MINERS REFUSAL TO WORK

Timaru Herald, Volume CLII, Issue 22378, 16 September 1942, Page 4

MINERS REFUSAL TO WORK

Strong Condemnation State Taking Steps To Meet Situation (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 15. The Acting Prime Minister, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, asked to-day to comment on the refusal of the Waikato miners to return to work, said the attitude of the men in refusing in the present emergency to produce coal — a commodity vitally essential to the operation of the military and supply transport system—had exactly the same effect as the torpedoing of a New Zealand supply ship by the Japanese on the high seas, and the same reaction for the public as though the sinking of the vessel had been done by a New Zealand bombing plan with a Fifth Column crew. The capacity of New Zealand to fight the war to preserve the country against aggression and invasion and the protection of the people of New Zealand, men, women and children, against Japanese brutality had been enfeebled by the action of an irresponsible minority. That was the measure of the miners' responsibility. They were partially paralysing the railway system which carried the supplies necessary for the men fighting and dying in the Pacific for the defence of New Zealand and its people. “The miners concerned have made their decision to do this thing not in ignorance or with their eyes shut. The whole truth was told to them at their meeting yesterday morning. All New Zealanders throughout the length and breadth of their threatened homeland will know from what I have said what the Waikato miners are doing to them, and will quickly find the only word which describes such conduct. They have defied their own union’s governing rules, their own miners’ executive, the Federation of Labour and, above all, the Government of the country. They have disregarded the desperate need of the nation at war. “I therefore ask full support for the Government of all true New Zealanders —every responsible minded man and woman in the nation —for all the action the Government finds it necessary to take to meet the situation. The steps necessary may mean further deprivation, but the people will prefer to endure and suffer if need be to the extent necessary rather than surrender to either an Internal or external aggressor, each of whom equally threatens the security of the nation." “Time for Strong Action” “This is a time for the strongest action,” said the deputy-chairman of the War Cabinet and the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. S. G. Holland, in a statement to-night on the Waikato coal strike. “I want to assure the public that the law will be observed and those who break it will be dealt with fearlessly and firmly. There can be no thought of any arrangement that interferes with the processes of the law by which those who break it are punished. The Acting-Prime Minister has issued a statement on behalf of the Government, and I need only add that the forces of lawlessness have again challenged the authority of the Government and that question of who is to rule this country must be settled once and for all.” Mr Holland said that the strike was now being handled by the War Cabinet, which had had conferences with the other Ministers immediately concerned—the Hon. P. C. Webb and the Hon. W. J. Broadfoot. An increase of 33,996 tons of coal was shown in the production for the first six months of this year compared with the same period last year, the Hon. P. C. Webb stated to-night. The output to the end of June was 1,312,009 tons, which is described by Mr Webb as very satisfactory as production had been impeded by heavy floods on the West Coast. The number of men employed during the half-year showed a decrease of 1200 compared with 1941, and there was an Improvement in the output of every miner employed underground of 18.7 tons, and the increase per miner on the payroll was a little more than 13 tons. Coal exported had increased by 8480 tons and importations had decreased by 10,748 tons. Consumption was steadily increasing and the need for greater production could not be emphasised too strongly. Good Record Marred “It is a crying shame,” said Mr Webb, “that such an excellent record should be marred by the action of the Waikato men, who have allowed themselves to be led into a revolt against their own organisations and the Government at a moment when every ounce of energy is required to fight off our external enemies.” Many of the Waikato miners had had their military service postponed because they were engaged in the essential production of coal, the Hon. W. J. Broadfoot said. As by their own act they had ceased to be actively engaged in that industry the Appeal Boards would automatically bring on their cases for review as the grounds for postponement no longer existed. The cases were now entirely in the hands of the Appeal Boards who were the only authorities who could say whether or not a person should perform military service.