NEWCASTLE STRIKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14219, 16 November 1909, Page 5

NEWCASTLE STRIKE.

NO EXTENSION YET. OTHER UNIONS READY. OPEN CONFERENCE WANTED. ' IF NEGOTIATIONS FAIL. GOVERNMENT TO BE ASKED TC • WORK MINES. v V By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright. (Received November 15, 10.5 p.m.) • Sydney, November 15. A mass meeting of the waterside workers, after rejecting an amendment in favour of abiding by any decision that Saturday 's adjourned strike conference may arrive at, carried a resolution expressing confidence in the council of tho Waterside Workers' Federation executive, and agreeing to the men being called out when that body thinks fit. This resolution was reported to the strike conference, which reassembled this' afternoon, the waterside workers in the meantime resuming' work.... • The Broken Hill combined unions have recommended a levy of 5s per fortnight for the coalminers' strike fund. The Northern proprietors have decided to. pay up the men's back money. This will amount to about £20,000. , READY FOR GENERAL STRIKE. ' WATERSIDE ' WORKERS AND SEAMEN. - . • . j ' EFFORTS AT SETTLEMENT. " (Received November 16, 12.20 a, m.) Sydney, November 15. The decision of the strike conference U. defer a general strike until another effort is made to reach a settlement has relieved an anxious situation. ' ' r. • When the conference adjourned to-night Mr. Hughes, president of the Waterside Workers' Union, made an official statement to the effect that the replies from all branches of the Waterside Workers' Federation > had been -favourable to carrying into . . effect the resolutioA passed at Tuesday's con- ' ference, and it' remained only for to-day's conference to have recommended that action - : should be taken. The details had been fully discussed and a determination reached satis- &**•; factory 'to both /seamen, whose position : : in some respects was different from that of the other waterside workers, and the allied unions. v ■ .' /.-■ \v" v," - Everything was in readiness to > give effect to Tuesday's decision. The conference was, however,' desirous of a peaceful and speedy settlement, and "'was not despairing of it, in spite of mineowners' refusal of the men's reasonable requests. . They were very anxious :to do everything possible to, prevent the dispute fronr extending any .• further, and enabling the parties to come together for peaceful settlement.' - The result 'of the deliberations was the ; adoption of the following resolution: — "That we use every legitimate means to bring about an open conference beijpea the mineowners .and the men, failing this we call upon the Government to take-over and work the mines, in the interest of the general community.". Mr. Hughes pointed out that this would give Mr. Wade an opportunity of taking the action which he declared his Government was ready to take. t The , conference meets again to-morrow; forenoon.' . " v -. 1 - . '■<■ Simultaneous meetings of r waterside; ' workers ~ will be ' held in all the States " to' or t formulate common action. Thus there ■ can be no extension. of the strike for afew. days at any rate. , _ . " • (Received-November 16,1.5 a.ni)- • " V", Sydney, November 15.' ' : Mr. Hughes stated that in the event o{ the negotiations failing, all was in readiness to call, a general strike. He denied the rumour that the seamen were opposed to a strike. They 'were-ready and anxious to come out. *. - , ''X, '■" ' ■"''*» ' FUNDS FROM NEW ZEALAND. • ' " ' • ' . .• V : v " *' ' NO DANGER OF . LOCAL STRIKE. ,3::G a...1'1i0 iiji.ti .. ' There nis * very little ' danger -at the pre-, sent time of the New Zealand coalminers co-operating with the Newcastle men to ; the extent of striking. The . attitude of the miners of the Dominion is one of pas- ; sive sympathy more.... . These facts were made clear to. as Herald representative yesterday .by Mr. R. Manning, general secretary of . the ; New Zealand^^liners', Federation. " The ' only > danger of;us deciding to 'go out' : would be" in ; the event of New v Zealand 1 mineowners attempting to ship coal to - , Newcastle," said Mr.'. Manning.. "If no , coal is exported from here the Dominion miners are not likely to strike. I 'con-

6ider that there is - very little possibility J of any such occurrence." * Mr. Manning stated that the New Zealand Federation had sent the following I cable to the New South Wales Miners' Federation, signed' by the president' (Mr. ; R. Semple) and himself: —" The New Zea-» . land Miners' Federation unanimously ten- j ders its sympathy and assures its financial . support." It was only in the matter o£ monetary assistance, which, by the .way, had not yet been sought, Mr. Manning pointed out, that the New Zealand miners were prepared to give active support to the Newcastle men. Nothing was likely; to be done here to hamper the New Zealand trade.- . ..> ".-Asked.as to the chance of the price of - coal.being raised to local consumers, Mr. , Manning remarked that in the light of ! past experience he considered the price of coal was almost certain to go up. He thought v the very fact that coal . had to be imported from Newcastle into • the Auckland province pointed to the . likelihood of- an increase in rates, now that that source of supply was cut off. . . In this view Mr. W. 1). Holgate, manag--ing director of the Northern Coal Com- • pany, differed from Mr. Manning. Mr.* Holgate, speaking with regard to the im- - portation of Newcastle coal, contended that there was no. need for it. The New , Zealand mines' could supply all demands, if consumers here would take their coal instead of Newcastle, and . it would be better for the mineowners and consumers, as well as for the New Zealand miners, if they did so. . "In any case," saia Mr. Holgate, -".there is no sign of any increase ,in the price of coal yet." .He did . not think there was likely to be any in-' crease to ' local •. consumers, ~ the . only ones likely ?to- be charged higher rates being the shipping companies taking bunker coal :, from ' New Zealand ■ for their. vessels. . There was a fair amount of-coal in hana, y v and the local market was unlikely to be affected. Mr. Holgate . added that * the owners, both in the North and South, . maintained ;their •- attitude of declining to, export' coal -to Newcastle during the. pi^ y i-aent crisis. ■"•■v.-.- ' - , ' ' JL