THE COLLIERY STRIKE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14687, 22 November 1909, Page 5

THE COLLIERY STRIKE

I MR WADE'S PROPOSALS REJECTED. OPEN CONFKBKNCE ASKED FOR. ANOTHER THREAT BY MP HOWLING. Prcas Assoeiatiou-Uy Tciagriuh-Cowright. SYDNEY, November 21. r (Received Nov. 21. at 5.5 p.m.) liie strike conference dele»ates interviewed Mr Wads, and informed him that t.ioy could not accept his proposal. They submittal counter proposals for an open conference between the collicrv proprietor* «nd {he minors, Mating that the. miner, would net consent to return {<> work prior to or during a conference, but that in order o facilitate an early resumption m the event of satisfactory terms being arranged they were- willing-'io recommend that the requisite number of men be put on during the sittings or the conference to get the mines ready lo restart.

The delegates siibsao.uenl.lv vepoited the counter proposals to t-ho conference, which endorsed thorn, and Mi Wade ; « now considering them.

MR BOWLING'S AGR.ESSIVENESS.

" EXAMPLE TO CAPITALISTS.

SYDNEY, November 21. (Received Nov. 21. at 5.5 p.m.) A mass mealing of Newcastle unionists expressed full confidence in the strike con,'i'ess sitting '-n Sydney.

Mr .Bowling, in a speech, said that if the Government did not soon step in and force the proprietors, to give justice to the miners fomc-t'niiig would be brought about that would lie an example to the capitalists mi this country and in the rest of the world.

A i-?pi'f--:ntative of the Seamen's Union (.eclai-ed that the men in his union were prepared to lay down their tools whenever such a course would he in the in-(ere.-ls of the strikers. The representatives 01 other unions also spoke in support of the strike.

MOOLTANS COAL .SUPPLIES.

LONDON, November 19.

The steamer Moeltan, which has no general cargo for Adelaide, is utilising the vacant space for 780 tons of coal, wliieh. with the usual bnnlcer supplies, should suffice for the return journey to Colombo.

7,. SEAMEN'S UNfOX

NO PROSPECT OF A STRIKE

(Per. Ukitfd Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, November 20.

It is understood that ;k a result of com municalioiis between tho leaders of tin Seamen's Union re wiling the men out on (he interprovineial vessels in connection witn tiie Australian coal strike, it has been decried that the legal obligations under tin New Zealand Labour law preclude a strike. The suggestion for a bal lot. will not be. acted upo'n, The suggestion emanated from the Union I'/Xeciltivo ill Dunedin. who wired yesterday asking the Auckland branch'if the seamen engaged on (he intercolonial vessels would come out on strike, if called upon in n-ympafiy with the Newcastle miners ' [Mr \V Belcher, secretary of the New /.enfaml federated .Seamen's Union, was apprnaciieil by a Times reporter on Saturday in regard to the above, but firmly declined to make any statement whatever heaving on >.(.]

NEW ZEALAND COAL UNOBTAINABLE. A Wellington agent for one of the New Zealand collieries lias just been askttl to .■iiipnlv a cad ciivgo for deliver}- in Australia, (says tho New Zealand Times), lie promptly declined to do business, as il is held I hat any al tempt to place. New Zealand coal in Australia mav cause a labour complication at the West Coast mine which supplied the coal. Another agent has been approached \vi!h a view lo supplying a eaif;o of cool for a big steamer at present in New Zealand waters, for Australia. The matter was not considered a reasonable risk by tho agent, and in the meanwhile mo big boat is hungering in vain.

SKIPS AT NEWCASTLE.

