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HUNTLY MINE REOPENS.

OVER 100 MEN WORKING.

ADEQUATE POLICE FORCE.

EXCITEMENT OF STRIKERS.

OVERTURES TO EMPLOYERS.

DIRECTORS' DECISION

TO-DAY.

MANY ANXIOUS TO RESUME.

Over 100 men, of whom nearly 40 are minors and truckers, recommenced work in the Taupiri Extended mine at Huntly yesterday ; and considerably mare, who have been waiting for a lead, will resume their places during the next few days. The men were escorted to and from work by uniformed police, of whom over 30 have been drafted into the township. The strikers congregated in force yesterday morning, and showed considerable excitement, but, except for an incident of a few minutes' duration near the pithead about eight o'clock, there was no disorder of any kind. The police will remain in Huntly indefinitely to protect the workers against molestation.

A deputation of strikers approached Mr. W. J. Ralph, one of the Taupiri Company's directors, yesterday morning, and showed an inclination to make terms; and the strikers' proposal is to be considered by the directors to-day. It is confidently expected that the strike will be ended within the next few days, either by agreement, or by the men returning to work— a course many are disposed to follow. A Vigorous Canvass. On Monday evening the miners were, as one businessman described it, " in a state of ferment." The determination of the Taupiri Company's directors to recommence operations had been expressed in active preparations at the mine, and in the arrival of a considerable body of uniformed police. The township, until a late hour, was full of little groups of men excitedly discussing the position, and pickets closely sorutinised all arrivals by train. A considerable section of the miners who had originally gone on strike had not associated themselves with the active body of strikers, and these constituted the unknown element. It was among these men that the members of the new union had been found, and, if the mines were to be manned again, these, obviously, were the men who would provide the labourWhen ,it was apparent that work was to start on Tuesday morning, the pickets and officials of the old union spent Monday in an active canvass of everyone regarding whose intentions they hail any doubt. Their efforts met with some success, for several men who were expected to resume work did not put in an appearance yesterday morning. Women took no small pari in the campaign of " persuasion " that was carried on. • Hen Escorted to Work. At seven o'clock yesterday morning, the police, about 25 mounted said 12 on foot,

under Inspector Wright, and Senior-Ser-geant Hastie, of Hamilton, and Sergeant O'Grady, of Auckland, assembled at the police station. The foot-police proceeded at once to the Extended mine, while the mounted men were split up into little parties and sent off to different parts of tho township to escort the miners to work. Soon after six o'clock, the strikers began to congregate in the main street, and before seven o'clock small groups of pickets began to distribute themselves over the town. About half-past* seven o'clock the firs little band of workers arrived in the main street, escorted by police, and followed by some 20 or 30 pickets. As they passed the strikers displayed considerable excitement, and an inclination to hoot; but the very evident determination of the police to visit the slightest sign of disorder upon the heads of the offenders kept the rowdy element in check. Signs of Disorder. The crowd fell in behind the police, and followed the party to the mine, on which other little groups of workers were converging. Nearly 40 miners and truckers, in addition to the regular staff of over 70, assembled at the pit-head, while the strikers congregated outside the fences, 100 yds away.

The approach of the last little party of workers was the signal for the outbreak of the only disorder which marked the reopening of the mines. Mounted police rode upon, and scattered like sheep, a number of strikers who blocked a gateway; and as the workers passed through and marched to the pithead, a larger body of about 100 strikers, some distance away, began to jeer and cheer ironically. Half a dozen mounted men immediately Bet to work to break up this crowd —a proceeding which the crowd resented very much. For a few minutes there was a wild scene of dodging men, prancing horses and waving riding-crops. The crowd was stubborn, and at first showed no disposition to move. But the police very quickly discovered the ringleaders, and chased them down the street and over fences, and then the gathering dispersed. The excitement was maintained for some time, however, by a young woman from an adjacent cottage, who, in very loud and angry tones, expressed her great discontent with the prevailing order of things. When a loud cheer and the revolving wheels at the poppet-head showed that the Workers had started for their places underground, the strikers formed up and marched back to the main street.

Employers and Employed. Meanwhile, the workers, before descending, were addressed by Mr. W. J. Ralph, who, with Mr. H. A. Gordon, was present as representing the Taupiri Company's directors. Mr- Ralph declared that the directors had no *' set" on the Huntly men. On the contrary, they wished to see the men working under the best possible conditions, for the best possible wages. When the union had genuine grievances, the directors desired that the matter should be dealt with as in .former times— a conference, at which there might be some table-thumping, but which generally ended up to their mutual satisfaction. But the directors would not recognise the Federation of Labour, which had come along and "mopped up" the unions. They tried to deal fairly with the men, and in return, they wanted the men to treat them fairly— as the men were capable of doing if allowed to act on their own initiative. He was convinced that the great majority of the men in Huntly were fellows of sterling worth, and he regretted the present position very keenly. He thanked the men before him for showing their loyalty to the company, and he hoped to meet them again soon under more congenial circumstances. After Mr. Gordon had spoken briefly, the men replied with three cheers for the directors. The Strikers' PropositionBefore ten o'clock, Mr. Ralph and Mr. Gordon were asked to meet ft deputation from the strikers. Mr. Ralph said that they were present, only to witness the reopening of the mine, and had no authority! to enter into negotiations with the strikers. They would, however, be pleased to place any statement the deputation cared to make before a meeting of the directors. The deputation asked that the following question be conveyed to the directors — "The president of the Waikato Miners' Union, wants to know whether, in the event of the miners wishing to go back to work in a body under the new union, thev will be allowed to do so without discrimination." Mr. Ralph said that the matter would be placed before the directors at a meeting

