WORK AND WAGES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 14167, 15 September 1906, Page 7

WORK AND WAGES.

NEW SOUTH WALES COAL-. ' MINERS. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. SYDNEY, September 14. The resolutions of the Employees’ Federation are being generally adopted by the mining Lodges, and it is understood that negotiations are proceeding with the western and southern miners for support in the event of the northern miners coming out. Already there' is considerable anxiety at Broken,Hill and Melbourne at the prospect of a strike. The supply of coal on hand will keep the mines' going for two months at the outside. (Received September 15, 1.3 a.m.) , It is unofficially reported that the owners intend to stand by the offer to abolish the dog watch under certain conditions, at the end of the year, and raise the hewing rate by fourpence per ton in January. These terms were recently rejected by the men, and are unlikely to prove acceptable now. (Received September 15, 12.59 a.m.) Affairs at Newcastle are quiet. Developments are anxiously awaited. The Miners Lodges both in the. Newcastle and Maitland districts, by overwhelming majorities, adopted the Committee of Management’s recommendations. This means a general strike unless a solution of the difficulty should be found at to-morrow's conference. The outlook for a compromise is considered anything but hopeful. Asked by a representative of the “ Otago Daily Times” as to the probable effect of the stpke upon intercolonial steamers, Mr Liggihs (general traffic manager for the . Union Company) stated that its effect could not be fully gauged until.the Scope of the strike was determined. Fearing that a strike was probable, large supplies had already been obtained in anticipation, and the only...immediate effect worth recording was the easing; down of coal charters. In any case, he did not think the strike would affect the running of the intercolonial steamers in any way. Messrs Neill and Co. expressed similar views, adding that it was believed that ample supplies would be forthcoming from coal-bearing areas outside the disaffected districts. Should the trouble prove to be acute, however, the coastal coal-carrying steamers would certainly feel the pinch more or lees acutely. The probable results of a general strike amongst the ooal-jnjacra at Newcastle may be gang-

ed slightly by a glance at the number of vessels which call there to load that commodity. During August last thirty-three vessels left Newcastle coalladen for various destinations, and at the present time 102 vessels are. booked as loading or to load. Of the latter number, no fewer than sixty-four vessels ore booked as loading, or to load, for the west coast of South America. Should these vessels fail'to obtain cargoes within a reasonable time thero is every probability of a coal famine in some South American ports in the near future. THE SEAMEN’S UNION. MELBOURNE, September 14. An amicable arrangement has been reached between the Steamship Owners’ Federation and the Seamen’s Union. On the question of increased wages and alterations of working conditions, the requests of the seamen ha ve been agreed to with certain important conditions not divulged. Under the agreement seamen will be paid £7 monthly, firemoir £9, boatswains £8 and trimmers £7.