A SOUTHERN MINING TROUBLE

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13084, 25 January 1906, Page 6

A SOUTHERN MINING TROUBLE

DISPUTE AS TO WORKING HOURS. At the meeting of the Trades and Labour Council last night attention'- was drawn to a. circular issued by the secretary of the Inangahua Miners' Union, and addressed to all the unions in Auckland, asking for financial assistance to enable 90 miners to meet a lockout by the Consolidated Gold lields of New Zealand, Limited, a British company, which had closed the Golden Flc-ece mine. The circular states that for a number of years past it has been urged on the Legislature that the hours of labour in mines were too long, considering the unhealthy nature of the, employment, and, after considerable agitation by the miners' unions, including petitions to Parliament, trie Legislature last session passed a. law compelling payment for overtime for all time minent are employed underground over eight hours, from surface „o .surface. ■This law came into force oil October 31 last, and the union notified all mine-own-ers in the district. They received a reply from the Consolidated Company asking the miners to meet the company to discuss the situation. The company wished the miners to forego the privilege granted them by Parliament, and the miners w >uld not consent to this, on the ground that, if they did so, they would, stultify themselves, and act the part of traitors to their fellow-unionists. .As the meeting had no official information on (lie subject the secretary was instructed to write to the Miners' Union. •The matter will then he considered at next meeting. Some delegates said if the case i was a meritorious one, assistance .should lie granted at once. ;