BACK TO THE MINES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21233, 13 July 1932, Page 8

BACK TO THE MINES.

MEN RESUME WORK.

ACTIVITY IN HUNTLY AREA.

OVER A THOUSAND ENGAGED.

3000 TONS OF COAL PRODUCED. Over 1000 coal miners went back to work in the Huntly mines yesterday. Thus ended a stoppage of over five weeks, that cost the parties to the dispute and the country generally a very large sum of money. Although a normal day's output was not obtained from the mines yesterday owing to factors necessarily associated with a return to work after a lengthy period of idleness, approximately 3000 tons of coal were railed into Huntly during the evening and should be in Auckland to-day. The output from the Taupiri Coal Mines colliery at Rctowaro alone was 700 tons, which is only 100 or 200 tons short of a normal . working day's production. Among the contributing delays was the necessity for taking a cavil, or ballot, for working places in the mines, which it is customary to hold once every three months.

All the men are gfad to resume work. Ton days musfc elapse, however, beforo any wages are paid, as the miners receive their remuneration fortnightly and the next pay-day will be Friday, July 22. Even then they will only receive a week's wages, as it is customary for the coal companies to hpld back tho first week's pay after a man's engagement. It will be impossible for the men to receive a full fortnight's pay, therefore, until nearly a month has elapsed. Under the circumstances it is unlikely that the < business of Huntly will return to normal immediately.

The Mining Townships. The mining townships, places of inactivity for over five weeks, awakened to renewed energy when the mine whistles aroused the inhabitants from bed at" 6.30 a.m. In half an hour columns of blue smoke, trailing upward from the chimney pots in the townships of Glen Afton, Pukerniro, Rotowaro and Renown, told that early breakfasts were being prepared and that housewives were making lunches for the miners. When the clocks pointed to 7.30 another blast of the mine whistles summoned the men from their homes and sooA all paths leading to the mines were dotted with dark figures attired in caps and working clothes. The miners' train, which, during the strike, conveyed no more than 20 men daily to the carbonisation works and the private mines, was crowded with 360 passengers when it left Huntly railway station just as dawn was breaking. All along the line to Glen Afton groups of miners alighted at stations on their way to the various mines. "This is the first tobacco I've bought for a fortnight," said one man, puffing at a .cigarette, as he donned heavy boots in the changing room and lighted his acetylene lamp. There followed the mysteries of the cavil, by which the men draw for the places in the mine they ware to work. The system removes any grievance individual men may entertain that they have deliberately been put to work on difficult places that prevent them earning good pay. From Light Into Darkness.

At eight o'clock shaVp the mine whistles blew for the third time. By now the mine machinery operating fan ventilators, pumps and rope-tracks was in full working order and in some of the mines pit ponies were harnessed ready for work. As a glorious sunrise was paling under the more garish light of day, hundreds of dim figures, their lamps gleaming from the peaks of their caps, entered the black mouth of the two-mile-long tunnels into the hills atid vanished. Eight hours would elapse before they would come out of those darkened caverns and then it would be only to see the daylight merging into night. No extra labour was engaged for work in the mines yesterday. Numbers of -men who had been retrenched last Christmas applied for jobs at the managers' offices at 7.30 a.m., but were advised to return to-day or later in the week. Practically all the mines will be absorbing additional hands in the next few days in an effort to recover ground lost during the strike and meet the pressure of orders as quickly as possible.

MINISTER'S SATISFACTION.

SPIRIT OF CONCILIATION.

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE. [by telegraph.—press association.] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. The hope that the same spirit which resulted in the settlement of the northern mining dispute will animate future conciliation proceedings was expressed by tho Minister of Labour, the Hon. A. Hamilton, this afternoon, in commenting on the ratification of the conference agreement by tho miners' unions. " I was certainly very pleased when I learyicd the ballot among .the miners had resulted in a majority favouring adoption of the agreement," said Mr ; Hamilton. As Minister of Labour ho had invited representatives of the mino owners apd miners to meet him after unsuccessful negotiations for a new agreement. "It was apparent to me when they entered the conferenco room that both sides had come forward in a spirit of helpfulness and with a desire to arrive at a satisfactory settlement," said Mr. Hamilton. " That conference to my mfncl indicated what can be dono around tho conciliation table if the parties enter the proceedings with tho full desiro to reach an agreement and in a spirit of givo and take."