NORTHERN MINERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 July 1932, Page 5

NORTHERN MINERS

WAIKATO DEVELOPMENTS “FREE LABOUR” OPERATING [FEB PRESS ASSOCIATION.] HAMILTON, July 7. There were no new developments at Huntly today. The mines are still idle. The Waikato miners are awaiting the outcome of the conference that has been called by the Government. There is not much likelihood of any news until after that conference is held. Two lorry loads of camping equipment have been transported to near the Renown Mine, and accommodation for 100 men is being erected there. It is not definitely known who will occupy these tents. It is rumoured that farmers and others requiring coal will work the mine. The township is very quiet. There is no sign of any trouble. STRIKERS WATCH VOLUNTEERS. HAMILTON, July 8. The atmosphere is tense at the Renown Colliery this morning. The mine commenced working with 18 volunteer workers and five dozen skips of coal had been taken out by nine this morning. Tents equipped with camp stretchers have been erected alongside the mine to accommodate the volunteer workers. A group of the miners on strike are looking on, but there has been no interference so far. The crowd is growing larger every minute. All bridges between Huntly and Renown mine are patrolled by the police.

HIKURANGI UNDER CONTRACT. AUCKLAND, July 8. The directors of the Hikurangi Coal Company have decided to work their mine by contract. The decision is announced in a circular which was posted to the miners before notice was received of the Government’s intervention in the dispute, and in view of the conference which opened in Wellington this morning, no action will be taken until the return of the Company’s delegate. “On consideration of the whole position,” says the Company, in the circular, “the Company has decided it will be futile to negotiate further in regard to the terms of employment. It has decided to call tenders for the working of the mine by contract. The terms and conditions will be prepared immediately, under which the company will be prepared to enter into contract for the delivery of coal, at the bottom of the shaft. This will enable those miners who prepared work under contract, to fix among themseives the hours, conditions, .and pay for th© work done irrespective of the Company, and should remove the matters at present in contention between the Company and its workmen. The company, however, intend to keep control of the working of the mine and the pumping, haulage, and surface workings.”.

WELLINGTON CONFERENCE. SETTLEMENT PROSPECTS GOOD WELLINGTON, July 8. A more hopeful outlook concerning the possibility of a settlement of. the northern mines dispute, was indicated by some of those present at the Conference, called by the Minister, after the preliminary proceeding this morning. An endeavour is being made this afternoon to arrive at a settlement. The proceedings are in private. Besides the delegates there were present members of the National Council of Mine Workers, but it was stated these came along merely to listen and were taking no part in the deliberations. The preliminary session lasted about an hour.' Mr Hamilton said the Conference had been called under provisions of the Labour Disputes Investigation Act, in a final endeavour to reach a settlement. He offered the services of the Conciliation Commissioner to act as Chairman if so desired, if they could not agree on a chairman. The Government wished to suggest the appointment of an arbitrator from each side, .these two to appoint an independent chairman. The Minister referred to the necessity foi’ a settlement of the dispute, in the public interest. If the conference broke down, the Government would have to do its duty. He concluded with an appeal to the miners to assist in arriving at an agreement, which would aid' the reduction in the cost of coal to consumers. He also urged the owners to forego any conditions which might be objectionable from the miners’ point of view, but did not materially affect the price of coal. The Minister remarked to a reporter afterwards that he judged from the atmosphere and the spirit of the opening of the conference, there was a good hope of a settlement being reached.

WAGES AT HIKURANGI.; “ANNOYANCES MUST STOP.” , “The miners’ unions have hitherto done as they liked. This must cease, and the mine owners must insist upon being masters in their own house. Pin-pricking and all other annoyances must finally stop, and I am sure that if better counsels are allowed to prevail, ■peace and contentment will reign.” This declaration was made on Tuesday (says the “Auckland Star”) •by Sir Edwin. Mitchelson, chairman of directors of the Hikurangi Company, in the course of a statement. It was noted by Sir Edwin that miners’ representatives at the recent conference had been silent on the subject of the serious problems and difficulties that the owners had to contend with during recent years. The terms of the new proposals might appear hard to the men, but the terms’ submitted were as fair as the owners could afford to offer. The men apparently forgot that they had earned good wages for years past, while a large proportion of the coal mining companies had been steadily losing money. It was not the fault of the companies that there were at least three times the nujnber of mines in the country as were actually required to mine all the coal being consumed at present. While the earning power of the miners had not been reduced, the price of coal had suffered i several reductions, with a possibility lof further reductions in the near (future. That was the reason any

agreement to be made could not be extended beyond January 31 next. Hydro-electric power and oil had made a tremendous difference in the quantity of coal being used for. steaming purposes. The Hikurangi Company, through the use of electric power and oil, had, during the past few years, lost the sale of nearly 2000 tons of coal per month that was formerly supplied for the generation of steam. Coal could now be landed from Australia at any port in New Zealand at a.lower rate than.it could be delivered at the same port from any of the mines on the. West Coast. New Zealand coal would not store for any time, and for that reason the Railways Department had to import coal from Australia, as it must have at least six Weeks’ supply of coal throughout New Zealand in case of an emergency such as the present. “I regret very much that the miners decided to down . tools in the present emergency, as nothing is gained by pin-pricks and strikes,” added Sir Edwin. “As an instance of the folly of striking, take Hikurangi, where the miners were informed that, owing to the orders for coal having been reduced from 1550 tons per week to. 850 tons per week, 55 men would not be required after the expiration of a fortnight. Instead of waiting for the expiration of the notice, they downed tools at once, and by this action they lost six weeks or more in wages. The mine has been open, for them to return to work ever since, bit there has been no response from the men, and, instead of taking advantage of this, they prefer to remain on strike, and are soliciting help from the public to keep them in idleness.

EARNINGS OF MEN.

“The available figures of the earnings of the Hikurangi. miners will open the eyes of the public as to the mistake the men made in ceasing work. Taking the period from June 22, 1931, to March 26, 1932, it is shown that, working an average of eight days a fortnight, the miners obtained wages amounting to an average of £l/8/- a day. This sum was received after all deductions had been made, including the emergency wages tax. The average net weekly wages of other workers at the mine were as follow: — Shiftmen, £4/19/-; onsetters, jiggers, etc., £3/10/3; winchmen and horsedrivers, £3/0/3; winding enginemen, £6/11/-; fitters, £6/15/6; electrician, £5/12/6; labourers, £3/19/7; tippers and ropehands, £3/10/9; contract truckers, £5/0/4; boiler firemen and pumpmen, £6/1/10. In the case of onsetters, jiggers, winchmen, horsedrivers, tippers, ropehands and contract truckers, it is to he noted.that the wages were for an average of only four days a week. The average time worked by the mine was eight shifts a fortnight. “The whole of the earnings of the Hikurangi Company’s mine has, for the past seven years, been expended in wages, stores and timber, without providing either’ dividend to the shareholders or any reserve. As a matter of fact, the company lost last year the sum of £5OOO. Such a position is neither fair nor reasonable, and this state of things must be ended. The cost of production must and shall be reduced. ' The only other alternative is to close the mine, which will be disastrous for the miners and the -whole of the Whangarei district. It cannot be expected that the shareholders should keep their mine open simply for the pleasure of keeping miners employed who have in the past walked out of the mine at their own pleasure. That position is intolerable and must end.”