COLLIERY STRIKE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11127, 16 November 1907, Page 5

COLLIERY STRIKE.

THE POSITION UNALTERED

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MAY

INTERVENE.

POSSIBLE COAJ, SHIPMENTS FROM

EAST.

(Press Assn. — By Telegraph— Copyright) SYDNEY, November 15. The result of the coal owners and miners' representatives' interviews with the Premier to-day is kept secret, but it is stated everything is m abeyance till Monday. (Received November 16, 10.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, November 16. After the conference, Mr Wade said he was unable to make a public statement of the position, because it was nec«6sary to re-ppen a certain question. The whole matter must remain m abeyance * until Monday. The delay arose through the representatives of each side not being authorised to bind their colleagues. After Monday, when the proprietors again- con-! fer, probably a definite stage will be reached. In a statement submitted to the Premier, the proprietors expressed their willingness to allow the men to return to work under the conditions prevailing m the various ipits before the strike, and to isubmit the dispute to the Arbitration Court, each side giving a positive assurance that it will adhere to the Court's award. '■''''■/' The Southern Coal Miners' Association offered- to concede thia men' s demand, amend the working agreement, and advance the hewing rate ■• to sixpence per ton conditionally upon a guarantee that the existing agreement is respected until it expires m 1909. Thq southern and western collieries are extremely , busy. There is no indication yet that the men .intend to : join the strike. „ : Coal m Sydney is quoted at £2 "15s to £3, per ton lor large, and 10s to 15s less for small. It is reported that arrangements have been completed for obtaining shipments from Japan, Manila, and Colombo. Owing to the shortness of coal, the ferry services will be curtailed generr ally. V MELBOURNE, November 16. The price of c^>al has taken another big jump, and is now quoted at £2 17s 6d Vto £3. The stocks m Melbourne are estimated at 10,000 tons. ''"; .-firms'' are commencing to shorten' hands. Inter-State steamer services^ will be V curtailed. Only one/steamer , will .sail to-; Western Australia' - - each week.'' 'T Negotiations are proceeding for the importation of coal from j the East and elsewhere,'" '" '"".■' '■ '* "'"■' Mr Deakin stated m the House that if the New South Wales State Government failed to seciire a settlement of the strike,'; the Commonwealth Government will probably have to take action.

A Wellington inerchast mentioned to a reporter that a strike at Newcastle sixteen years ago led to the importation of Japanese coal, and it was then proved that coal could be imported fronj. Japan to Sydney at under £1 per ton, while Newcastle (at the wages then being paid) cost considerably more.; The Japanese inines were just being opened ; up at that time, and now Japan exported about 6,000,000 tons per annum. Opinions m Wellington vary as to how New Zealand will be affected by the strike. Mr Samuel Brown, of S. Brown and Co., who import coal largely stated that he did not think New Zealand would be v greatly affected by the strike at Newcastle. There was not so very much coal coming to New Zealand altogether, and we could only be affected m proportion to the quantity we were m the habit of getting, about 120,000 tons. The Union Company would be the, heaviest sufferers, as they coaled their intercolonial boats at Newcastle, and would now have to fill up their bunkers m the Dominion until the Newcastle trouble was settled.

Mr W. A. Flavell, Wellington manager of the Westport Coal Company, said New Zealand was bound to be affected a little, as a good deal of Newcastle coal was imported, and it was almost impossible fo.r the output of the local mines to be ihcreasedon the spur of -the moment, owing to the great scarcity of miners. As a„ matter of fact, tbey could not increase the output at present. The falling off m the demand: for household coal I don't think will help matters, as the falling off m that respect is more than compensated for m the . increased consumption by the freezing companies and steamers— new summer activities that really more than accounted for the falling off m household consumption. Most of -the big industries m New Zealand have contracts, and they will not be affected, but new demands from industries that 'have been depending on Newcastle will probably have to pay a little more. LThe net. result must be a shortage m supplies, as: it is impossible to increase the output of our mines at such short notice. We have been working ■ shorthanded for some time now, and have been advertising for men with little result?. There are no indications that the passenger traffic between Australia and New Zealand will be affected. The Moeraki took enough blinker coal at Wellington on Thursday for the- return trip to Sydney^ and sufficient supplies are obtainable m Wellington for the intercolonial fleet. Tlie Victoria, which left Sydney on> Wednesday evening for Auckland, has enough coal for the round trip to Dunedin. The Wimmera, to leave Sydney to-day for Wellington, has sufficient coal, and will replenish her stock on arrival. The Zealandia shipped an extra supply of bunker coal at Wellington. A Christchurch coal merchant states : The effect locally is bound to. 'be serious. New Zealand cannot supply her own demands, and with a shortage of Australian coal, things are bound to become a little awkward. There is fully 200,000 tons imported from Newcastle annually, arid the port of Lyttelton receives more of this than any other port m the colony. If we can't get coal from Newcastle things will be pretty tight. The gasworks are bound to suffer, but probably they will be made a first consideration "by the New Zealand mine proprietors. Sydney is the great trouble, as there is a tremendous coal consumption there, and they have none at- present. The threshing season is coming on, and the owners want Newcastle coal for their machines. A merchant who recently visited Newcastle, said the opinion of the proprietors of the mine was that a strike would m some way be a good thing. The propriet. orj. had been preparing for some time, and were ready to carry on a protracted fight. The miners had been very unsettled, and the owners thought that a strike might clear the atmosphere- of the continual disagreements which had been arising. Another Christchurch merchant considered the strike would be very short, and the State would not allow it to continue for a lengthy period.