MINERS’ STRIKE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 258, 30 September 1942, Page 5

MINERS’ STRIKE

SENTENCES SUSPENDED

CONDITIONS IMPOSED WELLINGTON, Sept. 30. The issue of a proclamation conditionally suspending the sentences of one month’s imprisonment imposed on each of some 180 Waikato miners, convicted of offences under the Strike and l/ock-out Emergency Regulations, was announced yesterday by the Prime Minister (Air Fraser). The conditions of suspension are as follows: — (1) That such person will forthwith resume his former employment and diligently follow same. (2) That for the duration of the present war with Germ any and Japan lm will abstain from taking part in any further strike within the meaning of clause 2 of the Strike and Lock-out Emergency Regulations, 1939. (3) That for the duration of such war he will not encourage any other person to take part in any such strike affectiifjj any industry essential for the public welfare. Tho legal position is stated to bo that, .any further breach of tho Strike and Lock-out Emergency Regulations lay tho sentenced minors will not only involve the operation of the suspended sentence, but also penalties for a second offence. “The Waikato coal mines dispute lias caused the Government grave concern during tho past three weeks,” said Air Fraser. “In pence time a strike is a serious and disastrous matter. During this period of war, with the enemy threatening our shores, being held back in fact in the Solomons and New Guinea, with tho menace to our country and our people stayed but by no means removed, a stoppage of work in such an essential industry, and on such a scale, was a tragic calamity, weakening our war effort and endangering our defence. It is, therefore, gratifying that even after a most regrettable delay the commonsense of the moil concerned reasserted itself so definitely as it did last Friday in tho ballot decision to resume work and submit the matter originally in dispute to the appropriate disputes committee, as the Alinistcr of Labour (Air Webb) on behalf of the Government had instructed at the commencement of the trouble. EFFECTS OF STRIKE. “It was obvious to everyone that if the strike had continued not only tho railways and shipping, already reduced by military needs to well below tho country’s requirements, would have had to bo further curtailed, but dairy factories, freezing works, fertiliser works, cement works and many other industries directly engaged in war work would have been closed down, or seriously curtailed in their operations, while it would have been necessary to have. drastically rationed gas and electricity. The resumption of work in the Waikato mines has prevented an industrial catastrophe of great magnitude which would have directly and disastrously affected our war effort, and the Government policy to this end lias been successful.” Commenting on the decision of tho Government following the publication of the Governor-General’s proclamation, conditionally suspending the sentences, Mr Fraser said: “Tho course now being followed w.os essential having regard to the requirements of the war situation and tho most urgent need for coal and transport to move supplies to the theatre of war in the Pacific, and. lo keep our war industries functioning. ’1 lie attitude of the miners during recent weeks and before their decision to return to work amounted to a tragedy because of its paralysing effect on war industries and on transport. MAGISTRATE’S TACT. “The utmost efforts had been made by the Minister of Labour to prevent the development of the dispute, ami later tho Magistrate (Air Freeman) with wonderful patience, tact, and ability had striven to so shape the course of events that., on the ono hand the law would bo upheld and on the other coal production would be immediately resumed to meet tiio urgent national need which was by far tho most important end .to bo achieved; it was only after tho failure to achieve that most essential purpose that tho Magistrate was left with no alternative but to pronounco sentence. “It is a fair assumption,” said the Prime Alinistcr,. “that had. the men. before tho penalties were imposed, been willing to return to work under definite conditions, that would have been satisfactory to the Court, and the regrettable feature of the si’uation is that the miners made their decision to return to work after, instead of before, sentence.” Mr Fraser said the Government had approached the further development of tho problem in the same spirit as displayed by the Court and, in view of the fact that there had been a general resumption of work, had agreed to recommend to His Excellency tho GovernorGeneral that the sentences be suspended on the conditions stated above. “On any breach of these conditions the remission becomes void and the sentences of imprisonment must forthwith he served,” added the Prime Alinistor. “Tho position therefore now is that, tho law is uphold, the men have returned to work, and coal production, so vital to tho war effort, has been fully resumed.” lit is understood that arrangements are being made for the executive of the Coal Aline Owners’ Association and representatives of tho Waikato Companies to meet the Prime Minister and tho Alinister of Alines this week for the purpose of discussing the question of the operation of the Waikato coal mines as a controlled industry under the War Regulations.