MINERS BEFORE THE COURT.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13859, 20 April 1917, Page 3

MINERS BEFORE THE COURT.

<V, f- -r .1 ' ' '• >t - «■. ' i A -' ''V- -■ j"- '■ ' ' , . ' "> , ALLEGED SEDITIOUS ; Utterances. ■ ■ ' Lj. I .?} ; ■' (Pat Priii Aiioolatlon.) AUCKLAND, April 18,, . The six Miners' Union officials who were arretted; at Huntly,- together, with; the three ■ from the \Vest Coast,! were charged at the Magistrate's; Cojirt to-> day in connection with an allegedtious strike, and were further rem'jfndcn until Monday next, . There are forty-two ' informations against the" nine men, and fifty-five Waikato miners have been summoned to appear on charges of being parties' to a seditious strike. One of (he charges against J, Jones ia that of having-published n seditious ■utterance in the following telegram to the secretary of the Federation "at Runanga: "You should wire all unions to act upon' our arrangements immediately, bringing pressure ! to bear upon Ihe employers to grant a' conference; The issue is being delayed by you not entrusting some'of the work to Coppersmith or the executive members. Write particulars to tlio Kaitangatii district. Forward references to employers'. immediately. Huntly, " Tcdkatea,- and Pukemiro are acting effectively! Meeting here to-nlglit. ■ Wiro urgent what you arc going to do."

John Winnard, president of the Dcii nistoh Minors' Union, was ichargei inter alia, that on March 15tli ho en couraged the continuance of a scditioui strike by sending John Arbucklo a let tor containing the following words "Dear' Comrade—Enclosed you wil find £4 10s, money you lent me. On mooting went off all right, very neai the wholo' of the members being pre sent, th« voting boing. .unanimous!} against the owners' proposals, I flog god some of our men here who did nol pay their money into the union. 01 course yon cannot get it, but you have to do something to make theni think Last fortnight this mine was very neai two thousand tons short. Of' course there is an unforeseen liaii.l at-work and they are doing their best to shift me. They have a big 30b' oiu Tho election of officers takes piace next week, so the results are being discussed. 1 suppose you sent a report of some kind to Pupo'nga. If not you would do well to do so, I would, if you doii't. I went to Blackball last Sunday in place of stopping at Gi'cymouth. The whole cause of the trouble seems to be through the ciiair. That is what I heard, anyhow. You had a great joke over my coach ticket. I will get you through, Wc arc fighting for our very existence now, so you will be wise to keep in touch with every union, and if there is the least sigii of weakness, wc want to have a representative sent there.". Thomas Ilelson, secretary of the Denhiston Union, was)'charged that'he.j!iicouraged the continuance of a seditions eti'ike by using the following words: "At a special meeting of the Miners' Union; on March 6th, .the secretary brought up the question of money earned by the"miriers"in .''excels of "the 13s 2d per day previously agreed upon, and explained that he had some difficulty in collecting most of it. The general opinion among the miners was that they were to have 13s 2d clear, after stores, doctor, home coal, and other stoppages had been kept off. Tho secretary said he had acted upon these lines, Ho also told 1 tlie men that if their earnings were under the agreed' wage on next pay, then tliey would b'e' made up with their own money, that they had paid in this way. The secretary explained that ho did not think it was the object of tho union to make money out of this proposition, and by promising to make up these men in this maniier, it was encouraging them to restrict' below the 13s 2d next pay. It' was restriction of output that was : wanted. He also' reported that there was only one man who declined to comply with the union resolution 011 thisquestion.'' John Arbucklo, secretary of the Federation, was charged that on November 21, 1916, he published matter likely to interfere with the effective operations of the present war, in tlie following letter: "Dear Comrade.—You will please find enclosed a copy of "n rfsolution moved by tlie Dennistofi Miners' Union, Kindly place same before a meeting of your union, and let me know their deliberations at your earliest convenience, The resolution as to the first ballot under the provision of the Military Service Act will be'takeil any day now. This union resolved thatMf any of its' members arc'con&ripied against' their wish, a general strike will be im-' i'meiliateiy declared, P.S.—I liavo been instructed to notify you of our intention. ;ind ask you to circularise all other affiliated unions 011 the matter, and iisk theni ,to fall' into line, Wc firmly believe that by consolidated action the miners of New Zealand can control their own destinies in this direction, whereas'if we permit the machinery of this damnable Act t'o bciioine operative among our members, Victimisation will become rampant." A tenth miner—John Wesley, sen., of Huntly—lias'been arrested and charged with making a seditious utterance, by. the following words in a letter refer-' ring to the new Government War Ecgiilations: So soon as we ask ;for a few pence more to get bread and butter, the war gods say we will save the exploiters by .passing'war regulations regarding sedition and treason. Are you leaders going to kneel to it? Are the rank and file going to kneel to itt I say 110, the Welsh miners say'no, so wc must Jill the gaols—damn tliein—yes, damn ,the .gaols. . . Let them take luO out. of each mine in New Zealand. How long will it last! What an insult Ito ask for bread. Capital lias run the Ijist lap. We must fight for less' hours, n : ot wages. All great- economists say short hours, : Gct : t'o six, then-five, then the boot will start, to-pinch. Get tc K. W; Alison and W. J. Balph. ' You all have to hit Alison down, The whole uiob wants to get' to hirii, Good -daj Best, regards: from Mrs Wesley and : al. at; home, Fight; tight:'you'—'s, tight ity buck is 011 tlie iiichd this twO> days I don't see'where JoikJb,' Cummings aw Se'ddon left for the eonfeienee, but set flic' top' of this page. ■; b.eiii{ of-tilt:exploiter class? Amen, besi 'wishes to all comrades. Tom ..comrad. in light,"