COLLIERY STRIKE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11126, 15 November 1907, Page 5

COLLIERY STRIKE.

ADVICE TO STRIKERS. WIDESPREAD EFFECTS OF STRIKE. MANY INDUSTRIES AFFECTED. STEAMERS TO LAY UP. A RISE IN FARES AND FREIGHTS. (Press Assn. — By Telegraph — Copyright) SYDNEY, November 14. Railway hands are being reduced at Newcastle owing to the strike. There is no truth m the statement that any of the southern colleries have struck. Mr Bowling, president of the Northern Miners' Federation, m the course of a speech, said if it was to be a prolonged strike his advice to the men would be tlie same as that given to the English dock laborers by^ Cardinal Manning : "That no man had 'a right to let his wife and children ' starve whilst they knew , of a pound of food to satisfy hunger." Tlie Premier stated that if the owners and men did not come to an agreement to-morrow he would appoint a compulsory tribunal, and, if -necessary, pass a Bill at a sitting to confer the necessary liower. (Received November 15, 10.42 a.m.) SYDNEY, Nov. 15. A number of steam colliers have been laid imp, andl arrangements axe being made to curtail the ferry services. Amongst the large industries , threatened with stoppage if the strike continues are tlie breweries. The shortage of coal threatens to endanger the water supply to the higher levels of the city and suburbs.. The Labor Council adopted a resolution that the Government should acquire the mines and supply all State requirements. There vare nearly seventy vessels m Newcastle harbor waiting for coal. MELBOURNE, Nov. 15. Tlie price of screened Newcastle coal is Z5& per ton, with little inclination to sell. A further advance is expected. The price of local coal has advanced' 10s. Inter-State shipping companies have made an advance of 10 per cent, all round m freights, half-a-orown per ton to Sydney and Adelaide, and 5s to Brisbane and Fremantle. Arrangements are m progress for laying up a number of inter-State steamers. ADELAIDE, Nov. 15. The shortage of coal is already felt. The price of coal has made a big jump. PERTH. Nov. 15. The Timber Workers' Union voted £50 to the Newcastle miners. The shipping companies have raised tlie fares and freights. '• NEWCASTLE, Nov. 15. The. colliery proprietors decline to give any information concerning yesterday's meeting. It is ' understood they decided to confer with the miners conditionally upon their returning to work, and agreeing to give fourteen days 1 notice if they subsequently decided fo strike ; also, that an impartial tribunal might adjudicate on the dispute, if the Miners' Federation put 'imp a substantial bond as ji guarantee that the miners would agree to the decision given. The chairman of the Proprietors' Association interviewed Mr Wade, tlie Premier, to-day. The miners are also to , interview him. I The Lambton pit has ceased work. [It was mesi^pned m the cables yesterday that tliis was tlie only mine at : work m Newcastle, the work being done on tribute.] The effects of the strike are commencing to be felt m Sydney m earnest. The price of best coal, delivered, has .advanced to £2 per ton, and small to 30s. Firewood has also strongly advanced m price WELLINGTON, last night. . made m Wellington as to the extent to which New Zealand will be affected by the New South Wales coal strike, elicited the statement that no dearth of coal will be experienced here. It is claimed that most of the miues could easily increase their output, arid so compensate for the cessation of supplies from Newcastle. -Lately, too. the Union Steam Ship Company lias been bringing m big cargoes of coal. from Newcastle, audit is stated that there are probably bigger reserves m New Zealand to-day than has. been the case for years >past. The strike will not affect the intercolonial service carried on by the Union Company and Huddart-Parker steamers. DUNEDIN, last night. Enquiries made m Dunedin regarding the Newcastle strike tend to show that the position is regarded as serious, but local supplies are considered sufficient to avert a dislocation ot trade for some weeks. One prominent business man declares that the railways have about a month's full supplies m hand at the principal coaling: depots. Messrs John Mills and Co:, who have important cor. tracts for supplying tlie principal southern gas : works with Newcastle coal, estimate that there are six weelcs' supplies m -hand. Mr Mills slated tbiit his firm received a cablegram to-day asking ifc to arrange for a cargo of 5000 tons of Westport coal for the steamer Hobart, now at northern ports, but it was impossible to fill the order. ■■■.<<■ DUNEDIN, this day. The Star says that as the West Coast will become tho centre of the demand for bunker coal during the strike iri Australia, an increase of the cost of New Zealand gteami coal is inevitable. Meanwhile freights or passenger fares will not be ' increased on the intercolonial steamers, though a protracted strike might render that course inevitable. . In the Austra- ' lian coastal trade already- the companies ; have raised the passenger fares 10 per cent, and freight 25 per cent. In the ' Tasmanian-Australian trade the Union Company will keep the most important passenger services going, though possibly • the number of sailings will be reduced. The s.s. Karitane, which was engaged m the coal-carrying trade between Newcastle and Tasmania, will be brought to New Zealand. The s.s. Mararoa wa6 to have been placed m the Sydney-Hobart trade next week, but the decision has been cancelled till the trouble ' is over. NAPIER, this day. As tho result of the miners' strike m New South Wales, a large consumer today received advice that all previous quotations had been cancelled. According to official returns contained m the Year Book for 1906, tliere were 14,929 coal miners employed m the State of New South Wales, as against 11,333 m 1900. The coal mines m the remaining ♦States gave employment to only about 2500 m 1906. Roughly speaking, therefore, it may be estimated that the colleries of tlie Commonwealth employ at the present time something between 18,000 and 20,000 workers of all descriptions. These, of course, are not all unionists, but it is more than probable that a great proportion of them belong to some kind of industrial organisation. A Sydney paper of last week states : The very busy state of the port of Newcastle reflects m a marked' manner the briskness of the coal trade of the district. In the early part of the year, w<hen ships were arriving! m large numbers, ib was predicted that trade would be -brisk through the winter. But it was not then thought that the very busy aspect presented by the fleet of vessels m port was likely to continue to the end of the year. Now, however, as the year is drawing to a close, trade is as prosperous as ever it was, and the prospects are that it will continue so for a lengthy period. The partial failure of the wheat crop is likely to lead more vessels being placed on the berth here for coal cargoes. Therefore; the demand on the coal trade, which m the natural order of things was certain to be heavy, is almost sure to be increased. This, of course, means that f the output of the collieries m the Newcastle and Maitland districts will have a heavy call, and prosperous times are ahead. There were m port on October 30, loaded and to load coal, 16 steamers, ' with a tonnage of 68,162 tons, and 53 • sailing vessels, totalling 84,824 tons, ' making the aggregate tonnage of vessels " m port 152,986 tons. There -were listed 5 to arrive nearly 200 vessels, sail and steam. In the inter-State trade a similar briskness is also to be noted. These s figures all speak eloquently of the pros--1 perity of the trade of the port. 3 A large quantity of coal is used by the i Oisiborne Gas Company, arid inquiries - were mad<*- to-day to ascertain, how the . company would be affected by a continue ation of the strike. The company fortunately has a good supply m hand, and

