STRIKE PROBABLE

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 671, 23 November 1909, Page 5

STRIKE PROBABLE

STATE COAL-MINE.

MENEXPECTEDTO CEASE WORKTO-DAY EVENTS. IN NEW SOUTH WALES. . ' (By'Telscraph— Press Association.) Greymouthy November 22. : The position at the State, coal-mirio is causing a good deal of anxiety locally, and all manner of rumours are in tho air. It whs coinmon rumour throughout the day: that a strike would be declared, but bo far nothing has eventuated. ' Statement by the Manager. '; The manager; on being interviewed at a late hour this evening, said he was still confident that a settlement would be Arrived at.' He stated that he had been in conference with the miners' representatives all day, and had put his final conclusions . before ' them. He; was ,acting from,, instructions from headquarters in Wellington. The men promised to. communicate with'him if they .had come to a conclusion, but up to eleven o'clock. they had not, done so. The manager stated: that the men were firm, and' would not accept any compromise.

•-At the meeting of the men to-night, after a good deal of discussion, it was agreed to adjourn the. discussion until to-morrow afternoon. ■ 'Stoppage of Work Expected. : i The general opinion in the township is that there will be a stoppage of work, and that the manager's, advice that a" temporary. stoppage will cause great harm will be disregarded. The men went to work on the four o'clock shift, but it is doubtful if the men will start work; tomorrow at 8 a.m.. ''•;■.'' •■'■ '•' Mr.-Bishop, the manager, has done,his utmost to effect; a settlement, and has now submitted the matter to. the Department,' and' is acting on .'advice received. .; .. !■•.;

From reliable sources the opinion is expressed that a' strike will take place. ...

PARTIAL RESUMPTION PLAN. STRIKERS' PROPOSAL. OBJECT, TO CRUSH THE COAL VEND. (Dy "talcirraph,—l'.resa Aiaoelatlnn.—CooyrlirhU (Rcc. November 23, 0.55 a.m.) Sydney, November 22. The Striko Congress is said to be considering tho opening of the southern and western coal districts and the working of suck mines at Newcastle as are not within the Coal Vend, with the object of crushing tho owners', combine. CO-OPERATIVE WORKING. OWNERS WILL INVOKE ANTI-TRUST LAW. (Rec. November 23, 0.55 a.m.) Melbourne, November 22. The Steamship Owners' Federation has hai several conferences with regard to the action which tho federation shall follow if tho striking miners put into operation tho scheme o thoir secretary (Mr.' Bowling) to work a colliery with union labour, and sell tbo coal at strike prices, to the benefit of the strike ■funds..

As soon as such operations commence, the owners will be' ready with a writ ngainst the Coal-miners' Federation, charging/it with acting in restraint of trade. MINERS' PLANS. ■ Sydney, November 22. Mr. P. Bowling, secrotary of tho Miners' Federation, in a speech at Newcastle, indicated that the miners will fight tho Coal Vend by means of co-operativo collieries. A general Strike was not aimed at, said Mr. Bowling, but ,it was intended to set up a coal famino'in Australia. - • , . ■ I STRIKERS' DECISION; WILL NEITHER WORK NOR ACCEPT THE INDUSTRIAL COURTS. Sydney," November 22. Tho 6triko delegates who, interviewed Mr. Wade, and who intimated ,that the mon as a ' whole would not return to work either prior to j or during tho proposed conference with the mine-owners, also made it clear that the miners would not consent to refer the dispute 'to a tribunal under the Industrial Disputes Act if the conference with.the;,mine-owners proved ' .■::' ; '•■'.'■-'.'■.■'::■..''- ■'■'■'•. ':■'.■' MEN'S REJECTION OF ! THE 'PREMIER'S. .■•■■;■ >::;.,V;:. : ''•■'•.•;PFF ; En.,;.:,v; i^'V-,-:,-DOES IT. MEAN: A FIGHT '.TO:A- FINISH?:; ■ -Does' the rejection'.by the Newcastle,miners of Premier 'Wade's proposal—for .a conference J of employers 'and employees, simultaneously with the of, -.' a fight to a finish"?. That.is tho -inference which one must draw from latest Sydney files, .which describe the offer, as the -best that Mr. Wado or any other Premier could make. Remarks the " Sydney Mbrning'Horald": ; ; : .'"'•,' . "The men had asked for an open conference, and the owners hadisaid the only condition that-they could accept would be that .tho men returned:to- work, first.. The condition that they should return first'was objected to by the: men; But it was just-possible both sides would agree to a conference: which should bei.simultaiieOus with: the return to .work. . ! So the Premier, that nothing should stand in the fay of that last chanco, made his offer.. And.it has simplified, matters :a good ] deal..--. ,„_. . If a. : conference is-not arranged after this, nothing will arrange it. It will bo a fight to a finish."

