MINES IDLE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24783, 6 December 1941, Page 8

MINES IDLE

WEST COAST "COLLIERIES (PAj ' ' Dec?.£ Several of the Coast mines are idle to-day, the Strongman and the Jamesalone working. The.Liverpoolr'State mine is idle because the bins, are full, combined with a shortage-of shipping and railway trucks. > The Blackball State mine also has its bins full.; The: Wallsend mine is idle for the; funeral' of a trucker,who 4vas drowned o> Wednesday. '...':' ' *;; |_v TheDobson miheis idle ; because the lamps were stopped of some jrieniin a certain section .this morning. The, men interviewed the Minister of Mines, Mr P. C. Webb, when passing through to Christchurch. The miners, held *• meeting this, afternoon.; No .informal tion was., obtainable (from the union officials.- 5 -, : ".' ■■■■■ ■ ■'■■ •"■■'■.'. : ■.;.. ;i J -''''■''■■?'.•,;" > The Paparoa mine is also idle* belkvedly because of the dispute.

, AT, W?BSON MINISTER WARNS MINERS "This is no empty threat,, and; St will be carried out in full,!' said the iMihlsterv; ofc;<MlnessX M* xP*v C. Webb, on, .Thursday,, wheh.<sak? a, iineeiing; at 'WallseW'he\sp6ke to the' nuners, at,< DobsottXoh ?: th^'*efious' i>ie#i taken by bfc the go-slftW/Jactics adopted in the'.'"mine. -He said, steps would be taken immediately"to have the imeri the industry for the duration of the war. . Nor matter 4hey'; were uhibn officials or rope boys, their place was out b*;the iiiaOsbry;" •-'•;• .-■• ''V''---'-. v-. Mr Webb emphasised the necessity, of every worker, everywhere, pulling his weight. tMt "mines and factories/were ilinks 'in the nation's war He, resetted that a few irresponsible men,- wno'Cid not take the war seriously, "had embarrassed the Government in every possible way. Before Russia'came-; into 'the war they;proclaimed; that it was an imperialistic, and capitalist war. But -they : had'shbwn -no sighs -'of improving;.. since :;Russiao.hadKCpme.ain. They would neither fight nor; .fork for Russia; but: took-etfery -obpowuhity of calling atithe pit mouth, and.thus; causing .a reduction of coal output.',' ;•- "V "I' -repeat here to-night, most phatically, that the - Government s has no intention of playing with the situation," Mr Webb added. "The miners in Dobson cannot be defended for adopting go-slow tactics, which:are a strike in another form. I advise the Dobson miners to go backhand -let the tribunal set up ,by the Government, on which their own members are represented, make a full investigatibh, and deliberate on the.grievances they have:" After expressing the hope that common sense would prevail arid that. the miners would not allow those few. men to carry on with any such pernicious tactics, Mr, Webb said he was confident that the good. sense of the majority of the Dobson miners would... although they felt : that they had. a, very « genuine?grievance,-make> : -tnem listeri to. the appeal of • the Government and the nation for their help and co-operation. " - . ... ;,.,..,.■..,..-;,: