NEW SOUTH WALES MIXING DISPUTE

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 11 March 1908, Page 27

NEW SOUTH WALES MIXING DISPUTE

.*» OBJECTION TO EVIDENX'E 13 CAMERA. SYDNEY, March 4. A majority of the miners' lodges hay« voted against the taking of evidence in camera by the special Mining Court. Only two voted in favour, but there are a few still to vote. It is feared the final result will mean eerioua complications. The Heddon Greta mine has been thrown idle, owing to the management refusing to reinstate four miners. The Newcastle Special Coal Court resumed its sittings to-day. The president refused an application foi an adjournment till Monday in order thai the full vote of the miners' lodges on th« question of evidence iii camera might be known. He said that from the present returns it was apparent that the lodges would carry a vote against camera evidence. .He had fully made up hi 6 mind not to give way, and if witnesses asked to have their evidence taken in camera it would be done. Any attempt to dictate to the court would fail miserably. He was afraid of the men going altogether out of their province, and he was determined that the tribunal should not suffer humiliation or indignity. He recognised! that the situation was very serious, and that it would result in the cessation of the labours of the court. He adjourned the court till to-morrow. In the meantime the president will draw up a statement of the position", including | an appeal to the minere showing that their position is untenable. March 5. At the sitting of the Newcastle Mining Court to-day the president made his promised statement reviewing the position. He reiterated that the miners had taken an absolutely unjustifiable position over the question of evidence in camera. If the Miners' Federation withdrew, thus causing the break-up of the court, he would say that the miners had broken, their a.greement without any justification whatever, and merely because they had failed to dictate to the court. The only thing for them to do was to withdraw from their attitude and leave the procedure of the court in the hands of the court. Counsel for the miners declared that he could not at that stage say what the miners would do. He must take his instructions from the federation, and he asked for an adjournment to further consider the position. The court adjourned till Monday. March 6. Developments at Newcastle are anxiously awaited. There is a growing feeling that the miners will not persist in their attitude regarding the camera evidence if a crisis can be averted.