The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1929. AUSTRALIA'S COAL CRISIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 293, 11 December 1929, Page 6

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1929. AUSTRALIA'S COAL CRISIS.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that tee can do.

After protracted negotiations and the semblance of a settlement that unfortunately proved quite illusory, the Australian coal dispute has reached once more a critical and dangerous stage. The condition of the industry is admittedly such that some sort of readjustment in terms and wages is inevitable, and after a strike in the Northern coal-fields extending over 36 weeks, to resist a threatened reduction in wages, the miners at last agreed to negotiate. But the council of the Miners' Federation finally declared against a reduction in wages, and the Southern and Western miners, who were profiting by the enforced idleness of the Northern fields, were strongly against any compromise, so that the dispute drifted on to the end of November without any finality being reached.

By this time the New South Wales Government had decided that the coal industry must be kept going, in the public interest, at all costs, and therefore it threatened to reopen some of the mines with free labour. This warning had the joint effect of exasperating the extremists and inducing many of the waverers to snatch at the hope of peace, and at the moment when all hope seemed gone it was suddenly announced that a compromise had been arranged. The representatives of the miners accepted a reduction of 12A per cent on contract wages and sixpence per ton on day wages, and agreed not to restrict the output, while the selling price of coal would be reduced by about 5/ per ton. All over the State, and especially in the Newcastle district, this happy ending to the crisis was greeted with a great outburst of public rejoicing, and 10,000 miners, who have lost over £2,000,000 in wages during the past nine months, were apparently ready; to resume M - ork at once.

But the extremists in the Labour organisations were too strong for the moderates, and the policy of irreconcilable antagonism to the mine-owners carried the day. At meetings held throughout the Northern colliery districts the delegates who had concluded the agreement were hooted and howled down, the settlement was rejected by large majorities, and the ominous threat of a general strike began to make itself heard. The Disputes Committee of the Labour Council expressed the opinion that "the acceptance of the peace terms would mean the betrayal of the miners," and the announcement recently made by Mr. Bavin, that he has enough skilled workers available to man at least two of the Northern mines, has apparently .added fuel to the flames. It is always easy to work up a demonstration against "free" or "black" labour in Australia, and the miners have threatened to bring 13,000 men to Eothbury. to prevent the mine from working. On the other hand, the engine-drivers regard the proposal for a general strike under existing conditions as suicidal, the Sydney Trades Hall officials declare that they have no funds to finance a general strike, and the industrial position throughout the, Commonwealth is such that the Federal Government has just voted £1,000,000 for the relief of the unemployed. Unless wiser counsels prevail, the prospects for the Christmas season in Australia will be gloomy indeed.