STOPPAGES OF WORK

Grey River Argus, 1 December 1938, Page 7

STOPPAGES OF WORK

HON. P. C. WEBB

Urges the Miners to Cut Them Out [Per Press Association.] WESTPORT, November 30. Hon. P. C. Webb delivered a special message to “the boys in the mines on Tuesday evening at a social gathering held at Hector, by the local Branch of the Labour Party. “Don’t get heated !” the Minister said, “at trivial questions ! Remember that every day you go on strike, it is recorded against the Labour Government !” Mr Webb urged the miners and all of the other unions not to take matters into their own hands when a dispute cropped up, but to carry on their work under protest, and allow the dispute to be put through the right channel. It was not right to strike. There, undoubtedly, were heart burns at some of the treatment, but they should not be allowed to get in the way of the work. “Why stop work at these things !” he asked. “If the miners have disputes, let their Federation deal with the matter ! The action of going oh strike did not help any Union, he stated, and it reflected on the Government. During his term of office as Minister for Mines, Hon Mr Webb said, he had done his best to assure a state of economy. He had done his best to keep Australian coal out of the country in order to allow more working in the New Zealand mines, and, unless his work for providing better and more work for the miners was recognised by the miners themselves, it showed that the efforts made by himself were not appreciated fully. If New Zealand could not produce bituminous coal, that coal would have to come into the country from abroad. When miners kept stopping on trivial questions in this district, they were doing themselves no good, but doing the Government harm, and were crippling the main industry of the place.