COAL STRIKE LOOMING.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18921, 9 February 1927, Page 9

COAL STRIKE LOOMING.

TROUBLE ON NEWCASTLE FIELD. THIRTY THOUSAND MINERS AFFECTED. ;ii/ r.ißt.e.-.-.j.r.5., AM0 ,. 1AT .,.... r - r^;GrT , .'■•-muMA,, A ,- n , iz f:AnLn A^;;;v;".) •SYDXHV, I-Vb.-.i.-.ry S. U is anticipated -hat a meeting a: tlio Miners' Dogate P„, ;rfi will result in tlio -10-shijf ,f nil .„:..,.,, ;:I; ,i t |,„ rendering idl,. „:' ;;o,OC>'i ;ii i- ;w . and otliT colliery workers. Already the co :i | trad,, is -l--,-'.; half "he :i.in,.-s arc Idle for v. r< o'' trade. Newcastle is ::,..-. nurdv ..cnendcut on the liitrr-Staii: and X,;u Zealand trade, and the owners s'.a'.j ;h e latter will 1)0 r'urtlier reduced as New Zealand is devising schemes !,y which her own .'oal can I e [nit into more general Uv 1 , in place of Newcastle coal.

[A conference of coal-miners' representativcj and owners' representatives at Newcastle, to discuss the miners' claims for higher pay and better conditions of work, ended abruptly, when the owners' repiv.-entntivea refused the miners' claims, stating that the bad conditions of the coal industry did not warrant them. The Miners' Delegate Board has been summoned for to-mor-row, when the question as to whether the miners will cease work cr not will be considered. It is stated the position is grave.] "IF THE MINERS 'WANT FIGHT " (AUBTBALIAII AKD V.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) (Received February Bth, 9.15 p.m.) SYDNEY, February 8. In tlio Assembly, Mr Booth, the member for Newcastle, moved the adjournment of the House to discuss the situation in tho northern coalfields. Mr Booth said that unless something was, done, a serious crisis would bo precipitated. Ho explained that recently day-wage men had been granted an increase of from Is 3d to ls Gd a day. Coincidently tho coal owners increased the price of coal by ls 6d a ton. Tho miners wanted Local Boards on the fields to deal with disputes arising from time to time and an enquiry by tho Federal Government as to whether tho increase in the price of coal was justified. The increase meant a present of £550,000 a year to the owners.

Mr Scott Fell, himself n coal owner, said every increase granted to tho miners was followed by further demands. They were too well paid. Foreign trade was nlmost entirely lost. "If the miners want fight, they can have it," he said. "There will be only one result for them, and that i 3 absolute defeat. Supplies of coal in Australia are at a maximum."

Mr Davies said the principal grievance of the miners arose out of tho wcrkinp of bad or abnormal places in thf mines where n miner could not earn a decent living wage. Ho said there should bo a minimum living waae recoverable at law.

After further discussion, the motion was defeated bv 45 votes to 3G.