GREAT COAL STRIKE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 14057, 15 November 1909, Page 5

GREAT COAL STRIKE.

UNION EPLANATION. BLOCKING A "DEAL." I'tcss Association-By Telegraph-Copvright SYDNEY, Nov. "12. Sir Bowling, secretary of the Miners' Federation, in Jiis speech at Newcastle declared that had the strike not been entered, on at the present time it would havo Ijeen a. disaster to the miners, and some of the smaller colliery owners would -have been ruined. The big' companies and an emissary from England had, before the strike started, entered into a compact that would have placed tho Miners' Federation imder the heel of the colliery owners and given the whole power of the coal trade of the country into the hands of a. few men. One great swindle of the clique he referred to would have given them a profit of £IOO,OOO in one grab, but the clique has been beaten and had lost thousands. Referring to the qusetion of food, supplies, Mr Bowling said that the men of the district would not lot their women and children starve. He need not tell them how that could be done, nor could lie do better than repeat the words of Cardinal Manning to London dockers: "If you are hungry, take it." He hoped they would see that they got food for their wives and children. If the law stood in the way of hunger and, starvation then the law was unjust. The miners are fighting the- battle of. .the public, because they had entered on a strike so that there "might Be kept awav from Australia what was one of America's greatest curses, an octopus that had its grip on America to-day. He referred- to what was tehnically known as a "deal.'.'. THE CO-OPERATIVE SCHEME. ' SYDNEY, Nov. 13. ■ Mr Bowling's scheme for working a colliery or collieries by tho Miners' Federation has been published. The pits mentioned are the Youngs Wallsend and Ebbwvale. ■ Negotiations are in progress, and it is understood that steps toward completing the agreement are well advanced. > THE STRIKE EXTENDING. The Mount Keira- miners put down their tools Inst night. All tho southern miners are now out. A meeting of western miners decided, to cease , work immediately, and it is expected that all the pits will be idle to-day. The outlook is considered anything but hopeful,' and fears of a general strike are increasing.. . Mr- Bowling- expressed the opinion that the Waterside and other unions would come.out ; if ,called on. The spirit of unification among the Unions was never so strong- as it was to-day. Nothing would be done to hurt the public. That must be avoided, but it was a fight- for; supremacy; and the Unions must have all the power they can get. Mr Bowling mentioned that he had received offers of assistance from all parts of Australia and New Zealand. . The strike leaders state that the object of a general strike is to cause public opinion to coerce the mineowners. In addressing the Hetton Lodge, one delegate -announced that the. miners were not going to allow anyone to try, and work, the mines. BRISBANE, Nov. 12. A meeting of waterside workers resolved to cease work if called upon. MELBOURNE, Nov. 12. The Trades Hall Council carried a resolution supporting the strike. A CONFERENCE—IN CAMERA. SYDNEY, Nov. 14. A lengthy conference was held yesterday lasting till late last- night. But not the. slightest idea of tho result is obtainable. THE CONFERENCE INCOMPLETE. SYDNEY, Nov. 1-t. Although no official information is obtainable ,there is reason to believe that some disconcerting development occurred at yesterday's conference rendering it necessary for their representatives tu again confer with -the executives of the various unions represented. After this has been done the conference will bo resumed to-morrow afternoon. It is rumoured that tho attitude of tho Seamen's Union may mean that the strike will not extend beyond this State. Mr Bowling has returned to Newcastle, presumably to confer with the miners' executive. EFFECT ON TRANSPORT. SYDNEY, Nov. 13. The Union Company has decided to lay up several steamers and curtail the Tasmanian service. HOBART, Nov. 13 The steamer Karitane has been ordered' to Sydney, where she will be laid tip. Coal is scarce, and a big rise is feared. MELBOURNE, Nov. 13. placed out of commission and others will be laid up as they arrive. Over 300 shipping employees are already idle. The Railway Commissioners in order to reserve coal are reducing train services wherever possible. EFFECT ON INDUSTRY. LONDON, Nov. IS. A conference of leading butter and rabbit importers' agents expressed anxiety as the result of the strike end the possibility of lessened supplies, fol-

lowed by the marketing of accumulated stocks, though most c.i.f. contracts contain a strike clause. ..The results of delaying shipments will he disastrous.

SYDNEY, Nov. 13. The coke-workers at Bulli and Bcllambi have been paid off, and the works closed.

The effects of the strike are being severely felt at Newcastle. The ixport of coal for the week just ended was 1,800 tons, compared with 10,000 tons the previous week, and 80,000 for the corresponding week last y< "'• General trade in the town it a! a standstill.

MELBOURNE, Nov. 13. Reports from other States indicate that the effects of the strike are becoming serious. In Melbourne there is an increasing tendency to reduce the number of hands employed. The coal supply contracts with Mel"lournc terminated yesterday, the contractors taking advantage of the strike clauses in the agreement. The Australian', paper, mills, proprietary have closed their works at Melbourne and Geelong for lack of coal. Advices received from Sydney state that a shipment of coal has already left Hongkong for Australia, >and quotations have been received from Natal and Japan for cargoes delivered within a month.

Received 0.30 a.m., Nov. loth. BRISBANE; Nov. 14'.' The wool sales fixed for yesterday were postponed; tho buyers ' declining to operate pending tho Newcastle strike developments. POLITICAL ACTION. MELBOURNE, Nov. 13. Air Fisher referring-in- the House to tho strike advocated \yestihg powers dealing .with' sucli, matters in the Commonwealth which ,wa§. better able to deal with them than'-'the State. Mr Deakin, the Premier, sail .that he was opposed to sweeping away' the authority Exercised by the State .tribunals. Asked in the House, whether he had . not the power under th ; c-law' of eminent domain to work tho. mines as President Roosevelt intended to do at one time in America. ..Mr.' Deakin stated that the law of eminent domain did not exist to the same extent in Australia, as.in America.. The Commonwealth Government had no control over lands as the American. Government had. ';"; .'.". '•' BRITISH PRESS: -WAITING. * LONDON, Nov. 13. There is a general absence of definite comment on the' Australian strike because its causes are . unknown. NATAL CANNOT HELP. Numerous Australian orders and inquiries have been received by ' Natal collieries. All orders are declined owing to shortage, of labour and tho heavy bunker trade. - , EFFECT ON THE. U.S.S. COY. INCREASED RATES FORESHADOWED. Per Press Association. DUNEDIN/Nov. 14. An advance in intercolonial fares of 10 per cent, and in freights'of'2s per centi, bringing the 'charges'into line wi th those ruling in : ; the inter-state services of the Commonwealth,, is contemplated by the Union; Company as a result of the mining, strike in Australia, but the date from which the scale shall come into operation has not been fixed, yet, as a further development may inake the change unnecessary. Should the strike (last long ! however', the difficulty arid increased cost of getting coal, and' the general disorganisation of trade, will probably make the imposition of the increased charges unavoidable. , The mines on- the West Coast are doing all they can to supply the sudden demand made upon them, and quantities of coal from Westport are being stored at Wellington, where the Melbourne-Bluff and Cook Strait-Syd-ney steamers will coal. It is not thought that the intercolonial services will have ,to be reduced, but a reduction has already been made in the Tasmanian services. ... By permission of the Postmaster-General Loon-n-ana runnning between Launceston a"nd Melbourne, is making fewer trips, and the trade, carried on hitherto conjointly, by the Huddart Parker Proprietary and . the. Union Company, is being maintained ,by one of the companies.