THE NEWCASTLE STRIKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14214, 10 November 1909, Page 7

THE NEWCASTLE STRIKE.

A SERIOUS OUTLOOK.

1 PROPOSED CONFERENCE. "POLICY OF PINPRICKS." TYING-UP OF TRANSPORT TRADE. By Telegraph.— Association.—Copyright, (Received November 10. 12.40 a.m.) Sydney, November 9. The miners' strike . conference concluded to-night, when ~ the . following resolution was adopted :—"That the. proprietors in the northern, western, and southern coal districts be asked to meet of the Federal Coal and Shale Workers' Association in open conference immediately, in order to redress existing grievances, and that in the event of such conference not .meeting before . Tuesday next the delegates representing the Waterside and Maritime Unions, the Coal Lumpers' Union, and Coal Trimmers' Union be asked to recommend their members and all those engaged in the transport trade to cease work on that day." '

Mr. W.M. Hughes, M.P., president of the Waterside Workers' Union, in announcing the resolution to the press, stated that the resolution was come to after they had carefully listened' to the case put forward by,, the miners. It became perfectly clear that while it might have been possible to have postponed the matter for a little while a condition of things existed, and had existed for a considerable time, at Newcastle which made it impossible for the men to continue work. • ■'' .'. ".''

A policy of pinpricks had been pursued for a long while. Some of the pinpricks had gone very deep, and were, he thought, deliberately made, to provoke such disturbances, as this for a purpose by the employers. ■ .'.

Speaking for himself, he went to the. conference rather disposed to censure the.precipitous action of the. miners, but came out ■with the conviction that the position had been, deliberately forced on them: 7 .As things were it was only a matter of a few days, or a fortnight at the outside, when fully half the persons employed throughout Australasia would be unemployed and on the verge of starvation through lick of coal. Under these circumstances it was felt that the only hope lay in a conference of the parties. '. . • • BOTH SIDES DETERMINED. MINEOWNEES' GRIEVANCES. NO OUTSIDE INTERFERENCE. [.•'-"• -' - Sydney, November 9.'Coal advanced.yesterday by 15s a ton in Sydney, while up to £3 was asked in Newcastle for the best. - . ■ I One effect of the strike is that 100 coal j trains daily have ceased running in the i northern districts, rendering some 200 men* idle. / Mr. Peter Bowling, the men's secretary, declares that members of Parliament will not be allowed to interfere with.the dispute in any way.

y The president of the Colliery Proprietors' Association says the proprietors havei their" grievances as well as the men, and these will; have to be settled before the ' miners resume work. They cannot go back on-the same terms as they came out on. ~ ; ~- .::■•', v. ■>;.,,, ', ; . -i, '■■■■ -.',:.

One prominent proprietor declares that the owners are going to fight out the matter this time themselves. : No offers of intervention by the Government or any one else are 5 likely to be. favourably considered. . "

POSITION IN MELBOURNE.

SUPPLIES FOR v SEVERAL :.; ./WEEKS. ' V

Melbourne, November 9.

The strike is f not likely to seriously affect the railways or the city gas supply for some time; both having stocks of coal sufficient for some weeks. Some shipping and manfacturing firms, caught with short supplies, will feel the pinch unless a speedy settlement is effected. /

A meeting of the 'Chamber of Manufacturers , discussed the situation, and resolved to urge on the Government the necessity for opening up the Victorian coalfields at the earliest opportunity. ' • OF BENEFIT TO JAPAN. [BY TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION.] : ; Dttnedin, Tuesday. Speaking to an. Otago Daily Times reporter to-day, a gentleman well informed in shipping matters stated that one effect of the frequent industrial /upheavals in the New, South Wales;coal trade is that Newcastle coal is losing ground in the Eastern Pacific and is being replaced by lower grade coals from Japan and elsewhere," a . result neither in the interest of the Newcastle owners nor the miners. He also expressed the opinion that if the-uncertainty as to supplies continued < a similar experience would follow in other markets. EFFECT IN AUCKLAND. ; SHIPPING PRECAUTIONS. ' When asked yesterday - what effect the Newcastle coal strike would have upon the New Zealand coal industry, Mr. J. J. Craig said: "I expect inquiries from Australia -by Friday next or. even sooner. : I am certain ■ that if the strike continues we shall be shipping coal across the Tasman Sea in two weeks' time. It is, in my opinion, the , beginning of a • long, determined stand on the part 'of the miners. The . only material effect the strike will have upon us here will be in regard to the gasworks, but Westport Coal can be used for that purpose if the Newcastle . coal cannot be obtained. Householders here will also ;be restricted to . the use of our local product, which will mean an increased consumption of New Zealand coal, which will benefit the local industry. ." A very serious problem also faces the owners of steamers a"nd sailing ships travelling between New Zealand and Australia, taking timber to the other side and returning with loads of coal from Newcastle. These vessels, will either have',to remain there or return : empty. All the Union Company s steamers, which, as a rule, load up at Newcastle, will have to be supplied in New } : Zealand. That : will mean a very large increase in our local demand."