IS THE MINER AN ISHMAELITE?

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18050, 25 September 1920, Page 8

IS THE MINER AN ISHMAELITE?

The average man and woman are rapidly losing faith in the miners—that is, if the miner may fairly be judged on the policy his organisation is following at tho present time. The effect of Ihat policy undoubtedly suggests that his hand is against every other man. If that be too harsh a criticism it is only because it is a judgment on the facts as they appear to tho public. The leaders of tho miners' organisations take no pains to enlighten their neighbours. For instance, a few weeks ago the miners at the State mine struck for certain railway facilities. These were granted, and immediately became tho grounds of another strike at Huntly. And the State miners are again striking for some other reason, which even the cryptic statement of the president of the State Miners' Union failed to make plain. He referred to pin-pricks and grievances, but specific examples were studiously avoided. And therein lies the apparent difficulty of dealing with the miners. One day the people of the dominion are informed that the disputes have all been settled, and thy. miners have returned to work. But the time of truce is invariably shore, and the public feels desperate enough to say that it is impossible to mollify the miners. If their grievances are remedied to-day they will have new ones to-morrow, and therefore they might as well nurse the old ones. The patience of the public is being sorely tried, and the miners are daily sacrificing the confidence and goodwill of their fellow workers. There are also indicaons that an increasing section of tho miners themselves are losing patience with the perpetual irritation policy. If every other industry were carried on under similar conditions the miners would perhaps more clearly understand thto full effects of a policy wliich is increasing the burden on every workingclass family in tho dominion. The shortage of coal, and its consequent high price, is stifling indastry in every direction. The shortage of houses i 3 aggravated by the shortage of cement, and cement is short because coal supplies are so limited. Tho spectacle of tho miners hanging up the coal supplies in order that a handful of them mar travel

afc suburban rates, •when they might be earning wages between £1 and £1 10s per day, is diverting, but at the same time it is all too serious. The irritation policy of the miners is costing tho people of the dominion hundreds of thousands of pounds per annum. It is one of tho most fruitful elements in increasing the cost of living. On tho one hand the dominion is forced to import very large quantities of coal from abroad, thereby locking up a largo amount of shipping tonnage which is badly needed for othor purposes, and on the other hand miners in the dominion are idle for a considerable portion of their time. Railway services are curtailed, and every manufacturing industry must increase its costs owing to the uncertainty of coal supplies. In three years the comparative shortage of coal amounts to 770,000 tons, and lasb year the difference as compared with 1916 was 409,287 tons. "What is tho reason? The difficulties with respect to continuity of work aro jast as great at the State mines as elsewhere. Indeed, they are greater than at theOtago mines, and so it cannot bo a question of private ownership. Neither national nor local agreements appear to solve the trouble, and the miners' organisation" is seldom frank on the matters in dispute. If a plain statement of grievances was placed before the public the dominion would at least know where it stood. And if they were all remodied would the miners hew coal with reasonable regularity? There is the rub. It would appear that an impasse has been reached, out of which there is no escape. Must tho public go on, never knowing whether there will be light or heat for the morrow ? Or is it possible that the miners can be prevailed trpon to co-operate with the community and provide a regular supply of coal ? They performed that important function in the past when conditions were incomparably worse than the present standard, and they are bound in part to aid in finding a solution for a position which has become intolerable. Will they help or will they continue the policy of irritating selfishness which is prejudicing their own future position and increasing the present-day burden on the poorest in our midst? On their right answer depends increased prosperity and happiness for themselves and their fellow workers.