THE WAIHI STRIKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15005, 29 May 1912, Page 8

THE WAIHI STRIKE.

NO SETTLEMENT.

DRIVERS STAND FIRM.

APPROACHING THE OWNERS

WILL CONFERENCE. FAIL?

THE POSSIBLE RESULT.

TROUBLE MAY SPREAD.

MR. SEMPLE'S ATTITUDE.

AGAINST GENERAL STRIKE

fBT TELEGRAPH.—SPECIJX COSMSPOXMXT.} WAim, Tuesday. Waiht has realised its blunder, and most of the men are ready for peace and for work, bat now the matter is out of their hands, and. determined to make the dispute over a local grievance into a class straggle, the Federation of Labour has sent." delegation to the town to effect a settlement" by pacific means, or to force one bv extreme measures. The" first move by the peacemakers brought them up against a solid obstruction. Having arrived from Wellington this evening. Messrs. R. Semple (federation organiser). W. E. Parry {president of the Waihi Miners' Union) and H. T. Armstrong (formerly an official of the Waihi Union), accompanied by three members of th? Strike Committee, were received by a delegation representing the. Waihi Engine-drivers' Union. They were welcomed by the president of the new union (Mr. B.'Skeardi. who explained that his union had authorised its delegates to hear any proposal that the federation wished to make. Objection was taken by Mr. Semple to the presence of newspaper reporters, but Mr. Saeard explained that they had been invited by the union, which considered it only: right that the public , should hear both sides of the question. After a short consultation with his colleagues, Mr. Semple continued. He said he bad only one proposal to submit, and that was that as there was already a union in Waihi to protect their interests, and another in Auckland, the engine-drivers should consider the advisability of remaining in the Miners' Union for the sake of industrial peace. ? The "Miners' Union had cancelled its registration according to law, but now, he added, an absolute minority was making an effort to form a union of their own. Enginemen Stand firm.

Mr. Sheard interjected that the matter had gone beyond the stage of effort. The new union was an accomplished fact. Mr. Semple: It is only an attempt because it is not yet registered. Mr. Sheard retorted that the Enginedrivers' Union was as much an accomplished fact as the Miners' Union. Mr. Semple declared that the,union did not represent a majority of the enginedrivers, and this statement being challenged, he said he had been informed that only a minority of the tnginemen had joined it. He asked the union to consider the position. "We did not come here to * smudge ,..' to ,yo.u»'! he added. " We want to know if you are determined to go, on with the game*." Mr. Samson (one of the new unionists): There is not the slightest doubt about that. He added that the delegates were authorised to discuss any question except a proposal to break up the new union. Mr. Semple: That is all we want to ; know. We will be with you in the end. : With this cryptic remark the federation i organiser and his colleagues left the room. i The conference lasted less than five [ minutes. I The Men And The Owners. Having failed to secure the surrender of the enginedrivers the federation has been virtually brought to a standstill. Its negotiations "for a conference with the em-ployers-have not yet been affective, owing i to tho fact that its agreement to the pro- } posed conditions for the meeting did not | teach the president of the Gold Mineowners' Association. In a telegram received by Mr. Rhodes yesterday, the secretary of the federation (Mr. J. Glover) stated that he had telegraphed a. week ago accepting the terms proposed by the association. The first telegram did not reach Mr. Rhode*. .;'. v TliS* was the only subject that Mr. Semple would discuss when approached by a reporter this evening. He stated that lie, saw Mr. Glover write the telegram and take it to the telegraph, office in Courtenay Place. . Apparently it had gone astray in transmission, and effort! were being made by the federation to trace the document. Meantime negotiations have been renamed with, a view to arranging a conference, , hut it is 'unlikely that a, meeting can be effected within less than a week. What The Men Will Demand. Although the majority of the men in the rank and file of the Miners' Union have realised that the strike has placed them at a serious disadvantage, it is understood that the federation does not propose to approach tho employers in a humble .spirit. When the strike was called, the men were persuaded that the risk of damage to the workings by flooding would frighten the mining companies into a treaty. Now they know that the owners are determined to keep the mines closed until a. binding legal agreement has been made by the miners that will preserve industrial 'peace upon tho field for some years. So the strikers have found that tho weapon that was to win their cause was forged from base metal. The doors are cloced against. > them, the ]--/?y is beyond their reach. i From tho : point of view of the strikers, - who were persustded that their action would • resnlt in improved conditions, the prospect > is far from bright, for the employers oc- . cupy a strategical position that is almost impregnable. When the executive of the federation meets the Mineowners' Association it will renew the. protest against the formation of tho Winders' Union. Its ' strongest argument on that point is that it claims that two-thirds of the enginemen have remained loyal to the Waihi Union. Another objection to the new union is that an Enginedrivers' Union is already in existence in the Auckland industrial district. Upon these grounds the federation delegates will ask the employers to disband the Winders' Union by "dismissing from its employ all of its members who do not return to the Miners' Union.

