THE STRIKE AT THE KAITANGATA COAL MINE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1823, 29 October 1886, Page 15

THE STRIKE AT THE KAITANGATA COAL MINE.

The directors of the Kaitangata Coal Company are making preparations to replace the men on strike, and have given notice to those of the miners who have been occupying the cottages near the mine that they must remove. To* provide further accommodation a number of new cottages are to be built.

THE CASE OF THE MINERS. TO THE EDITOR DAILY TIMESj. Sir, — In reply to a statement in your paper of the 22nd inst., and for the information of the public, I hope you will give space in your paper for a few remarks from the miners' side. First. — The miners deny that they have come out on strike. The facts of the case are as follow :— For many years past our managers have treated their employes in a shameful manner. I speak from seven years' experience, Sir. It is a well-known fact that the miners here for the greater part of these seven years have not beepi working more than three or four days per wp^k* Still our managers continued to employ a'a the men, miners or non-miners, that sought employment at the works. It will be J^meinbered that three or four years ago %c% c compan y brought some men from Victoria, paying their passages, I believe, and. promising them full work at 10s perday. Now these men are gone, but some of th^ r debts are left here ttus day Again, Sii\ t^ c company paid the passages ofXwl?" a "' uical miQ ers from Westport and oneiea^aem steady employment at 10s per shift. mow this promise I. can say was neves fulfilled' 0/ thecompany. Some of these men from WestP°*t have returned, there and some are with u» a ™t\ - ™kJB» w * fc b SODQB ot ber grievances, led themmers taswihat th% must form a brtratii oS

the Coalminers' Protective Association, which was formed. Now, Sir, these two men— Messrs Chapman and Barlow — assisted in the formation of this association, and also took an active part in appointing the office-bearers ; but just after the formation of the association our manager (Mr Shore) issued a circular warning the miners not to join this association, and stating that his reasons for issuing this circular were as follow t-^" You know that I have been one of yourselves for many years and that our interests are identical, and you need not be informed that any advice I may give in a matter of this kind is intended for your good." After Messrs Chapman and Barlow received a copy of this circular they disappeared from the association. All the rest of the miners joined the association. Shortly after this Messrs Chapman and Barlow complained that some of . the miners were stealing their boxes and .their coal; but the fact that they never attempted to prove the charge is evidence that there were no grounds for the complaint. We Bent two deputations to them asking them to join our association. On both occasions they stated that they were favourable to protective associations, and that when they went to any other colliery away from Kaitangata, if there was b protective association there they would join it; but that they had been robbed of their boxes and their coal, and therefore refused to join such men as were in Kaitangata. This is the ' cause of our refusing to work in the mine with these men, and we informed Mr Shore of the resolution come to. On Wednesday morning, the 20th inst., Mr Shore stopped all the miners from getting in the mine, but allowed Chap- ' man and Barlow to work in the mine. After come reasoning on both sides, Mr Shore got advice from Mr W. P. Watson, who was all the time in the offlcte at the mine. That advice was that the company would not comply with our wishes. Then all the miners with the exception of Chapman and Barlow returned home. At " midday Mr Shore called on me at my home ' and requested that I should try and get_ to- ' gether as many of the miners as possible, as Mr Watson desired to have an interview with the men before he returned to Dunedin. I succeeded in getting together about twelve men, and we went up to the office at the mine, where we had an interview with Messrs Watson

and Shore, which lasted for two hours, from 2 o'clock .until 4 ; but when parting Mr Watson begged, ?'For God's sake, gentlemen, reconsider your resolution, and give me an answer to-night, and I will take no action until after then." Now, Sir, this gentleman had an advertisement in the Star that same evening wanting miners for Kaitangata, &c. When the miners could not come to any agreement with the managers I sent telegrams to six of the directors of the company, asking them to use their influence to get the board to receive a deputation of miners from Kaitangata re their dispute, and I received the following from the chairman .— To B. Bennie, secretary Miners' Association. — Directors are unanimous that miners have no grievance, or that there is any dispute, and decline to receiveany deputation.- (Signed) Thomas Bbypomk chairman Kaitangata Coal Company. Now, Sir, can it be said that the directors have done their duty to an honourable community or to their honest, well-behaved workmen ? I think the reply from all must be, they have not. — I am, &c., Boyd Bennie, > Secretary Coalminers' Mutual Protective Association. Kaitangata, October 22, 1886.

