WAIKATO MINES TO REOPEN

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23750, 23 September 1942, Page 2

WAIKATO MINES TO REOPEN

Control By The State STATEMENT BY UNION SECRETARY

A AUCKLAND, September 22. A statement placed on the union notice-board in Huntly to-dav revealed the miners’ belief that the Government has i decided to operate the Waikato mines under Slate control. At their mass meeting on Monday the miners decided to work if the Government took over the mines. The statement, posted over the name of Mr T. Hall, the j union secretary read: “The majority vote of the mass meeting ; of members of the Northern Miners’ Union is m favour of returning to work with the mines under State control. The , Government has decided to take control of the mines. “All mines will be open for work to-morrow (Wednesday), and all members of the union are requested to resume work to-morrow.”

Contrary to the men’s expectations, no further meetings were held in Huntly to-day. It was expected that the Government’s reply would be conveyed to the men by this means, but the Minister of Industrial Manpower the Hon. A. McLagan), who is national secretary of the United Mine Workers, and who has conducted negotiations with the men, left for Pukemiro in the morning and returned to Huntly after lunch, without any official announcements being made to the waiting men. A meeting of the men was held at Pukemiro. but no vote was taken on the question of resuming work. All the 1300 men who are on strike are expected to travel to their respective mines to-morrow morning. Arriving by aeroplane from Wellington this afternoon, the Minister of Mines and Labour (the Hon. P. C. Webb) and the Minister of Armed Forces and War Co-ordination (the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates) had a discussion lasting several hours with the Auckland Coalmine Owners’ Association The owners’ representatives met at 3.30 p.m., the Minister arrived at 3.50 p.m., and the meeting continued till 7 o’clock, after which the only statemerit made was that the conference had concluded. The Ministers remained in Auckland overnight. , No arrangements had been made tonight for the Minister of Mines to meet the representatives of the owners again. .

PROPOSALS “FOR SETTLEMENT

CRITICISM MADE BY MANUFACTURERS

VIEWS OF FEDERATION STATED

(P.A.) WELLINGTON. Sept. 22. "When the Acting-Prime Minister (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) sought public support for any firm action the Government mivht find it necessary to take in accepting the challenge to constitutional government by the Waikato miners, the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation offered the fullest co-operation,” stated Mr C. V. Smith, president of the federation, to-night. "In order to support a stand for constitutional government it was known that it mieht be necessary to make sacrifices. The manufacturers were prepared to make these to enable the Government to carry out its intention. "The present proposals for a settlement, however, are a direct negation of the Government’s declared intention, and, regardless of the issue at stake, cannot be supported by the federation.

“Apart altogether from the rights or wrongs of the miners’ complaints, the federation maintains that there is a definite principle involved, namely, the right of any section of the public to flout constitutional authority, and if such conduct can be condoned in the case of one section of the public, it cannot be denied to any other section, thus resulting in a set of conditions similar to those existing in pre-war France.”

PROTESTS MADE IX DUNEDIN

MANUFACTURERS AND BUSINESSMEN

(P.A.) DUNEDIN. September 22. Resolutions protesting against the methods adopted by the Government in dealing with the Waikato miners were carried to-day by the Dunedin Manufacturers’ Association and the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce. The motion passed by the Manufacturers’ Association stated, among other things, that if dictation by the miners in respect to the nationalisation of the industry was tolerated or condoned by the War Cabinet it would make a travesty of law and order and would seriously undermine a co-ordinated war effort. The Chamber of Commerce resolution. after protesting against the proposed nationalisation of the mines as a bribe 10. the miners to resume work, adds: “This proposed surrender by the Government will have a detrimental effect on all industries engaged in war production. We also protest against the Government’s interference in the decisions of a Court of justice.”