MINERS AND THE LAW.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14286, 1 May 1917, Page 7

MINERS AND THE LAW.

TERiM:S. OK STRIKE .SETTLEMENT.

AGREEMENT NOT RECOGNISED BY MAGISTRATE. (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, last night. The trial was concluded to-day of miners charged with organising a go-slow strike. Sentence was imposed by Mr V. '■ Eraser, S.M., of nine months' imprisonment on each of the following seven men: John Jones, president of the /"Coal Miners' Federation, and president of the Huntly Union; Joseph O'Brien, secretary of the Huntly Union and a member of the ■ j Federation Executive ; Arthur Hordan, vice-president of the Huntly Union ; I James Gumming-, secretary of the Waipa Union ; John Arbuckle, secretary of the Federation of Labor j J. Winniard, and T. Helson, president and secretary of the Denniston Union. Sentence of ten months' was 1 imposed on Robert Wintle, a member ■of the executive of the Pukemiro Union,' and John Wesley, miner, of Huntly. '

When the court resumed, Mr Singer announced .that all the defendants pleaded guilty. Addressing the court on behalf of the Crown, Mi* Meredith announced the terms of the arrangement made between ■Sir 1 James Allen and Mr MaoDonald and the representative? of the miners on" strike; as already published. Mr Meredith ' added that further requests made at the conference of April 20 for the release of Semple and other sedition leaders .and that the present proceedings in connection with the strike should be abandoned were refused. The Ministers were induced to enter into this arrangement by representations having every •appearance of sincerity that the leaders who had been arrested were really not to blame, but had been forced into the present position by others, who had not been' arrested. It was urged that it was unjust that the leaders should suffer for die fault of others, and in accepting this > statement as true, the Ministers were induced not to press for a penalty. ■ "These representations may have been correct a« far as the strike on .the groiinds of anti-conscription! were concerned," said Mr Meredith, "but it is perfectly clear from the correspondence that in so far as the go-slow strike was concerned, those represeniations were untrue. In pursuance of that agreement, I am instructed by the Government not to press for a penalty in respect of those offences to which those men have pleaded guilty.", Mr Meredith suggested that the cases should be adjourned, the men to be released in the meantime. "I am instructed," lie added, "to make it clear that the Government ireoognise that in making any such arrangement as I have indicated has been made with the miners, it has no power in any way to bind of even influence the. coxtrt in the exerciso of its judicial .discretion and +he question, as to whether the suggestion made by me is • one tbat the court can pra>nt is a matter entirely for your Worship." : In. his address to the court, Mr Singer said, that defendants were not actuated by any motive of disloyalty. The purpose, of the go-slow strike was solely to bring pressure on the mine owners. IMr • Singer submitted that the men had. not at any time hampered or embarrassed the Government in the prosecution of the war; He said the fight of the- past few months culminating 1 in the go-slow, strike, was caused by the deliberate intention of the mine owners to stultify th Miners' Federation. He concluded by stating that the men were prepared to return to work and ; use their influence :to make the output greater, noAV tha,t they have been granted the compulsory conference which they asked. In- reply to Mr Mieredith, he said | the reason why the mine owners refused the men's demands at the conference in February was because they would involva a consid?rable increase in the pricfc of coal to the public.' They offered to have the case heard" by the Arbitration Court, but this' was refused by the men pdint blank. ; Mr JVassr, S.M., said that so far ■ as I the present def endants were concerned^ it seemed clear that the go-slow policy ■was brought about by industrial reasons and that the present defendants' recognise the futility of trying to have the Military Service Act repealed. In his view, : the question was not whether the miners intended disloyalty. It was one great 'question of national safety. , It was tme that the go-slow policy was actually in operation before the regulations, of .February were made, but the go-fejpw policy continued in spite of warnings, so that the position was that defendants advocated its continuance re- [ Kardless of the fact that the •Government lrad.idecided that the coal industry was essential for the proper carrying on of tjhe-.^ar. This was negative disloyalty, wnjeh. had serious consequences for the nation. Any man who hindered the war 'was playing the Germans' game. Referring to the application by _ the Crowirn, Mir Fraser said, as a judicial officer,, he was unable to recognise the ag^mfent. The promise to miners could not be redeemed by making the oourt . a .party to any bargaining with justice. He must pass such sentence as ho- thought, proper and leave it to the Governor to exercise his prerogative of pardon. .Mt Fraser said that 'Wesley and Wrnfcle were different from the, others, in that their share had been smaller. As.;they had spent three weeks in paol, he would impose a sentence of two months' impriisonment without hard labor. In regard to the others, he felt justified in making some allowance for the fact ithat the legislation was ex post facto. Instead of the ordinary 11 months, he would pass sentence, on each .of nine months' imprisonment on the first 'charge of conspiracy. The cases of 40 Huntly miners charged with taking part in a seditious strike will be tried on Monday next. Mr Singer intimated to-day that nil would probably plead guilty. c '