back, and althat an equivalent for the Barwon's shi incut 'had been landed, but Mr. Glov makes the point that the Australis coal was landed in South Island port and has had no effect on the shorta; in this part of New Zealand. The Hon. A. M. Myers, in a statemei regarding the Barwon's coal, said th: this collier would never have brougl coal to the Dominion if an equivalei quantity of West Coast coal could n have been guaranteed to the Admiral in return. She brought over a full shi inert of Australian coal, which was all j cated to essential industries in Dunedi I After discharge the Barwon proceed' ■to the eo:vst to load the return shi niont. but on account of bar difficulti had to proceed to Wellington to load t" remainder, some 1,300 tons. Messi Roberts and Clover, of the Waterside) I'nion. called on the Minister and stat that the watersiders refused to load t Barwon unless they were supplied wi K0 tons of coal to moot their own doim tic requirements. Mr. Myers placed t question •before the Cabinet, 'and it w decided that distribution must be on : equitable basis without preference any section of the community. In conveying this decision to Mess (Hover and Roberts, tho Minister point out that New Zealand had already : ceived a similar, quantity of coal, a was morally bound to carry out t compact entered into. On the decisi of the Cabinet being conveyed to t watersiders they refused to oomph loading the Barwon, and the shippi company decided to dis-patch her wi! out the balance of the coal. The Mm • ter had therefore given instructions tl: 700 tons of tho 1.300 tons should I allocated for householders' rpquiremoi ■in Wellington. Other colliers had : ■ rived from tho West Coast, and a fi ther 7i?o tons had been released.