MINERS’ DEMONSTRATION.

Grey River Argus, 23 October 1930, Page 6

MINERS’ DEMONSTRATION.

COAL SITUATION j Views of the Workers ! I I (Special to Argus.) WESTPORT, October 22. i Several speeches of interest in re- | ference to the coal position were given } by the spokesmen of the Buller coal t miners on the occasion of this •(week’s demonstration here. ■| Mr B. Davidson said this demonJst rati on reminded him of similar ones |in Britain. His object, was to let the I people know of conditions in the coal | industry. lie was glad to be present J to do this, notwithstanding the posi- | tion in the country. The fact that all cars which had conveyed the Mil-

1 lertop and Denniston people to town • had been provided free of cost made 1 the demonstration possible. Capita] I had become so concentrated that it I was causing an army of unemploy- | od and tire position was being used to cut down wages. It was ridiculous j that, in a country which annually exj ported many million pounds worth of produce, people should be on the point of sTarvation. Coal had become a secondary influence in industry. Oi' was supplanting coal for the result that miners were being thrown out oi 1 employment. The Government wa? . still importing, while the country waf ' able to supply all domestic and in I dustrial requirements. The miner?

claimed that they had a right to supply, particularly from Millerton. The position could be alleviated only by ! allowing the workers to produce the country’s requirements. They wanted to maintain a stamLniid of living and, the only way to do this was to have] regular employment and a share in the wciilth produced. If the Government could not supply work they had a right to claim an existence from the Mr D. Hayward, President of the District Council, said the position would not improve unless the social and vital services were used to supply the social needs of people instead of for. personal aggrandisement. They were endeavouring to force the Government to focus its attention on the stat? of the mining industry as it affected the miners, their wives and dependents, especially those in Millerton. There was in Millerton a state of distress, want and semi-starvation liithorti.i unprecedented. They were all more or less responsible for this but the Government was primarily responsible. A programme was launched in the mining industry in Australia to reduce wages and the cost of production to enable New Zealand and other foreign markets to bo captured. The New Zealand Govonment made no attempT to effectively prevent this. This wa>' evidenced by the trade agreement existing between the two countries, which prevented New Zea land from placing an embargo on coal i without giving six months notice to do so. lie did not believe in the capitalistic policy of an embargo, but; he l)plieved ,still less in importations. In fact, he did not believe in the capitalistic system at all —it had out- > lived its usefulness. The quantity of coal importt , ?d per annum was 500,000

New Zealand and this meant, that if importations ceased there would be 125 tons additional to be produced by every man and boy in the industry. There was sufficient coal being imported to keep 1000 mon perpetually employed for four days a week. The stoppage of these 'importations was the most effective remedy at the moment. He appreciated the West port people’s attitude, even if their sympathy was subsequent to the commencement of the present trouble and the realisation that on the prosperity of the miners depended the success of their commercial enterprises. He hoped that the Progress League and such bodies would help in future and support the New Zealand Labour Party with a. view t 0 putting it on the Treasury benches. ‘lt was the only party likely to improve the status of the worken.

Mr W. Coppersmith, President of the. Denniston Minors’ Union, asked them to realise that the West Coast, ! which was widely advertised in New I Zealand and other countries, was compelled to demonstrate because men : and women were being deprived of decent living. Millerton was much worse off than Denniston. They had 1 put an M.P. into Parliament to try and get them a decent standard of living. The situation was a disgraceful on? and would continue so until their class position in society was Tie exhorted them to put into power a party which would bring I down a working class policy.

| Mr Mcßride, President of the i Stockton Miners’ Union, said the demonstration should bring before the public the gravity of a position which had not arisen before. There had 1 been only eighteen shifts worked in Millerton since June last. That proved it was impossible for anything else than starvation to exist. There was no doubt that the position should not exist and the Government was not alive to it. After the Australian lockout they should have known what to expect. No coal should be allowed into this country. Mr Veitch, when Minister of Mines, promised to make the lot of the miner better, but they found it worse han ever. The Minister said he hoped to see other mines opened, but nothing had been done to alienate the iniiners’ troubles. The Australian Government jlaid a subsidy on coal and with cheaper freights, the rninens of New Zealand were be-' ing beaten. The coal owners had set out for a reduction in wages. Mr Lock, of Millerton, Secretary of the West Coast Miners’ Council, said that in 1923, after industrial trouble which he alleged was an attempt to reduce wages and working conditions, they came to Westport to complain. They now (anticipated another 1923

and wanted to riesist it without hos- / tility from people who were depend- • ent on the attitude of the miners. The industry was over-developed. For the last ten years the Miners’ National Council had warned the Government but una^ailingly—fresh coal leases • were still being issued. As long as the people were prepared to invest! their money and the Government to assist them, the position would react • to the detriment of the wage-earner. | The- industry was 150 per cent, over- ' developed. This was all right from j

the owners’ point of view, but what about the worker? In the event of a slump capital could withdraw its

money, but the worker having built a home <£aannot take his life savings out of it. The Acting-Prime Minister and he had been warned that ;f no relief was given a state of starvation would obtain. The question was asked as to what degree starvation existed. His answen to that was it was national scandal if only one case existed; but there were more than one. Agitation had been carried on for the last eight years and there had been plenty of promises, but none had been fulfilled. They could not depend on p'e-crust

promises of politicians and Cabinet MinisiteiX They realised what was going fo happen. A deputation from the- employers’ Association had re

cently approached the Government I asking it to facilitate a reduction in’ wagen and it was significant that this occurred after the visit, of Sir Otto Niemeyer. The miners, said the speak-’ could not live on their present wa ( g|es and if an attempt were made to reduce 'them, they would carry’ out their threait. They would not work for less and would fight for more. The ‘rate of wages was based on a ten-day. fortnight. Now they were working only three ot four. This would be i the fore-runner of further demonstrations. The Government should see« that the miners got sufficient to live with full wages and ia degree of com-, fort. Mr Vefitch had stated that they were not- getitng a fair spi n and Mrj Clark hoped that when the clash camel Westport would be beli’nd them. f ■

I Mr Connolly, of Millerton said ho was not aware that the class struggle took place in Parliament, hut was under the impression that it took place in the mines, mills and factories At this shagc he said a.ll politicians were like the Yankee aspirant for political honours, who after his policy; speech, said;, "Well, ladies and gentleman, those are my’ views—if they don’t suit you I can eas/ly change them.” It was impossible to live, under the present conditions and the workers must organise to combat them. The Alliance of Labour was strong numerically but the workers of New Zealand were not organised. Forbes and Co could not register changes that took place on the industrial field. He urged the workers to organise to bring about a remedy’. i