MINERS' DISPUTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3040, 19 June 1912, Page 24

MINERS' DISPUTES.

r THE WAIHI STRIKE. STATEMENTS CONTROVERTED. Mr H. P. Barrj-, superintendent of the Waihi Gold Mining Company, gives an emphatic denial to the statements that the Waihi Engine-drivers' Union had. been formed by the employers. He denied absolutely that he knew of what was going on except from what he saw in the newspapers. He challenges the accuracy of the statement that a majority of the drivers on the field are not members of the new union, and are not sympathetic with the new union. The number of drivers employed is 71. Eight are members of the Amalgamated Engineers' Union, and are working under an award; the new union's membership is 42, thus leaving only 21 drivers who are not under the Arbitration Act. WAIHI, June 12. The coming conference is not looked forward to with a great degree of hope in the matter of settlement, as such a thing seems impossible in the face'of the condition that the mine owners absolutely refuse to discuss the differences between the two unions. ■ ''. \ It is/undei-stood that the first general strike pay was made * yesterday. A mass meeting of single men was held this moraing,. under the • auspices of the Waihi Miners' Union. The chairman said that the meeting had been convened with a view to inducing more single men to take active part in the strike. He pointed out in this connection that there were only two single men on the > committee or on sub-committees at the present time. The meeting had also been called for the purpose of confirming the Strike Committee's recommendation in re strike pay. The recommendation was that the single men should receive 15s per week, and married men with two or less children 20s, married men with three children 255, and men with four or more children 30s. The union has decided to purchase stores and sell them to the strikers at cost price. The chairman advised the single men who could not make arrangements to board at the rate of 15s per week to club together and "bach." It was resolved that the single men accept 15s a week as strike pay until further notice. Nothing was decided regarding the committee's desire as to the single men talcing a more active part in connection with the strike. The meeting, as usual, was held in camera, and pickets seemed to be Well in evidence, no doubt with a view to locating the origin of the press reports. PROTECTION OF MINES. WAIHI, June 14. At the Warden's Court the Waihi Company applied for sax months' protection for all its claims and 70 subsidiary rights, including water raoes, dams, special sites, etc. The Grand Junction Company also applied for six months' protection for its claims and 25 subsidiary rights. The ground that the Waihi Extended Company and the Waihi Standard Company set out for their applications were: " Owing to labour troubles at Waihi the' above-named companies are not in a position to man the properties.' Mr H. P. Barry, superintendent of the Waihi Company, said he had been in charge

of the company for 21 yeans. The company had been working for 25 years, and the number of men employed by the company had ranged from 1300 to 1500. It had expended in plant, including pumps, machinery, etc., three-quarters of a million sterling, and in wages had expended over three niiUiona sterling. Altogether the company had expended over five million pounds. Examined as to' the company's action in connection with the strike, he said that the company knew nothing about what led up to the strike till it was served with an ultimabumi The cause of the strike was a matter between , two bodies of men. He knew nothing about the formation of a new union untrjl he read about it in the local papers. Neither by suggestion nor advioe had his company anything to do with the formation of the union.

Questioned as to the ultimatum delivered by the Miners' Union, Mr Barry said he could net comply with it. He .had no application from tihe men since the strike for work. As soon as there was satisfactory evidence of the permanency of working the mines on a satisfactory basis the company would reopen the mine irrespective of protection. Mr D. M'Arthur. substitute. attorney of the Grand Junction Company, said that the company approximately employed four times the number of men required by law. Tho company had expended close on a- million sterling:, out of which the shareholders had had £20.000. The company had absolutely no say in the strike. The company had not been approached by the Miners' Union before the strike. His company had nothing whatever to do with the formation of the new union. On this point he gave similar evidence to that of Mr Barry.

