CO^L SUPPLY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 145, 16 December 1913, Page 3

CO^L SUPPLY

WESTPORT MANIFES'IO. v A manifesto issued by the Buller Central Strike Committee, Westport, gives the views of the miners regarding the possibility of securing supplies of coal within the Dominion. "At the present stage of the national industrial crisis," it says, "we men of the coal mines and of the waterfront and general labourers in the Buller district, wish to make clear the position here and the part we wage in the colossal struggle now raging throughout the Dominion of 'God's Own Country.' This being the' centre of the coal monopoly, we realise the significant position we hold. Let us state that the lowest possible estimate of weekly coal trade from this port is 15,000 tons. No coal has left since the port was tied up some five weeks ago. This means that 75,000 tons of coal are yet in the hills that would in normal times be on the market. This from Westport alone! Note also that the railways revenue is practically cut off while all hands are employed. The shortening of hands would mean the railwaymen joining the strikers' lists, and the Department keeps these men running an occasional train or on watch duty. There are less than 3000 tons of coal loaded in "trucks and bins in the close vicinity of the wharves, and there are other small supplies throughout the district, making a total altogether of about 4000 tonß. There have been several calls upon the Central Strike Committee by local merchants and shipping agents for coal fdr export, even playing upon the food supplies, but so far we have resisted all attempts. If plutocracy deals with this port as with Wellington and Auckland, and succeeds in its designs, we wish to make clear that the mines cannot be operated and would in no way break down our solidarity." The manifesto is signed by the officers of the Westport-Stockton, Granity, Denniston, and Seddonville Miners' Unions, the president of the Waterside Workers Union and others.