THE STRIKE AT THE BRUNNER COAL-MINE.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1724, 12 February 1874, Page 2

THE STRIKE AT THE BRUNNER COAL-MINE.

[TO THE EDITOB.] ' ■ ■''>;■>. \!-. ■ Sir— The learoes'.of^ the Brunner Goti' mine beg permission, to '? offer ; through your columns a word of explanatipn.asto a handbill- circulated tLis; evening in Greymouth, ; by some ofi the men lately in their employment. That handbill- is a notification! that "The miners are on strike",; the causes assigned being :— 1. A new system of working the mine, which we can prove is both dangerousand unprofitable, and is calculated vi, place the lives of the men in the greatest danger. ,: v ? . : ..■■ .;•■:• . ..^ ff 2. Owing to being given over »toia manager who ify in our opinion, utterly incompetent for the taskrhe,hasiunder- ;- taken. * „_,, Lastly. Because, id, additkn to the aboyej a reduction of sixpence per ton has beett made in our ■wages. 1 ; ' l ' It is, of course, no part of our intention to discuss publicly the^relation between ourselves and our employes. ,Tp r the inexorable' laws of Bupply 'and demand, V like i all others must conform^ but wef|el that the occurrence of a strike, in one of the leading industries in this district is of sufficient impori^n^.^juß^^n^'% correcting the missiatements, '^I^f it is announced. - / . j . -.••'••'" l -" ■•-- The first of these •" causes." » is perhaps the only one concerning public attention; but the men on strike ..have themselves given a conclusive reply -> to the whole of their assigned ''causes;! 1 When they made objection to working at one particular .point, they were : told that any other in the mine would do as we.ll, provided they gbt'out .thequantiiy of coal. Their answer was that they would work in any part of the mine, and at the reduced price, but that they would not work under the present foreman* , It was even suggested on their ; behalf (that they should be allowed to elect their own -fore? man,-; ■ • ■■- "" ■'■'■ '■ '^f^ This is therefore the ;whole question at issue, and we think that we are competent ; to deal with it. ; . _■■; '^ f'^ „ . 7 r / Y _, We may be permitted". before, .closifig this communication to ref erto the mptiyeß. which governed our proceeduiga.! ) iKnowing that the development of the coal trade. ,;of this, port, in . whioh awe ire so vitally concerned, depends' 'upon sufficient inducement being offered to jshippirig > to I obtain supplies here, we |are anxious to do. all that lies ( in bur ipower • to' provide such inducements. Lowering the coat of ."cpal-vto the public is jail that at present lies iapbr power, and this we are deter mined^to effect, no matter ;what impediments may ( fee thrown indoor I way. 'To lower its cost of' production is obvioußly,if not our only, 1 at least our [first, step in this direction/ and while we |pay abuudant wages to those in our emY iployinent, we think they should be the jlast to place obstacles to the progress of the industry by which they live. i .: , ■ We are, Sir, j - — Your obedient seryantßrrr:- --; (For self and Co. Lessees), I . T. E. M'Carthy. ■ '..':■. . ..; . ■: D.A.; H.CTGHES. r.T I Greymouth, Feb. 11, 1874. . r i