The following letter appeared in Tuesday's Daily Times :— ,Bm,— Kindly allow me to reply to " Adßem's " letter which appeared in Saturday's issue of your paper, and in .doing so I wish to inform "Ad Bern " that it would be much better for all concerned if people would make themselves acquainted with the facts of the case before rushing to the public press. As one of the Kaitangata miners, I wish to inform the general public that the statements contained in "Ad Rem's " letter are simply not true. The miners of Kaitangata have not struck -. work but have been locked out, and to make this clear allow me to mention a few facts bearing on the matter. Some four months ago the miners working in the Kaitangatacoal mine, feeling that the burden imposed upon them by having to truck their coal such a long distance was becoming absolutely unbearable, deemed it necessary that something should be done to selieve themselves from the burdens which they believed [were being most unjustly imposed on them, and in order to do this they saw it was necessary first of all to become united in one 'body; hence the formation of the union. After becoming united and seriously considering the matter, the men waited on the manager and asked him if he would undertake the trucking of the coal, and on what terms. In reply, he stated that he was quite willing to take over the trucking if the men would submit to a redaction of 6d per ton ; and the men, wishing to Avoid coming into collision with their employers, agreed to this, fully expecting that the tracking ' of the coal would be taken over in four or five weeks at the most; but instead of this they have »have had to submit to delay after delay until four months had well nigh elapsed, the miners knowing at the same time that the necessary alterations were not .being hastened "on as they might have been, and it became quite evident that the manager waa simply playing with the men. Tbe minere sent deputations time after time to the manager, pointing out to . him the unfairness of things (which he never for a moment denied), and urging upon him to fulfil Ms promise by taking over the trucking; but he persistently refused to state when he ■would take over the trucking, and contented himeelf with saying that the trucking would be taken over in due course, and the men saw quite plainly that a stand would have to be made before they would receive that which everyone who knew the facts of the matter admitted they were fully entitled to; consequently the men asked that the matter might be submitted to arbitration, and in reply the manager stated that he would take over the trucking not later than the 18th of this month. But when this date arrived the men were given to understand that only a certain portion of the drawing would be taken jjver, and that a number of men would have to continue to truck their coals as they had prevjon.sjydone. On the men receiving this piece of info •"Ration a meeting of the men was called to deal'wi^h the matter, and after serious consideration th * men catne to tte conclusion that t» they haa rtk** 80 bard to 6 et *£ c trucking taken over, and as Chapman and Barlow had stated they did not v,^ 5t taken over and had done all in their powar' f» prevent taken over, and as a numbed of the men & ad to . continue to truck their coals as m the pftßt (notwithstanding that the manag^ r , had prO v mised repeatedly that it should be taK.'* 11 <mir -' they naturally thought that these two would have no objection to work in a part of W9W 9 mine were they could truok thur own coal*. /CooMQUtatly tbe trooktni wtr* M fet4 not to

give these men any boxeß, the miners never for a moment thinking it would cause any serious trouble. But on the men appearing at the mine on Tuesday morning they -were informed by the manager that they would not be allowed to commence work ; so the men, being powerless in the matter, had to return home, which they did. With regard to tho statement that the miners have tried to coerce Chapman and Barlow into joinina the union, such is not the case, as nothing of the kind has ever been attempted. "Ad Rem" also states that the Kaitangata miners have been earning 10s to 12s for eight hours' labour. Now, Sir, as one of the miners, I think that it is extremely unfair that such a statement should have been made and placed before the public, for a more untruthful statement never appeared in the public press ; and if "Ad Rem "or anyone else who is interested in this matter would consent to receive a deputation from the miners, overwhelming evidence would be given to prove that the coalminers of Kaitangata have been receiving but very little more than one-half the amount mentioned by "Ad Rem."— l am, &c, Mines. October 25.