APPLICATION FOR PROTECTION

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 142, 14 June 1912, Page 5

APPLICATION FOR PROTECTION

1 I THE COTJBT CROWDED. [ ALL APPLICATION'S GRANTED , (By Telegraph—Own Correspondent.) WATRTj this day. At tEe Warden's Court this morning, i before Sir. F. V. Frazer, Warden, the • Waihi Company applied for six months' i protection for all their claims, and 70 > subsidiary righte, including water , , races, • dams, special sites, etc. The Grand Junction Company also ■ applied for sis months' protection for i all their claims, and 25 subsidiary rights, i The WaUii Extended Company applied • for six months' protection for their two I claims. _i. ', The Waihi Standard Company applied for six months' protection for the Waihi ! Gladstone, and nine subsidiary rights. The grounds set out for the applications were:—(l) That, owing to labour J troubles in Waiii, the above-named i companies arc not in a position to man their properties; and (2) in ' connection with the application for the protection of subsidiary W if hts, that they are not in a position to use such privileges. Mr. Jackson, appeared for the.WaiM and Grand Junction Companies, and Mr. Gibson flor the Waihi Extended and Waihi Standard Companies. Great interest is taken in connection ■with the applications, and the Courthouse is crowded. STo objections were filed against the j applications. Mr. Jackson emphasised the fact that l the applicants had no part or share in the origin of the strike; and that the ,' differences lay between two unions. It r had been said that the new union had I been engineered by the companies. Ec- % presentatives of both the companies which he represented gave an emphatic and solemn denial to that assertion. On j the 13th of May last neither of the' - companies knew what was about to hap- , pen. Representatives of the men ati tended at the shafts on the afternoon ' of that day and' asked the afternoon I shift not to go on work. They (the com- ■ parties) said that the strike occurred at i 4 o'clock on the 13th of May. The nest ; steps taken were with a view to ascer- ! tain the decision of the mass meeting 1 when it was found that the men were ■on strike. The did not turnup, I nor did the day shift next morning. Two • "officials of the union delivered an Tfiti- ; niatum to both companies on the morn- ! ing of the 14th to the effect that all ' members of the union had ceased work, • and would not resume till assured that the new union would disband, and that all workers,.with, the exception, of mem- ' bers of the Amalgamated Society of En- .. gineers, ,must, join the union. It was impossible to comply with this request. The mines were then officially shut down. Counsel concluded by stating , that the companies wished the full period of protection asked.tor to be granted. It was obvious that work could not be resumed 1 till a satisfactory and binding anrange- ' ment had been made, covering some considerable time. When that was accom* I plished, the mine owners would at that : moment be prepared to reopen the mines. Mr. H. 'P. Barry gave evidence. He ! stated that the Waihi company had ex- ! pended on the plant 'three-quarters of a million sterling, and paid in wages three millions. The company, jad expended altogether five millions sterling. It employed eight times as many men as it was required to by lavr. They would resume when there was satisfactory cvi- ; dence of permanency of working the > mines on a satisfactory basis. \ Evidence was also given by Mr. McArfchnr (attorney for the Grand Junction Company). The. warden in giving nis decision, said that wher-e a company was defending an " action for forfeiture it was a good defence, k to show that trouble had teen caused by 1 a labour dispute to which they were not k parties, and the application for protection was practically an anticipation of . a forfeiture action. He was satisfied ; that the companies and officials of the ; companies had nothing to do with the ; formation of this new union. The facts 1 were quite clear as to this. It was also ■ clear that the strike had been brought - about by friction between two bodies of men and that the companies had nothing j to do with it. The companies did not <:aust- the strike by fomenting, any l" trouble. It was ridiculous to think that the companies could have complied witii J the demands of the union. No ■speeting company could, do it. In any > case the 'strike was an before this •ultimatum was delivered." 'He would grant i the applications. ; Applications by the Extended and , Standard companies were also granted. i Mr. Hogben appeared for the latter company.

Mr.G. Araols appealing for protection; for tie Waihi Prince and Waihi Princess Claims '". applicant, sair he would hare started operations had it not been for the strike' -srinch "was started without! reason w cause. The application was granted for six months.^ The Pride of Waahi Co. applied for sis months' protection for the Pride ofi Waihi. The -warden decided to recommend the application to the* Minister.