THE WAIHI STRIKE

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 June 1912, Page 5

THE WAIHI STRIKE

OFFICIAL NEWS OF THE

STRUGGLE. ", LIMITING SPHERE OF OPERATIONS. [BY TELEGRAPH— SPECIAL TO THE STAB.] WELLINGTON. This Day. It has been decided that the fight for the present shall be confined to Waihi, the executive holding the opinion that it is the wisest plan to adopt. This statement appears in the Federation of Labour’s Official newspaper, which publishes an article from Waihi and headed: “News from the front.” ■ I + coes on to state that the limitation of the strike lias not met with the approval of the more advanced thinkers among the strikers, who strongly beHeye that concerted action should have been taken. However, these men, whilst differing from the attitude .adopted, are fully prepared to support by every means in their power a sectional conflict. It must be fully recognised, however, that criticism of any body of men must always be allowed without the critics being dubbed “impossibilists.” STRIKE PAY AND GROCERIES. The first strike pay was paid out last week and there was a good demand for help. It is proposed that a large wholesale order for groceries, etc., be placed with an Auckland firm, which will mean a large saving to local customers and distributed in goods. This is a most effective way of dealing with the case, as buying wholesale means a great saving. FINANCIALLY.

As dor the financial resources at the Waihi and Reefton men’s disposal, it is shown, that the ten per cent, levy ordered by the Federation Executive has been adopted by the Granity Miners’ Union, Canterbury Laborers’ Union, Waikato Miners and Timaru Waterside Workers. The Lyttelton Watersiders decided to vote £IOO and strike a levy of 2s 6d per week on each member in aid of the men of Waihi and Reefton. The Mapawatu Flaxmillers’ Union is taking a ballot of its members on the question of a levy to aid the looked out and striking miners. The Wellington Tramway men dispute any financial difficulties and intend to collect money in aid of the quartz miners. The Karangahake miners voluntarily levied themselves at a minimum of 5s per week and the Westport laborers and Wellingon Wharf workers adopted a half-crown weekly levy. The Federation newspaper sarcastically remarks, regarding the Thames Miners’ Union, that, with about £4,000 in its treasury, it generously voted £2O towards the Waihi and Reefton comrades. The Thames men are not in the Federation.