THE COAL STRIKE

Southland Times, Issue 17913, 19 April 1917, Page 5

THE COAL STRIKE

MINISTERS AT GREYMOUTH. LABOUR FEDERATION’S ATTITUDE. SIR JAS. ALLEN'S REPLY'. (Per United Press Association.) GREYMOUTH, April IS. Sir Jas. Allen and the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald arrived back late to-night after meeting the miners at Runanga and Rewanui. Sir Jas. Allen, in reply to Mr Hiram Hunter’s statement, sent the following telegram:— "Hiram Hunter, National Secretary Federation of Labour, Christchurch: — Your telegram received. - 1 can scarcely believe that the Federation of Labour opposed so fair and democratic a measure as the Military Service Act, which places every man as far as service with the Expeditionary Forces is concerned on exactly the same footing. The Government cannot suspend the operation of the Act. Parliament alone can do that. The Act was passed with only seven dissenters, and I have every reason to believe that the general opinion of the country is accurately represented by Parliament. —J. Allen." The Ministers leave Greymouth on their return on Saturday morning. OTHER STEAMERS LAY'ING UP. WELLINGTON, April 18. It is stated that other important steamers are to be laid up on arrival at Wellington. The Komata, a coal carrier, pays off her crew to-morrow, and will be laid up at Wellington. RAILWAY SERVICE REDUCTIONS. ALL RACE SPECIALS CUT OUT. WELLINGTON, April 18. Another cut in the railway service is reported, the Department having cancelled the special train arrangements for the Manawatu races' Which take place on April 25 and 26. They have also cancelled specials for all similar gatherings. CURTAILING ELECTRIC SUPPLY. THE POSITION IN AUCKLAND AUCKLAND, April 18. The Mayor stated to-day -that owing to the shortage of coal it was necessary to curtail the supply of electricity to certain large users. Unless coal was available in the next few days it would be necessary to make a drastic curtailment in order to keep absolutely essential services running. CHRISTCHURCH STOCKS LOW. CHRISTCHURCH, April 18. Mr Cleary, secretary of the Christchurch Coal Merchants' Association, gave it as his opinion to-day that unless the position with regard to coal supplies shows some improvement within a month every coal merchant in Christchurch will have to close his yard. THE SEDITION CHARGES. AUCKLAND, April 18. Six Huntley miners and three West Coast miners were arrested In cpnnectlon with the alleged "go slow” strike to-day and were remanded till next Monday. It was stated that the case would last fully two weeks. Subsequently a Huntly miner named John Wesley, senior, was arrested on a charge of seditious utterance and was also remanded till Monday. Thex'e are forty-two informations against the nine miners originally arrested, and fifty-five miners at Huntly have been subpoenaed to appear later as parties to a seditious strike. The informations include excerpts from correspondence between officials and it is alleged denote encouragement of the restriction on the output of coal.