On Saiurday, 131 h inst.. (he followiu B deep-sea vessels were in port at NoAeustlo: Altiiiera. barque, for South America: An--111 res, ship, for Valparaiso; Casablanca, barque, for Auckland; Castor, barque, for Valparaiso; Conlury, steumer, Toi Sao i-Vancisco; Enrichetia, four-mastod barque, lor South America; Falls of Garrv, fotirniaslcd barque, for Mauritius; G<d»oriu Castle, barque, for South America; Harbour, steamer, lor Honolulu; Hawaii, fourmasted barqtienlino, for Hawaii Isles; John Palmer, four-masted bnnjuentine, for San I'iancisco; Kinfauns, barque, for South America; Laeimec, ship, for Portland; Leicester Castle, ship, for Valparaiso; .Maria, steamer, destination not staledMarjono Craig, barque, for Auckland; Mount Stewart, ship, for South America; .Vscllos, steamer, for Manila; Ormiston, steamer, for South America; Osnabruck. steamer, for Java; Romford, steamer, destination not, staled; Winnipeg, ship, fr, r South America.

STRIKERS' POOD SUPPLIES,

POSITION OF TUB STOREKEEPERS.

111 II such as the minors have now entered into ilia position of the storekeepers is bj no means an enviable one in the small mining towns. Their busmen is done entirely with the colliery employee?, and now at one swoop the 'financial resources of their customers have been tut oil. l'mbably Hie storekeeper has built up us business on the custom of the miners. VUule uioy had the money iliev spent it readily; now ho has either io refuse to supply them with goods because they cunot pay immediately, or to allow ar-com.f* to * run up which may never 1m liquidated. J ast, experience has shown that debts incurred during strikes are not regarded bv some m the Mme light as other liabilities* A good many of i\ K miners," remarked nne storekeeper when spoken, to on the <mbjeer 'regard their strike liabilities as debts ot honour-Hhat, i s , th c storekeeper has "the honour of giving tho credit and the miner get* the goods. As a rule, however, the miner is a splendid payer." It is hardly surprising that in the eircumstances a number of thc small storekeepers an the coalfields have dreadv clo.wi tLir own. They were not in a position to pt.c credit for a long period, and rather than re(ua.jatg customers

they iml. up !he simnors. Should the -■-tnke be prolonged, it is certain (hat many more shopkeepers will hike the fame course

After all, the storekeeper is dependent upon the Hrm from which he obtains his i'°i?-' C *' -*"" 0 wholesale house is the. rxnvoi bohiml ;iie throne, and iho rolaii man is hound in Ins willn«M*3 l» assWt tho miner on strike by Iho cxlojit to which he himfell ecu .cot: for support, from the warehouseman. liiMiiri<vs wn ro „uide l>v t represen.alive ; ,f ■• lim r). (i | y To | C g ra)) j, ampni; )!»■ ] lou?t ,s i„ Newcastle, anil lli!> imoi-niiiriorr authored leads to the coik-lii*io:i that. „„ ;-„„ ptofmii occ . lsi()n t j, () wholesale hr,,,, Wl |l IH)t Lm> so d Slum! Iwhr.d tho storefcrenor as t -i:<>v were

Creil::, n-ill l w more ,-Wly serntinis.'d," tno manager ~i » 1,,,.,, cilv iimi 1-o mo- think Cat «- 0 l 1;iTO hlul o| .. v ».«l <-eb,. „„u eoiud !,., ,lin-ctlv attribute o a stnke. but ihero « a oplin ß o. *r«wr i„ s ,c m ity now (ban "hen iho slnko n«,„,v,| two war* a<-o Iho rnmres«o„ ~ Shat 'he storekeepers are. lot in as jroe,! a j )osiho!| ,' < e» oSUu,dtheMra, l ,oi fi i,iu K einded redil. At tho m,,*. rune the families ni e strikers command ih, , vmljatllv „- h= ,ess men, and no doubt (he wholesale lieW./ov-ns as far as circumstances «-»,-.

th- h nenr , ir'i o! '. tl,o ' q,i,i,:,rii . vo f "- Mlegale Hoard, that arrangements tit ,'-, s " !l! ''- v ,l,e "CMJaries of life > strikow pMelirally without p"• „, en the subject of a groat deal of'com- *» on a cash basis, would lind i t ifi <Al, V o.op;^socSu^;^^^ , '! , : W; v^:sr aiii r™* as his socief? > one „ed , "" " S '" n i ,OSllMi '2^ eouneetjon with