MT. MORGAN MINERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 215, 11 September 1925, Page 7

MT. MORGAN MINERS.

THREATS AGAINST OFFICIALS. POLICE FORCED TO RETIRE.. SUGGESTIONS OF VIOLENCE. (By Cable.—iFress Association.—Copyright.) (Received 10 a.m.) BRISBANE, this day. Further disturbances have occurred at Mount Morgan mine. All roads leading .to the mine are picketed by miners, and officials, shift bosses and members of the clerical staff are prevented from attending work. Pickets searched the mine and located the general manager in the power-house. They escorted him to his private office. The chief electrical engineer was also found and threatened. The men declared he would be thrown into the dam if he came back. The miners then escorted him to his private house. When the company's industrial advocate endeavoured to enter the mine to interview the manager regarding the arbitration case, he was stopped by a picket. Police assistance was sought to take him to the mine, but other pickets arrived, and the advocate and the police retired. | MEETING OF STRIKERS. ' At a mass meeting of strikers it wm urged that a telegram be sent to the Home Secretary asking that no police reinforcements be dispatched to Mount Morgan, also advocating that the local police should be requested not to interfere with the miners. The men are demanding, when the mine resumes, that surface hands be paid the new basic wage of f 4 5/ with a 44-hour week, and a 40-hour week for underground employees. OTHER UNIONS HELP. As a result of the fires being drawn at the mine, the railway station, and many other institutions drawing electric power from it have been plunged into darkness. Representatives of engineers, carpenters, enginedrivers, and electricians reported that their organisations had unanimously decided to stand behind tho miners. None of their members remained on the leases after eight last night. It was stated at the meeting that Mr. Stopford (Home Secretary) had telephoned • that the new basic wage . would not apply to Mount Morgan. I The president of the Enginedrivers' . Union stated that the President of the Arbitration Court would visit Mount Morgan and hear claims to-day. THE BASIC WAGE. The chairman of the Disputes Committee (Mr. Lynch), interviewed, said that the basic wage at the mine was £3 18/6, but when loss of time through holidays and continual closing of the mine waa taken into account, the wage would not reach £3 5/ per week for the year. In no other place in Australia were men asked to accept such a miserable wage. STRIKE COMMITTEE'S PLAN. Members of the strike committee said they wanted members of the staff to join them, because in 1921 the lock-out staff manned the mine and kept it dry, and the levels and all the property in good order, so that the mine could be reopened at a moment's notice. The workers realised that if such a I thing were allowed on this occasion the lock-out would go on indefinitely, as the : staff decided to s£and by tho company. The meeting considered the feeling was j that since moderate means had been used without success, the only way to meet the case was by forcing out men who j still worked in the mine.—(A. and N.Z.)