THE LABOUR WORLD.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1367, 12 May 1898, Page 18

THE LABOUR WORLD.

A THREATENED LOOK-OUT. Disputes between the mine-owners and the miners of New South Wales are so common that an ordinary trouble of that kind -would not excite either surprise or commercial disquiet. The latest rupture, however, is of mora than ordinary importance, and threatens to end in a sudden closing of nearly all the collieries in the colony. "Within the last few days threats to this effect have, as the cable has informed us, been made by the proprietors, most of whom are resident in Sydaey, as a certain alternative to the enforcement of what are called the weighing provisions of the Coalmines Regulation Act. The difficulty which now threatens to cause a general lock-out was precipitated by a recent decision of the Supreme Court. The case was one in which the Mount Kembla Coalmining Company was principally concerned, and the Court ruled on appeal that every skip of coal must be weighed at the pit's mouth. The employers at once indignantly protested that if this was given effect to it would be impassible for them to carry on mining with success as a commercial operation. Weighing coal was impracticable, they said, and, even if it was practicable, would involve a very large expense which would inevitably be shifted on to the miners in the form of a proportionate reduction of wages —which reduction -would, if proposed, probably cause a strike. In the face of these difficulties the owners declared their intention to shut down the mines rather than allow the miners to compel them to do so by striking. This was not done, however, until a specially appointed committee of three had been appointed to visit the principal pit 3 of the colony to ascertain the practice followed and the probable results of a change, if any was required, to suit the ruling of the Court. Meantime the miners held many meetings in various parts of the colony, and in every instance worth noting decided to insist on the strict enforcement of the weighingclauses; their explanation of the owner 3 indisposition to comply being that it -would mean a readjustment of the hewing rates. If the weighing system is adopted small and large coal will have to be paid for according to aggregate weight, which obviously would not suit the owners. A new hewing rate would therefore become necessary. Would the miners agree to that ? The probability is that they -would not. The owners, having that probability in view, are disinclined to try the experiment of adopting a new rate to fit the altered conditions -which havo suddenly been sprung on them, and have announced , their intention to close all the collieries if the "weighing clause" is enforced. Ouc Jaie-ib inform itiou on the *u\hj ,.-et i s y.,H*. both Kile:- 'ir* standing firm, and a sar.iuUo dispute is therefore to be feared. A feasible reason why such a catastrophe may be avoided is that if the Spanish-American war continues the price of coal is likely to go up. But prospects of this sort unfortunately do not count. The miners are determined to see the law enforced, which they are strengthened in doing by the fact that any person can set the law in motion; and tho owners are equally bent on eithor refusing to weigh coal or adding the cost and consequences of doing so to the miners' wages. As the employers are associated an unusually great labour difficulty seems to be impending in New South Wales.