THE NEWCASTLE STRIKE

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14224, 22 November 1909, Page 5

THE NEWCASTLE STRIKE

PREMIER'S EFFORTS FAIL.

THE MINERS' DEMANDS.

NO WORK .'BEFORE- CONFERENCE.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.— ; . (Received November, 21, 5.30 p.m.) ..'■'■'

Sydney, November 21. : h;.j The strike conference delegates had an in- ' terview with Mr."Wade, the Premier, yesterday, and informed him they could not ' accept his proposals to resume work pend- '■'( ing a ' conference. They submitted a counter proposal for an open conference . between the colliery proprietors and the miners, stating that the miners would not > consent to return to work prior to or dur- ' ing the conference, but in order to facili- I tate an early resumption in the "event; of satisfactory terms being arranged, the delegates;were willing to recommend that a requisite number of men be put on during the sitting of the conference, to get the mines ready to restart immediately. • ; ,

The delegates subsequently reported their counter-proposals to the miners' coo* ference, which endorsed them., '

WAITING FOR THE WORD.

OTHER UNIONS READY.

"AN EXAMPLE TO CAPITALISTS."-

(Received November 21, 5.45 p.m.) Sydney, November 21.

A mass meeting of Newcastle unionists/ expressed full confidence in the strike congress sitting at Sydney. > ; v

Mr. Peter Bowling, secretary :of the - Miners' Federation, said that if the Go-' vernment did not soon step in and force the proprietors to give justice to the miners, something would be brought about that would be an example to the capital-, ists in that country and the rest of the" world. •' ' • . ' v >

The representative of the Seamen's Union declared that his ; union was prepared to lay down its tools whenever such a course would be in the "interests of the strikers. ...'■■' -" '■■•'.:'-. '

Representatives of other unions spoke in support of the strike. :'

P. AND 0. PRECAUTIONS.

COAL FOE RETURN VOYAGE.

London, November 19. The R.M.S. Mooltan is taking no gene-' ral cargo for Adelaide, but is utilising, the space for 780 tons of coal, which, with the usual bunker supplies, would suffice for the return voyage to Colombo., EFFECTS OF THE STRIKE. COKE WORKERS IDLE. ; On the South Coast of New South Wales ', about 500 men employed in the coke trade are idle. Like- the miners the coke workers have just recovered from a period ■■■- of .unprecedented slackness, brought about ] mainly by the Broken Hill strike and the ' fall in price of metals. .. The enforced idleness, not only means a great loss, tp„lhe , r proprietors in trade, bui, after a period of slackness a great deal of ■ repairing :: has 'ft. to be done to the ovens. -Managers state that if the present straggle continues over . any length of time it will mean an expenditure of thousands of pounds to make the ovens fit to resume operations again. The value of the plant and machinery now idle used -in winning, weighing,' hauling to surface, ventilating mines, etc., on the [ South : Coast is £240,000*: and the value of j. plant used in conveying coal and • shale ' from mine to wharf or railway station ■ £252,000, making "a total of £492,000. In v the Northern district the value is £1,717,000, and Western district £104,000. '

WALLAROO MINES CLOSED DOWN. A notice'was posted at the "Wallaroo", mines, South Australia, last week by the Wallaroo f and Moonta Mining and Smelt- \ ing Company, ; Limited, stating that in ;' consequence of the coal strike at New- ' castle the board of directors had decided 7 to suspend operations at the mines so ■•■■■» soon as practicable, in order that all the ' > available coal may be reserved• to keep <''• the underground workings drained of water, so that operations may be resumed as soon ias possible after the strike has \ ended. Nearly 400 hands will be thrown . idle. , •

WOOL SALES HELD' UP. ; A meeting ;of both buyers and . selling woolbrokers •in Sydney last week dis- I cussed the position created by the strike, i and decided in the interests of all con- '• cerned: to postpone sales until they could /# i S be resumed under the ordinary conditions, the buyers agreeing that directly they are in a position, to purchase under old . conditions they will do so without any delay, and the . brokers will have their catalogues ready immediately the buyers notify them of same. When sales are re- . sumed the best efforts of both sides will be used' to cope with the congestion. - • FLOUR MILLS CLOSED. The Port Adelaide millowners have found it r necessary to discontinue operations. Messrs. W. Thomas and Co". and W. C. Harrison and Co. have closed their mills, and all other Port Adelaide mills,, except Dunn and Co.'s, • which has not been working, have decided to close operations. About 200. men will be temporarily thrown out of em- \ ployment. LAUNDRIES AFFECTED. The rapid rise in coal is a serious item to j! the Sydney steam laundries, and if the price does not ea/se down the laundries, according - to a manager of one of the; largest steam washing' concerns, will simply have to pass on, that's all." Trie contract price ■ to one firm is lis 6d a ton, and at the pre- , sent price the customer would naturally be ; asked to share the burden, except in the ! cases of contracts; One laundry consumes ' on an average 40 tons a month. With a, i week's supply on hand : the serious : alterna- ' tive of ceasing to take orders and closing up?/ " is exercising the minds of the proprietary. The continuance, of the strike would also, mean the dismissal of 120 hands. '; Shipping companies, the Railway Department, cafes, etc., are the principal patrons of the steam washing institutions, and the contracts for ~ • some of these run to 80,000 " pieces monthly.

THE STRIKERS' SECRETARY. ' , ■• Describing Mr. Peter Bowling, president / of the Miners' Federation, Newcastle, a Sydney mineowner said:—"Bowling is ; ' not such a bad fellow at heart.! Like most , men with acutely drawn limitations, the i fact that he has power has obsessed him, . and he uses it irrespective of whether, in his view it is for good or evil. In truth, he wields it irrespective of consequences. I remember him long before he had any- • . thing to do with coal mines. At Home he was in the Royal Artillery.. And a smart lad he looked, too, in his uniform: I remember that he wanted to go to soma war or other, and his colonel wouldn't let ? him go on the ground that he was too > youLg. All the same, Bowling always spoke of -his commanding officer as a fin« old English gentleman. Peter was a patriot in those days. He wanted to fight, for his King and country. He did not get the chance. Now we find him in another sphere altogether. All the harm I .. • ■. wish him ■is that he" is not standing ■ on. a >, ■' volcano that will presently blow him up.** ; .:..-^ - •