TRADES AND LABOUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2652, 11 January 1905, Page 19

TRADES AND LABOUR.

SYDNEY, January 3. . , The wheelers at the WaJlsend, Burwood, Lambton, B. Dudley, Co-operative, West Wallsend, and Newcastle A and B pits have refused to accept the reduction of 10 per cent, which the drop of 4d in the miners' hewing rate enforced from to-day, carries with it. Nearly 6000 miners aTe thrown out of work. The miners in the Pelaw, Main, and Wallaran collieries have also struck against the reduction of 6d in the hewing rate. January 4. The colliery proprietors intend to take , legal proceedings against the wheelers for breach of the award of the Arbitration Court. , Except four pits, -where the miners are doing their own wheeling, and where work is proceeding on a small scale, the position i at Newcastle is unaltered. The strike :s I seriously interfering with shipping getting loading. The Arbitration Court considers 'the case on Friday. > ls " January 5. ■ The Newcastle wheelers held a meeting yesterday, and _ decided not to return to - work, except at -the wages that ruled last year. JThey also decided to form a union i of their own, and to be independent of the ; Miners' Union. Those miners who do their i own wheeling will be black-listed. Dudley Co-operative Collieries, which were yesterday partially working, were idle i to-day, the miners declining to continue to do the wheeling. The Newcastle Coal Company's and the Glebe miners are the only two out of those where the wheelers struck that are now working. January 6. Pending the decision of the Arbitration Court the coal mine owners are taking no steps beyond asking the miners to do their own wheeling. _ .*'- The Co-operative colliery has shut down. "Among the steamers stuck up for want of coal is the Union Company's Waipori. The Arbitration Court, on the application of the Northern Colliery Proprietors' Association, ordered the wheelers on strike : to return to work, fixing the penalty for I an infringement of the order at £250 if | committed by the Northern Employees' I Federation, and £5 if by an individual employee. ! The Glebe colliers are idle to-day. It is believed locally the wheelers will ignore the court's decision. j A despatch from the Colonial Secretary of the Straits Settlements states that there 1 is no employment for wliite men there, and no chance of doing anything. January 8. The Newcastle wheelers at a mass meeting decided, despite the Arbitration Court's order, to continue the strike. Other pits will be idle on Monday, and more when the 14 days' notice given has exniredi.

A ballot of the Pelaw Main miners decided to resume work. January 9. The wheelers of 12 collieries set the arbitration law at defiance by absenting themselves from work to-day. The "proprietors have decided to seek legal advice on the situation created. SOUTHLAND SAWMILL WORKERS' I UNION. At tho annual meeting of the Southland Sawmill Workers' Union, held at InveroargiU on Saturday, Mr Paape (the secretary) said that 10 mills had cut out during the past year or two, tbe last one being the Southland Timber Company's mill at Otapiri, whbh would close down early next month. In soma instances timber was being hauled by waggon for distances up to 10 milas, and if the railways were not pushed on a great miny more mills would have to close down, and a number of those now employed by them would have to seek other occupations. The 600 men in the' industry represented about 2000 people, and they contributed in rates and taxes, consequently they were entitled to consideration from the Government. He thought there should be a meeting of citizens, the Town Council, Railway League, Chamber of Commerce, and other bodies with a view to representations being made on the matter of railway construction and extension. _ If a move was not made in this direction, within the r.ext two years a considerable portion of the timber trade of , Southland would be diverted tp the West : Coast and the north, and once they lost I it they would find a difficulty in recovering ■ it. The President (Mr T. O'Byrne) said that a conference between the Sawmill Workers' i Union and the hide-bound Conservatives who belonged to some of the bodies mentioned by the secretary would not b© ad- > visable, as they would take advantage of . the opportunity to abuse the Government j in the name of the union, and a great deal -of capital would be made out of it. The working classes should extend gratitude to the .Government who had done so much for them. He would like to see the Government establish a State sawmill at Waiau, otherwise when the railway was made monopolists would step in and , secure the bush.