The Warden, in givine his decision, said that where a company was defending an action for forfeiture it was a good defence to show that the trouble had been caused by a labour dispute to which it was not a party. These applications for protection were practically in anticipation of forfeiture action. Tho same defence could be used as grounds for protection. He was satisfied that the companies, and the officials of the companies, had had nothing to do with the formation of the new union. The fact? weTe quite clear as to this. It was also oleir that the strike has been brought about by friction between two bodies of men, and that tho companies had nothing to do with it. Tho companies did not cause the strike by fomenting any trouble.. It was ridiculous to think that the companies could have complied with the demands of the union. No self-respecting company could have done so. In any case, the strike was on before this ultimatum was declared. He would grant the applications. The applications for nrotection by other lecal companies were also granted. THE REEFTON DEADLOCK. THE POSITION UNCHANGED. A committee of citizens at Reefton resolved to ask the Hon. J. Coivin, Minister of Mine 3, to offer his services as mediator, but that gentleman has replied that he cannot well do so unless both parties to the dispute request him to act. The .miners on etrike are disgusted with the delay, and those who accepted road and railway construction work are very tired of it, as the weather has been very bad. It is anticipated that single men will leave for other fields The Miners' Union has retained Mr P. J. O'Regan to oppose the granting of protection to the mines when the case comes before the Warden's Court. Mr Crowley, the president of the Inangahua Miners' Union, in an interview at Wellington, denied that the union was dominated by TSSooialists. "We readily admit," he aaid, "that the Waugh drill, over which tho trouble has arisen.

is a great deal lighter and more ■Convenient than any of its predecessors, but we insist that it is just a« essential for two men to work it as to work any other, because of the necessity qf keeping the hole effectively sprayed. We claim that it is impossible to,tk> this by any automatic attachment. Our objection to working these machines under the conditions offered arose from two causes —(1) The peculiar treacherous nature of the ground in the Reefton mines; and (2) the" impossibility of effectively spraying tho hole with any automatic attachment. There would be about 300 or 400 men affected by this trouble," concluded Mr Crowley. "Many have gone away; some have found work in other parts, but at least 200 men remain idle down there." FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE The Lyttelton Waterside Workers have voted £IOO to the Waihi miners' strike fund, also to make a levy of 2s 6d per week on members. The Westport General Labourers' Union at a meeting attended by 250 members decided to make a levy of 2s 6d per week per man, equivalent to 5 per cent, on the wages, on behalf of the Waihi arid Reefton miners on strike. The Thames Miners' Union voted £2O to tho Waihi miners' !?trike fund. The Karangahake branch of the union supports tho strike, and favour joining the Federation of Labour; while the Thames men, having concluded an agreement drawn up in friendly conference with employers, do not approve of the Waihi strike, and are averse to joining the Federation. The Canterbury Labourers' Union decided to make a voluntary levy of 10 per cent, on members' wages, the money to bo earmarked by the Federation of Labour for tho assistance/ of the wives and children of the Waihi and Reefton miners. The Auckland tramway employees by 226 to 197 resolved to levy 2s per member to assist the Reefton and Waihi miners on strike. The State Coal Miners' Union at Runanga collected £250 in aid of the strikers Tho Greymottth Waterside Workers declined to make a levy to assist the WaiKi and Reefton miner s on strike, on the ground that the union ie working under an Arbitration Court award. As doubts have been expressed as to whether unions working under an Arbitration Court award would be acting legally in abetting a "strike by providing financial assistance to the strikers, Mr P. J. O'Regan, solicitor to the Federation of Labour, has given a written opinion that a strike is unlawful only when the strikers are bound by an award of the Arbitration Court. _ The Waihi miners were not under the jurisdiction of the Arbitration Court; hence their strike is not an unlawful strike, and it i s not an offence on the part of any union, whether bound bv an award or not, to donate funds for the relief of tho men on strike. WELLINGTON, June 14. Last evening a delegation composed of Messrs Ross and P. C. Webb (representing the Federation of Labour), waited on the meeting of the Trades and Labour Council at the Trades Hall with a view to enlisting the financial sympathy of that body in connection with tho fund for tho miners at Waihi and Reefton. It was pointed out by the deputation that tho cause was a good one, and that monetary assistance to such by the Trades and Labour Council would have a big moral effect just now, inasmuch (it was suggested) as that body was the more acceptable (as compared with the federation) to the majority of citizens. It is understood that when the delegation had concluded a member of tho council reminded it of the federation's " contemptuous attitude" towards the body it was now approaching for aid when the unity proposition was put before it. The deputation retired while _ the council deliberated. It was decided, it i« stated, that the federation's request could not be acceded to. The majority in favour

lof this step was a substantial one. It is understood that the feeling of the council was more in the direction of sympathy with the men at Reefton than at Waihi.