EARLIER MOVES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 221, 18 September 1942, Page 4

EARLIER MOVES

COURT ADJOURNS SETTLEMENT HOPES • Special.) HI'NTLY, this day. While pi'o.-pect.s have been fluctuatinl: :no ureatly in the past two days fni tun cteat a reliance to be placed on either hopes or fears, there seemed this morning. before the Police Court proceedings, to be some ,-üb-tantial ground for hope that the men of the Huntly coalfields would I be back at work on Monday. Wellington Governmental circles have been ,-trangely quiet concerning any possible moves for a settlement of the strike, which has nowbeen in progress for over a fortnight. The Minister of Industrial Manpower. Mr. McLagan, left here last Monday nieht on his return to Wellington following the failure of the secret ballot to alter the position. He was accompanied by Mr. T. Hall, secretary of the Northern Miners' I'nion, and it was hoped that some development would come from thai quarter. This morning it wa.learned that Mr. Hall was expected to return to-day, and that tie was bringing some proposal that might affect the i.-.-uc. A meeting of the executive of the union wa- held early this morning. Several Dramatic Turns K\ents in Huntly itself have taken .several dramatic turns. The atmosphere fluctuates from hour to hour, with the mineis, the mine-owners, the Court and a disinterested party in the person of the Mayor of I Huntly. Mr. George Smith, in turn taking the -potlight of public attention. The new phase had its birth in the intervention of Mr. Smith on Wednesday afternoon, and his appeals to both the executive of the Northern Miners' Union and the representatives of the Pukemiro colliery directorate. There was no immediate success to this move, but a ray of hope was seen when the midday recess was taken at the Court yesterday. A last-minute endeavour was being made to secure a settlement before the Court pronounced sentence on 182 miners, who had pleaded guilty to being parties to the strike at Pukemiro on September 3. Charges against 14 boys of 17 years of age and under had been withdrawn.

It has been learned since that, the Pukemiro colliery management communicated to Mr. Smith an offer to pay the £16 odd involved in the original dispute into a trusteeship to be held pending a settlement of the dispute before a tribunal and the return of the men to work. Scenes in Court Hope flickered and there was much going and coming and much anxious conferring of union delegates. The Court, which had been adjourned until 3 p.m., sat in recess on this case until 3.30 p.m. Then the flame died down as Mr. W. J. King, of Hamilton, representing the miners, told the Court that he had been unable to get the undertaking asked for by the Court. He had done all he could, said Mr. King. He had even been in communication by telephone with the owners. They had told him that it was necessary to refer the question for further consideration by the directors. That could not be done until 10 a.m. to-day. "Well, that forces the Court " began Mr. W. H. Freeman, S.M., and then hesitated. He addressed Mr. V. R. Meredith, Crown Prosecutor, with the suggestion that the Court could adjourn until 10 a.m. to-day or let it go. It appeared, said Mr. Meredith, that the Court was being used as a lever to settle a matter that was extraneous to the question before the Court. However, if the case was held over until 10 a.m., reason might come to somebody. Reference to Owners He was considering the matter from a national angle, said Mr. Freeman. The question had been referred to the owners, and it would take time to get their answer. The proper thing to do was to afford an opportunity for the matter to be settled quickly. Mr. King raised no optimistic hopes. If the company said "No" the position remained as sit present. Into his words could be read the adamant nature of the stand being taken by the men's representatives. It was all or nothing. The adjournment of the Court until 10.30 a.m. to-day gave the centre of the stage to the owners. The miners had been offered a corrtpromise, and, it seemed, had declined it. Now a decision was asked of the owners.