FROM THE MINES

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13646, 1 February 1910, Page 7

FROM THE MINES

TWO STRIKERS IN TOWN

Messrs J. Heath and C Lamb, two of the Newcastle colliers, who went out when the strike was declared, arrived in Christchurch yesterday. In the course of conversation with a "Press ,, representative, they expre.wd the opinion thai the impiisontnent of Mr Bowling and his comrades would have <he effect of prolonging the strikn until the men were released. They expected that the strike would have losted until Easter in nny case, but now it would last until Mr Bowling and the others.were out of gaol. The men in the different districts would stu-k together and act in concert in the matter.

In reply to questions as to what effect the strike was having in tlw mining districts, they said that there .night oe a certain amount of distress among tho miners, but matters had not yet become at all acute. In one district 400 families were camped on die shores of Macquarie, and they maintained themselves largely on a diet of fish. There were also the co-opera-tive stores, which were supplying thoir members with the necessaries of lite on credit, after their ability to pay had tone, and the general storekeepers, acked by the merchants, were also assisting the miners in the way of giving extended credit. The landlords also had been very good, and had in many cases written off the rent duo. There was, however, a good deal of distress among the people employed in industries affected by the strike, and the relief funds collected were all applied for the benefit of deserving cases. Referring to the importation of foreign coal, they said that if the strike continued there would be no labour to hnndle the coal on arrival, and the attempt to break tho strike by bringing in coal from foreign countries would, therefore, fail.