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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5306, 24 August 1888, Page 2

Our latest advices from Sydney arc- to the efteet that while the miners decline to withdraw from the position they have taken up thoy itro willing to meet tho colliery proprietors iv order to discuss both sides of the question. The proprietors, it would seem from other accounts, are quite indifferent as to whether tho miners go on strike or continue work. Uy a strike the men would be inevitably separated, mid eventually they would have to resume labor on less favorable terms than they are now getting. A correspondent writing from Melbourne on the 11th instant says that, as far as can be seen at present, tho vast coal trade in Newcastle will bo brought to a complete standstill in a fortnight. Tho miners are reported to be very angry and excited, whilo the townspeople of "Newcastle are gloomily contemplating tho probable consequences of throwing idle thousands of wage-earners. Even if the impending «tril:e is only of short, duration, it will involve serious results to Newcastle, and the residents are displaying the greatest anxiety to bring about a settlement of the dispute. The present attitude of the masters and men, however la anything but promising. The former are dignified and firm, while the men regard the masters' refusal to negotiate as a distinct challenge for a trial of strtiigth, and they express the fullest determination to fight it out to the bitter end. Tho total number of men employed in the various mines at present is estimated at about ,0500. Of these about 1000 are miners, while tho rest consist of surfacemen, bovn, and youths employed iv various capacities about the diikicnt pits. All those will be thrown out ot employment, and many more besides coal-lumpers, carters, ami hundreds of other men engaged in various occupations connected with the shipment of coals will find themselves without occupation A period »{ abnormal activity such as a.

present prevails will bo followed by little short of utter stagnation. Some efforts aro being made to indtiuu the miners to agree to work until the vessels now in port aro disposed of, but the prospect of success is regarded a« very alight, mul SO mo of tho uJnp-iiKislerslmvo suspended tho discharging of ballast until there is some olmiu-o of an amicable «ettleinent. A leading coal importer has stated that he did not think the Newcastle miners would actually go out on strike, as tho tradespeople there aro opposed to their doing so on this occasion, and will not givo them credit, as they have done beioro whilst on strike. On th*e other hand this larger shipowners declared that tho miners have been working lull time for some time past, and can alford t> bo idle tor a week or two without fo.sliu-- the effects. °