mnmmmmmwaiwmmmmmmmmmmmwmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm the barquentine lima is expected next week from Newcastle with 500 tons of coal. Of this quantity about 100 tons has been promised to local firms, but it is recognised that the coal supply will need . to be conserved to tlie utmost extent. Fortunately for householders, tho strike has come at a time of tlie year when there is much less coal used than m the winter months. If the strike continues, the demand 1 for New Zealand coal -will, no ■ doubt, rapidly deplete current supplies, and cause a hardening -m price. Tlie I magnitude of the strike is by some considered an assurance that it cannot last, -, long, the disastrous consequences being so great that every effort will be made to i get the parties to come to a settlement. The Gisborne Sheepfarmer's Works are j the largest local consumers of Newcastle i coal, and upon inquiries being made tliis [ afternoon, it was ascertained that the ■ store of fuel held at the works had been i prudently conserved and augmented for some time past. At present they have > over 800 tons m hand, sufficient to last ■ for over two months, and another consignment of 400 tons is expected m the > course of a ifew days. ; With regard to Messrs Nelson Bros., . it was learned that Westport coal is L mainly consumed at the Taruheru works, - the Westport Coal. Company having a contract to maintain .the supply, which, however, might be liable to some interruption were the Newcastle strike to continue, and the Westport mines could not supply the demands made upon them.