Huntly Miners Take Action

Maoriland Worker, Volume 5, Issue 196, 4 November 1914, Page 4

Huntly Miners Take Action

A crowded meeting of Huntly Minerl was held 'in the Miners' Hall on Saturday, October 24, to deal with the high-handed action of the "Executive" of the Miners' Union, in- appointing themselves a deputation to wait upon the directors re the starting: of work at the mines and other mattere. It may bo as well to state here that at a full meeting of the Miners' Union held immediately after the disaster, a deputation consisting of six miners wae appointed to wait upon the-directors, re the drawing up or a new agreement and other matters arising out «f the altered conditions of working the mines. Not one of the Executive wa« on that deputation.' The; directors were evidently prepared , ;- to- recognise the deputation appointed by the anion, as they requested the 'deputation to meet them re the starting if work in the ; Extended mine. At ; that iMeetißg the directors stated iheir \riliingnesß to meet us an all matters arising out of the altered conditions, stated that as soon as Mr. W. J. Ralph returned from Australia' they would immediately confer with the deputation. Aβ a matter of fact, five weeks have passed since Mr» Ralph returned to New Zerland, and-we have had no word from the directors. We aro beginning to wonder whether the diimrtors are going to do as the "Executive", of the Union have; done, viz., ignore altogether- the. deputation' appointed by the miners themsplvee. That the Eecutive has ignored the miners altogether the following \ fact* 1 will show. According to the Auckland "Star" of October 22, also the "Herald" of same date, "a deputation from the Huntly Miners' Union waited upon the directors of the Taupiri Coaj Do. re the matter of starting work at the mines, etc." As a matter of fact no meeting of the Union was called.; The deputationists were not, appointed by the Union. They took upon theijiselves the responsibility of joUrneyijtg ,to Auckland to interview the directors, thus flouting the whole body ofi;miners who had selected a deputation! for that purpose.- '•■■ . ■"'•/' : 4v ;'''|" ; '-''''i "'■ ■ ' This high-handed actiM'of I the ■' 'Ex. ecutive"' aroused the^|&3%natio^,;. ot the miners, and requejttßV.AvefeTmade for a meeting of the miners Vih order that they might' have an opportunity of voicing their feelings' in the matter. The ignored deputation then convened a meeting of miners, and , after Meefrs. Wesley (chairman), Hooker, amd Morris had addressed the meeting, the ing resolution submitted'"' by Mr. Hooker, was carried unanimously: That this meeting of Huntly Miners enter an emphatic protest . against the.action of the Executive of the Miners' Union in ignoring the deputation appointed' at a full meeting of the /Union to wait upon the directors re' the drawing up of a new agreement and other matters arising out of the altered conditions of working the mines, ancV in ( taking upon themselves the responsibility Of proceeding to Auckland as a deputation to wait upon the directors. As stated above this resolution waj carried without one single vote_ being recorded against it; tnue indicating that for the future the miners at Huntly aro determined to hare a say in their own affairs. 'The minere now recognise that they have too long submitted! ;to a system of tyranny and brow-beating at the hands of the Executive of the Union. As a body of men we do not Want any trouble between ourselves and the Company, but there is one , thing wo do want,* and which we are"*going to have, let the consequences be what they will, and thafr is the right to conduct the affaire of our own union }n our own way, without any interference on the part of the Company or anyone else.