to be held this morning, and the men would be at once advised of the result. Mr. Ralph was asked subsequently what attitude the directors would probably take up. but he said he could not discuss the matter. The Present Position. The present position in Huntly appears to be that if the directors agree to the strikers' request, the strike will immediately end by the strikers joining the now union and returning to work. If the directors decline to allow the whole body of strikers to join the new union, it is confidently anticipated that the strike will collapse within a week. Over 100 men are now actually at work in the Extended mine, and it was demonstrated yesterday that the police are able to guard the workers against molestation. The number of communications received bv the mine authorities yesterday indicate that at least 50 more men will resume work within the next few days. Now that, of all who participated in the " General strike," only the coalminers are still officially "out"—and the majority of these 6how a distinct tendency to go back under almost any conditions—the Huntly men are anxious to settle the trouble. If they can go back on the terms they suggested vesterday, they will; but the belief is general in Huntly that they are so tired of this prolonged and useless struggle that, if no agreement is arrived at at once, they will drift back to work unconditionally. The men at work in the mine yesterday performed excellent service. At an early hour in the afternoon they had brought 25 skips to the surface, and the manager, was confident that, for the day, 200 tons would be produced.

ACTIVITY AT HIKUEANQI. total OF 124 men AT work. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] WiiAXGAJinr, Tuesday. Work is again in fall swing at the Hikurangi coal mines, a total number of 124 men having resumed under the new arbitration union. In all 19 applications for re-employment were refused, the majority of that number being men who played leading parts in the recent strike. The town is quiet and orderly, and business, which had been considerably stagnated during the past two months, is quickly regaining its normal state. The Railway Department has resumed the ordinary time-table service.

CLASHES ON THE WATERFRONT. ENGAGING MEN AT WELLINGTON. [BY. TELEORAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] Wellington, Tuesday. A disturbance occurred yesterday when for the first time men were engaged in a room used for the purpose prior to the | strike. The ex-strikers hustled and jostled arbitrntionists, and there was considerable violence. Another clash between exstrikars and the men who helped to break the strike occurred in the afternoon, whon between one hundred and two hundred men had assembled in the room. The new hands were subjected to insulting remarks, and ex-strikers attempted to stop arbitrationists from going up the stairs into the iooin. So objectionable were the tactics adopted that late in the day Mr. R. Fletcher, chairman of the Harbour Board, decided that the shed should be closed immediately. This morning labour was engaged in the open. A few police constables were scattered among the crowd and had a quieting effect, no trouble being experienced. There was a very large surplus of labour, and many members of the union, new men and ex-strikers, found themselves without employment.

THE LABOUR MARKET.

MANY OUT OF WORK.

I [bt telegraph.— correspondent.] Wellington, Tuesday. The question of supply and demand in the labour market has not yet been settled since the recent strike. An unusually large number of men are coming to the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J. P. Luke) every day asking that he should either find employment for them under the City Council, or that he should interest himself in assisting them to berths in private employ. Mr. Luke told a Wellington Dominion reporter to-day that the effect of the strike seemed to have been more widespread than was generally supposed. The men applying did not appear to have been strikers in the first instance, but had simply found themselves Without work owing to the interruption of business caused by the labour disturbance, and normal conditions did not appear to have been yet restored.

STRIKERS JOIN NEW UNION

SITUATION IN LYTTELTON. [BY TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION. ] Christchurch, Tuesday. About 210 men were engaged on the waterfront this morning, no further labour having -been engaged since last week. The action of the Lyttelton Wharf Labourers' Industrial Union of Workers in deciding at last night's meeting that thfe union should receive applications for membership from all members of the old union has caused favourable comment among ex-strikers, who are anxious, after a long period of idleness, to return to theif employment. A meeting of the Lyttelton Stevedores' Union was held this morning, the business being connected with the winding-up of the union's affairs. This afternoon 126 members of the old Lyttelton Waterside Union, including the president (Mr. F. Lurch) and the secretary (Mr. H. R. Voyce) marched in a body V; the Te Anau and were enrolled as members of the new union, the strength of which is now 546. Seventy-five more men are expected to sign on to-morrow. By arrangement with the Harbour Board the police were removed from the approaches to the wharves this afternoon, leaving the wharves open to the public.

WATERSIDER INJURED,

ACCIDENT ON WHARF.

A serious accident happened at noon yesterday to a waterside worker named William H. Piddock, a married man, 52 years of age, who resides in Ryle Street, Ponsonby. He was engaged at the King's Wharf assisting in loading butter into the steamer Buahine when occasion arose to move a heavy table from a line of rails. While he was engaged in this work some trucks were moved, and before he could get clear his knees were jammed between the table and a truck. He was removed to the district hospital, and on examination was found to be suffering from serious injuries to his legs,. the ligaments being much affected by the crushing.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19140107.2.81

Bibliographic details

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15501, 7 January 1914, Page 8

Word Count
2,179

HUNTLY MINE REOPENS. New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15501, 7 January 1914, Page 8

HUNTLY MINE REOPENS. New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15501, 7 January 1914, Page 8