THE STRIKES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8376, 2 October 1890, Page 5

THE STRIKES.

COAL SUPPLIES FROM ABROAD.

BROKEN HILL MINES.

WORK RESUMED. PROSECUTION OF SHEARERS, REFUSING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE STRIKE FUND. OFFICERS RETURNING TO WORK. Preta Association.—Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Sydney, October 1. The Steamship-owners' Association are now running almost sufficient vessels to meet the requirements of the trade. Nearly 50,000 tons of coal are afloat from England, India, and japan. The Broken Hill miners, after a stormy meeting, decided to uphold the action of the delegates. The Labour Defence Committee has determined to allow bullion to be put on board ships at Port Pirie. The strike is, consequently, at an end. All the miners will resume work immediately. Some misapprehension seems to exist with regard to the statement from Brisbane, that the employers' unions of the different colonies have agreed to hold a pan-Australian conference with the labour unions. The Employers' Union here have no definite information on the subject. [Received October 2,12.40 a.m.] Sydney, October 1. Wholesale prosecutions of shearers for breaches of agreement are taking place, and in a test case at Deniliquin one of the shearers was mulcted in a fine of £10, in addition to costs. A large number of cases hang on this decision. Brisbane, October 1. Gasworkers have notified that they will no longer contribute to the strike levy, and intimate their intention of severing their connection with the labour federation. Twelve officers and sixteen stewards who left the Australian United Steamship Company have returned to their vessels unconditionally. Melbourne, October 1. The half-yearly report of the Employers' Union states that throughout the preeent difficulty the masters had never discussed or entertained the idea of increasing the hours of work or altering wages. Chief Justice Higinbotham has £50 to the strike fund, and promised £10 per week.

ADELAIDE, UCTOOer I. Manifestations of ill will towards non-unionists are becoming daily more common. LONDON DOCKERS AND THE STRIKES. London, September 30. At the congress of dockers' unions to-day, a resolution that no steps should be taken to block Australian ships was carried. DEMANDS OF DOCKERS. London, October 1. The dockers at Grangeraouth, a seaport town of Stirling, Scotland, are insisting upon six months' agreement. THE SCOTCH IRON TRADE. London, September 30. Scotch furnacemen demand eight hours as a day's labour. The masters have refused the request, and the furnaces will stop on Saturday.

THE MIRANDA COAL DISPUTE. The difficulty at the Miranda coal mine, if difficulty it can be called, has been settled, and the men have resumed work. It appears that the men were quiet enough, if left to themselves, but some travelling agitator had got amongst them, hence the trouble. The amusing part of the affair, and as showing the epidemic character of the present labour agitation, the miners were not even union men, but had got it into their heads through the representations made to them that it was their duty to "assert a great principle"—namely, that none of the coal should be used by the Union Company. As a matter of fact, as chance would have it, none of it bad been used by the Union Company, bub no guarantee was given in that respect by the Miranda Coal Company, and, the miners resuming work, the agitator has left, and taken his talents to a wider sphere of usefulness. Some of the men are settlers as well ae coal miners, and save their wages, and spend them in improving their sections. In fact, a little settlement has begun to grow up around the coal mine, to the mutual benefit of the miners and the company.

The indications appear to be pretty general that before the lapse of many years English and Australasian wheat-growers will not have much occasion to fear competition from America, it being highly probable that the States will be able to consume all, or nearly all, they can produce of this cereal. As bearing upon thie important question, I quoto the following from the Diario Mercantil of Barcelona :— According to articles published in foreign agricultural papers, and especially in North America, we are led to the conclusion that in ten years the United States will, from exporters of wheat as they are now, become importers of that indispensable cereal In support of this, it suffices to observe that the cultivable land in the North American Republic is already entirely, limited. During the five years between 1875 and 1880 the cultivation of wheat in the Union increased by 44 per cent. ; from 1880 to 1884 this increase was only 39 per cent. ; while from 1884 to 1889 not only was there no increase in this cultivation, but, on the contrary, a decrease of 3"4 per cent. A similar state of things is shown in America as regards maize, as, according to official statistics, for five years, from 1874 to 1879, the cultivation of maize showed an increase of 52 per cent.; from 1879 to 1884 the increase was only 11*7 per cent., and 12-3 per cent, from 1884 to 1889. If we take into account this constant decrease and the rapid increase of the population, let one calculate upon the population numbering seventy-two millions of inhabitants in 1894, and considering that it must simultaneously increase the superficies of land given over to the cultivation of other products, and specially to cotton, it is easy to understand that the United States will import wheat instead of exporting it, and that prices will necessarily rise.

Reports concerning fruifc crops, which some papers had been publishing;, showed that those crops ere by no means bo satisfactory as could be wished. One paper says :—The staple fruit crops—apples and plume—are almost everywhere deficient; damsons and the Victoria plum, which may generally be counted on, are this year almost an utter failure. Cherries have been fahly plentiful in Kent; walnuts and other nuts show a better record than some other fruits. Turning to " bush fruit" and " soft fruit," the returns are more favourable. Strawberries have been abundant, but the wet season has rendered them soft, taetelesft, and bad travellers. Bed currants have borne well, bub black currants are poor. The preservers will be and have been busy. But those whose thought is for apples will experience much disappointment. Advices from America and Nova Scotia are, strange to say, almost equally unfavourable as tc the production of apples. Those, then, who are favoured with a crop, will rejoice in the prospect of a fair price for their produce.