N.Z MINERS' FEDERATION

Maoriland Worker, Volume 13, Issue 1, 3 January 1923, Page 7

N.Z MINERS' FEDERATION

Circular to Unions Mr. P. N.Z. IVLJjiertj' ftidei'ation, ' has" (he following circular letter, dated 15/12/22 r to'attiliate'd orgarilsat'ons: I have ju&L returned from t!i<; Coas-t where the <iuestion ot Uie formation oi District Federations has again been brought to the front as a result of a meeting held at Reefton on 19th October, 1922. As a result of the m-s-etings I -attended on the Coast, it. is very evident that clecr.sions from Reefton v»-erc directed solely forming sepaixtte federations. The Manifesto diavi'ii , up. by Mr. K. -Davidson clearly establishce that fact, although some of the delegates did not realise the positron. a.t tho time.

■ ONE UNION FOR DISTRICTS Tlie D&nnisLoa Un'on positively refused to ent.ertaxL the Reefton .propositions or (,o depart, from the existing Federation. The Ngakawau and State Uirony demand thai the National Organisation be maintained, but suggested that something., ought to be done to overcome some of the local disorganisation.. Consequently, ths Ngakawau Union carried a resolution instructing their local Secretary to circularise all Unions'in. the two Districts, Bullcr said Grey, to meet to discuss the formation of ONE UNION FOR THE TWO DISTRICTS WITHIN THE FEDERATION, in which the Ngakawau Ui'iiou hap every confidence; this Union to embrace all workers in tin.- , industry.

A GOOD MOVE Personally, I am convinced that this is a move in ■ilie right direction, as it dove-i.ai.is -nto the -scheme most favoured at the Annual F.xecutive inecing. and makes for" organisation on the principle of tho One- Big Union along {he 'lines of -Industry and on a class I. asis. Another factor to recommend it, is the fact that U Avill remove a lot. 01! friction that exists at present, on account of one local Union not aware of ihe happenings of oilier Unions in the same district, and will clear the decks of two or three Unions ax. tbo one in He. It also retains its connections with the miners in -ail other par'.s of Now Zealand) even though they cannot at .the present moment sv-ce&9d to the point of being able to give effect to the one Union for their district, and X will ultimately bring about the desired objects—one Union for all the miners of New Zealand on the stum bias's as exists in Australia.

DISPEL THJ3 DIFFICULTIES ; However, there are quite a numboa , o£ difiicult'c-s i;a be got cvm , , ns will to discovered as we go along. Thi.s proposal has Lecn put I;efore lli~- ; Grey District Council on two ov Jirc-ei occasions. I* also placed it bejorc' tho Federation Executive and the i;i\- \ ions last yc;-.r. In fact. I forwarded i copies of the Rules and Cons Utti ton : oi' the Australian Orgunisadon for; cons.deration but no.hing- came of it.! However there now appears to fco a ] demand for a closer form of orgi.,nis- j aticn; consequently, (.he au ; resolution gives full scope to a j genuine attempt at real «:ation. I | urgo "the miners to lc.ivc no ! stone unturned to accomplish it, ! and sot an example to the I that this is no solitary* example, but that, in the Blue Book, as in the Orange Book a careful editor "prepared" the documents, deleting, add- j Ing, altering—ia a word, faking— j wherever it- seemed necessary for the "proving" of the case against Germany. . There arc a score oi other extracts that I would like to quote from these new documents. There is, for •example, tho grimly comic description of Monsieur Poineare on August 1. de- j eiding not to declare war immediately because "out of considerations which mainly concern England, it would be better if the jicelai - atio:ti of war came from Germaiiv v ] And Chore are others. But they i must'Vait. I hope that wo shall soon ; have an lOiiglish' translation of the | whole. ! Tli«- essential tli'fngr is JM these | neiv disclosures j»rovo deiinttely thai tin- documents .ilium wlifdi the Allied-! case iifjcaiusl (Jeviituiuy rosts »re doeu- j' nu'iits that har<» keen iai»]>t're<i witli | Wfosv imblltaifoiJ, find ou wMei!,- j therefore, »<► 'reliance can li« j Thfi ev:deuce whicli JMr.-Vsquith and, ! Mr. Tjloyd Gcc'rj;c and. l-cxd Crrt-y ad-i duced to iustUV theiosctvoy and -to 1 convict Germany-.w-a.s faked evidence. ''{ On thn.t false witness'a groat nrjHi -the "myth of a guilty 'nation" -has been ham-d. Ueeanse of thriv belief in !■■" it thousanda of mcii went, to their deaths. Proni the "peace" that was based upon ft millions are , suffering" - tOrday. It is still, as when Brailsford wrote of it five years ago, "driving ! civilisation, through daclEness to suioide.! , .■ :" "" ;, .';;'•'...: :. ■ ■:""■: ■ '

———————r j-* v —7 ' '' i ' other The v " ( _imeultle.«- of the" tietaifes.,wil& .soon weit away w-A.n 'tackled in it- determined'ami enthusiastic maimer. BUY THB --lAORILAXD AYORRI-Ti The libel case between tho Federation Executive and Mr. J. O'Brien has been i*,eulcd bj r paying --1&0 d*'..ranges to lur. OBr.Kn and publishing an from mc. a-5 Secretary, in the columns of The .Vlaoriluitd "Worker. I would, urge all miners in. New] Zealand-to .get the pivper and so keep j themselves in touch with the hap-j penings in this, and other countries j all over the world, a,s it is only by j knowledge, that' we can advance and! defeat the schemes and plots cf the i oppressing cljuss, and so prepar.e for j the overthrow of• the .present system: and establish a system of production tor use and not for profit—Socialism. ;

. THE MINE FIRES There ?',k at present a bed fire in j the Hun:ly Mines. All the men are! idl2'. I have, no details t 0 hand yet, but the press reports that the men ■ hayq-.resumed, ■ : •/ Disaster has overtaken the Blackball Mine a fire, having, broken out thore causing- the closing down Of! the mine, with the . -exception of one j corner in which they calculate there J is one quarter's work. At most they I will only be able to.employ 40 to t>o j slaves. .Of the others, a few .have i gow3 to Roa, a few t 0 the State, | Denniston and Millerfcbn i! am informed that tho Government; |. will employ..?, few of the most needy I on road work, around the district. Quito a number will have to seek new fields, and in the present state of the labour market it will j be hard for them to find a master. !

CONTROL THE MINING INDUSTRY! In' .conclusion, comrade, let mc i xga;'u.urge you to consider carefullyj the proppopfl..! for One Moiens' Union i for your district, in lieu of not being) able to esfobl/.hh One Miners' Union j for New Zealand, to include all work-I ers in the industry and s 0 close up \ i.he breache-s in your ranks with the i definite, objecf of taking control of, the industry and running it in the j of all the .people- in the | (.oiiiniun'ly, instead of for profit as j at present. ! I also urgo you to stick closely to j (he ConstiUUioh and Rules of the Wf rkers' Industrial Union of Australa : (Mining Department), copies of; which T have circulated amongst the; Unions previously, as, taken from the 1 iveognrpJiical position and the me-1 (hods of production in this country,! ti'soy fill the bill better than any j others T know, and with very slight' amondmeriL - ; .n the details could le; r/;lo}>f£-d by us. —Yours in Unity, (Signed) P. O'HOURKE, Secretary/ \