The federation will go further than this. It proposes to ask for compulsory preference for members of the Waihi Miners and Workers' Union. The. agreement, which was terminated by the strike contained a conditional preference clause, but the union is not satisfied with that. It wants such • a clause as that in the agreement obtained by the Auckland Tramways Union. whicl» provides that any member withdrawing from the union must be given notice by the general manager to join it again, and if he refuses to do so must be 'dismissed. If the Conference Fails. Failure of the conference to effect a settlement might possibly be the signal foi» «very union in the federation being called upon to cease work. Certain demands are to be made, and if they are not conceded it is possible the federation will employ •extreme measure; to remedy a local grievance. Previously it was threatened to ■ "*?. - weapon- <3s ow?£tdi3

making no threat, but if the conference with the- mineowners fails, the federation may risk its existence by calling a general strike of all its members. There are roughlv 20,000 unionists within the ranks of the federation They comprise virtually all the gold and coM miners of New Zealand (except those who form the Thames Union), the waterside workers at every port in the Dominion, the Auckland Tramways Union, and the employees in the municipal gas works at Wellington. There is much doubt whether all these workers would respond to the order of the federation if a general strike was decided upon, for there is evidently much resentment on the part of the moderate section of the organisation against the proposal that they should lend their strength to enforce a demand merely domestic in its origin. i Strength Across the Water. But the strongest ally of the federation is in Australia. During his recent visit to New South Wales and Victoria the federation organiser sought a militant alli- j ance with the coal miners of those two States, and the federation now claims that it has obtained from them an understanding in writing that should its unions become involved in an industrial upheaval the Australian miners will refuse to hew coal for New Zealand. No Strike Pay Yet. There has not yet been any payment of strike pav. and "some of the men are beginning to complain, but the 'Waihi Union must wait until other unions respond to the federation's imposition of a 10 per cent. lew. If the appeal is complied with, the contributions should 'suffice to maintain at least 2000 strikers. The federation has no funds to cany on a strike, and it seems that if the weapon is by anv chance used, it will very soon be turned against the men. Protection ; Claims Postponed. Applications for summary protection of their rights and privileges were to have been made by the mining companies tomorrow. The warden (Mr. F. V. Frazer) has been prevented by illness from visiting Waihi. and the hearing has been postponed till June 14, when the companies will probably proceed with their applications for protection for six months. Meantime the applications having been lodged, the companies are relieved from all responsibilities as to the manning and the working ot their properties. Carrying on Hospital Work. Satisfactory financial arrangements have been made to" carry on the Waihi Hospital. Mr. D. Donaldson, the member of the Hoard- who visited Wellington to seek State assistance for the institution, returned this evening. Be stated that the proposals made bv the Minister for Public Health could "not bo accepted by the Board. The Minister declined to provide financial assistance, but made a proposal, which was to the effect that a receiver should be put in, a rate levied, and the administration of the hospital undertaken bv the Department. Mr. Donaldson said he was sure the Board would cot agree to this course, and he therefore interviewed the general manager of the Board's \ bankers, with the result that the bank . undertook to finance the hospital in the | meantime.