NORTHERN MINERS’ UNION ELECTS NEW OFFICERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 October 1948, Page 8

NORTHERN MINERS’ UNION ELECTS NEW OFFICERS

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, October 18. The extremist section has failed to gain control of the Northern Miners Union. The result of the election of officers was announced in Huntly tonight, and, according to comment in union circles, it signifies the heaviest defeat that the extremist members have suffered in the last 25 years or more. Mr T. Hall has been re-elected president. He resigned following internal dissatisfaction in the union which arose over the failure of the executive tp support the recent strike by the men of the MacDonald, Glen Afton and Pukemiro mines. The executive opposed the strikes. The former secretary, Mr H. Hall, also resigned, but he did not offer himself for re-election. The resignations were followed by a mass meeting at which it was decided to hold a fresh election for all positions in the union. Mr T. Hall defeated Mr 11. Gillies, of the MacDonald mine for the post of president, and he also topped the poll for the other two offices which he contested. Mr E. Kernohan, of the Glen Afton mine, who had net previously sought office in the union, was elected secretary, defeating Mr H. Peden, of the MacDonald mine, by a narrow margin. . , , Mr R. J. Dunn, who was president of the union until Mr Hall took office two years ago, was defeated in the two contests in which he took part.