THE COAL MINERS' POSITION.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14854, 20 December 1913, Page 10

THE COAL MINERS' POSITION.

With the seamen's strike declared off, and with the waterside workers on the eve of a scramble for such work as is left, for them, it is time for the coalminers to seriously consider their position- It is certain that the public will not tolerate much longer the manner in which they are being treated by this section of the community. When wo find an institution like the Wellington Hospital entirely out of coal, and driven to beg it elsewhere so that tho patients shall not suffer, sentiments of common humanity demand that the community at largo shall no longer bo deprived of all of the prime necessities of life by the whim of a number of men who have been well-paid and welltreated, who have no grievances of their own to complain of, but who have allowed thems'jlves to be led into the syndicalist delusion by the Red Fed. agitators who have, hitherto been able successfully to batten on the simplicity of their dupes, but whose reign, as we fully hope and believe, is now rapidly drawing to a close. Many thousands of tons of seaborne coal are now on their way to this country, go that very shortly the immediate pressure will be relieved. It is to be hoped that these importations will not lead to supplies from the same source being regularly imported in future, and so entering into active competition with the New Zealand mines with consequent restriction in the demand for labour. Unfortunately experience shows that in too many instances the trade lost during a strike is never recovered. We hopo that will not be an experience in this particular case. Tho possibility of such a result, however, 13 another argument why the present deadlock should no longer be tolerated. If the miners will not go back the mines should be opened with fresh arbitrationist labour. There is no doubt that such labour is available, and that the Government, backed up by the community can, and will, protect such workers in the exercise of their undoubted rights.

Holding these views, we would suggest that the Government, without further delay, should decide what is to be done in regard to the State coal mines. In the face of tho experience actually staring us in the face at the present moment, we have seen it stated again and again, not only by soap-box orators, but by journals supposed to be conducted with some knowledge of public affairs, that if the Government wero to take over the mines, the shipping, and other forms of enterprise, there would be no strikes, and no crises such as have lately administered a severe check to the prosperity of New Zealand. This utterly fallacious, and, indeed, absurd contention was actually made with7a full knowledge of the fact that*-__e State coal miners were among the first to join the sympathetic strike, and that the crews of the Government steamers actually refused to man tho ships to carry the mails when the Union Steam Ship Company's men left off work. The. State coal miners were on a particularly good wicket. Concession after concession was made to them, so that they were exceptionally well-paid, and well treated. A. model township was built for them, and at the present moment, although they are doing no work, they are occupying Government cottages, and we should not be at all surprised to learn that they are paying no rent. Yet Runanga has from the first been a hot-bed of disaffection and intrigue, and has contributed no small share of support to the campaign against the community. It is time that the Government ended this farce. Two courses aro open to them. Tho State coal mines do not pay, and so far they have not reduced the price of coal by a shilling a ton to the general consumer. Tbe Government may, therefore, with an easy mind, tell the men that unless the miners resume work immdiately after the Christmas holidays the mines will be closed down for the next twelve months. Or, on the other hand, they may take the lead in re-opening the mines by arbitration labour. Whichever course is adopted will, we feel sure, meet with the hearty approval of the public.