IF WAIHI STRUCK.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 227, 18 June 1908, Page 7

IF WAIHI STRUCK.

A CONTRACT TROUBLE. THE BIG COMPANY'B ATTITUDE. EFFECT ON 'ALLIED INDUSTRIES. (BY TBIiEQHAPH.r—SPECIAL COHRESPONBENT)* . Auckland, Juno 17. The trouble over the contract system at Waihi (a community which is dependent 1 on the mining., industry, and almost entirely on ~ the Waihi mine) has now reached an interesting stage, the mine-owners having declined the requests of the men for the institution of tho co-operative contract system, and the Union is now to consider tho position brought) about by the meeting on Saturday night. Some rumours that the men might go out on strike have been circulated, but this is not considered probable for numerous reasons, the first one being that only a comparatively small section of the great body of men working at the mines is interested in the contract! system, and a strike in one part of the mine might throw the whole system out of gear and render many hundreds of other men idle through no fault of their own. Moreover, it is pointed, out that a big section of the workers opposes the demand made. Again,, the Waihi Company pays its workers Bs. 6d. per day, while the contractors are paying. 10s. and lis. per day, so that in the case of a strike, which would requiro to extend beyond tho contractors' men to be really a strike, workers at Bs. 6d. per day wouM' be asked to come out of work and indie hardship on hundreds of women and childrei in order to secure larger payment for a com paratively small body of men already receiv ing 10s. to lis. per day. A STRIKE WOULD MEAN A CENERAL CESSATION. Mr. H. P. Barry, General Superintendent for the Waihi Company, put the -position very clearly in speaking of what' a strike, if it really was being thought about, would mean to Waihi. lie said that if tho trouble was goin" to culminate in a strike, then he wanted the men to understand tho position and not complain afterwards that the terrible ' trouble of strike had been forced upon them. A strike should not be possible unless the majority of the members of the Union \ wero in favour of it, and actually voted for it, but if tho majority would not go to the troublo of rocording their votes, then they* had only themselves to blame if the result of . the poll was against thoir wishes. "If'the' Union really calls a strike," Mr. Barry went on to say,." we will not endeavour to;oarry on short-handed.. When the wages men go out we shall simply assume thit the majority wish to discontinue at tho mine, for any attempt to continue in a disorganised fashion is 'useless. When the availablo. oro at the \ batteries becomes finished we shall close them down, and, of course, the workers there must ■ join the ranks of tho unemployed. ' CONSEQUENTIAL EFFECTS. "This also applies," said Mr. Barry, "to, all tho mechanics at Waihi and at Waikino .engaged in. construction work, for it: must bo obvious that while we are gotting no bullion tho means to provide for tho monthly pay-sheet will not be forthcoming. Tho timber-getters in' the bush will be affected, the wholo community must be affected by a strike, and even the Borough Council must feel it, i for, without 1 tho returns from the companies, gold duty must ceasij as a source'"' of revonuo. It is common public knowledge that the borough is already leaning heavily on t]ie bank, which leaves, it with- only limited means to carry on during a period of stress; therefore, in a few weeks of strike, tho borough ■ employees would also havo to join the unemployed. Much as.wor.,-srould regret a strike from the companies' point of view, it is really much more important to the wageearners and inhabitants of the town that it should be avoided. For the Waihi Company it would mean probably the suspension, of dividends, a matter serious_ enough to shareholders, but simply nothing as compared with tho efFect of the reduction of income that many householders would experience. THE STOPPAGE OF PUMPING WOULD DELAY RE-START.

"It is bad enough' to contemplate thia whore men are concerned, but when it comes to women and children it must appeal to every sensible man that it requires verv great oxpectod bonefHs to compensate for the loss and suffering inflicted by a strike which, "once started, nobody knows where it would end. Even after a strike it would be impossible to put all the men back at work at once. Tho first thing would be to pump out of the mine the water that would accumulate dur- ' ing the stoppage of the machinery, and that would take a long time. As the water permitted, contracts would be resumed, arid the batteries would be started one after another as the ore was available. Thus what only bo intended to be a temporary strike might become very much more serious. There is a section of the Union which does not endorse tho demands, and has passed a resolution asking the companies to maintain the - existing methods, and I_ can only hope that the Union as a 1 body will 1 bo guided by tho advico of that section." ■ _ There was little inquiry for Waihi mine .. shares at the Stook Exchange yesterday in 1 consequence of tho present trouble, and saleswere effected at £9 3s. 6d. and £9 3s. !3d, closing with buyers at £9 2s. 6d. arid sellers > 'at £9 3s. 6d. Tho previous day shares were . sold at £9 ss. and £9 4s. 3d., closjng with buyers at £9 45.. and sellers at £9 ss.