The Men's- Case. ■'~:;..: : ' :: : ' \i: : . , ; '-'.y-' 'In its editorial .columns .the same paper flays: "We have insisted from the commence-' ment that the return to work; should bo a condition of the conference;and no doubt the best pioof of sincerity oni the part of the strikers, now that they have gained their object in rousing public attention to, their griev- ■ ances, would ■■ come. so.. • But the miners • havo a case, after all. Though. they have • defied the law,, and flouted theiGovernment,. and their throats of a general strike have turned many sympathisers into ■ hostile critics,, nevertheless they have: not struck .pastime 'or primarily to attack the public. 'They would command the assistance and countenance of the peoplfi;of the State if they could;; and they Had an idea, in the first instance, tbat. they had only to formulate their grievances to put the colliery proprietors entirely, in the. wrong. Now they have discovered thoir mistake. 1 -, The public is thinking, not; of them, but of the law, and of the challenge to tho State itself. Yet it is due to the men to believe that they have'been in deadly earnest all through, as: conscious of unfair treatment. If this, is a reasqnable statement, there should bo less reluctance to'. accept the : -. Premier's.- offer , of mediation! . < . . •

The, Position of the Owners!' - . . , " "Neither side. can afford to ' hold out. ■ The masters, less than the men, should be. stubborn, for.they have . the larger, stakc'in'.that their need for publid countenance and support is greater: Thiß may appear open: to';'. challenge; but it is.clear that the mine-owners, have given hostages to fortune at , several points, while the men may slip away and find other, work. Tho law can lay. hands upon individuals on both sides, it is true; but the mines cannot be moved like a houseful of furniture or a bag of tools; and peoplo starving through lack of coal'to provide wages,or supply food are not likely to listen .patiently to long arguments, or to short.■• refusals, when (he road to the coat stands open. .This is not a plea for the nationalisation of mines—which is a practical- impossibility—but it. is thii best of reasons why the colliery, proprietors should listen and need when the Premier' lavs his proposals before thorn; 'They have said that tho mines are; open,- and that; they;.will grant a oonferenco; and they have very properly insisted that, until the law.of the land is 'observed and ■ obeyed,. they are helpless. The Promior, however, has shown; that it:will.be quite possible to do all that the law requires by giving a conference guarantee before work is resumed;'and;he explains that he has power to appoint a tribunal over the heads of tho disputants. I- Naturally Enough,- ; Mr. Wade is oonoerned to .oonbiliatoV rather than to an-

taijonise, and he does- not propose: to do anything which may give a handle'to critics on' either ride. . '.',';..,.':,.. ; '-', !■]■.■:'■'r : -; N.Z. Sidelight on Nationalisation. ;l;; "The debate. in the Legislative Assembly on' ,tho nationalisation of coal-mines . received: .a .: ourious .sidelight. '. from, the experience of New Zealand. Mr. Edden pointed hia arguments by a reference to the Dominion, where. State ooal-mining is supposed "to be a. success, and where strikes of. State miners are unknown, because the" State does not work' to . secure dividends for private individuals. Yet, as the honourable member was speaking, the news reached Australia \of a' strike among these very employees, and we know that they had threatened to cease work if; coat, hewed by ..them were, sent to Australia, No, question of nationalisation will help us at, the present, juncture. There is,thus nothing to bo done until the miners return to work; and to make ■ this as: easy: as possible ;no stone should. be. left unturned to secure such a conference as will remove the existing obstacles to har r mony,- and 'provide on amicable-agreement for years tocoroe." •_•■ ;■,■''•■•.' INCREASE IN INTERCOLONIAL RATES, UNION COMPANY.; .'.■"■"'■: (By; Telegraph-Presa/.Association!) '~",.v. . . * . Dunedin, November 22.^. The Union Steain Ship Company advises, that an increase of 10 per cent, in passenger, fares and ,of 25 per cent.;in freight, rates will be made . between '■ New Zealand ■ and Australia, commencing with tho Moana this week.•■• Coastal rates will not be altered. ...