REDUCTION IN THE PRICE OF COAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 112, 22 September 1868, Page 3

REDUCTION IN THE PRICE OF COAL.

(From the Newcastle Chronicle, Sept. 1.) Considerable agitation has been created in Newcastle and its surrounding collieries by all the coal companies (with the exception of Larnbton) having yesterday reduced the price of our great staple from 103 to 8s 9d per ton. This fall in price is said to have been occasioned by the Lambton Colliery (known abroad as the Scottish Australian Company), whose agents at Sydney are Messrs Morehtad and Young, having taken the initiative, and reduced the price to 9s per ton. The reason for this movement on the part of the Lambton Colliery is, so fur as it is publicly known, a falling off in the demand for theii 1 coal, in comparison to the large trade they have hitherto done. It is stated, without reserve, that th# Lambton ( olliery proprietors have, in thus reducing the price of this part, violated a specific agreement betwixt themselves aud the other colliery proprietors of Newcastle and its district. It is anticipated tiy those interested in the coal trade of ihis port, that before the present week is out the price will have been still further reduced to 7s 6il per ton, unless, indeed, the managers of the Lamb ton Colliery shall aivHkeu to a sense of their suicidal policy, and return to the legitimate charge of 10.1 per ton for the'r coal, when, it is freely asserted, all the other companies will instantly follow. We regret the present movement as one • pregnant with most disastrous results to this city and district, and for these simple and evident reasons : — First, when it is known abroad that the price of coal is reduced here, it will be very difficult to raise it again ; secondly, the final loss must inftvi,tably fa'l on the miners. Beyond this point we fear to look at present. It would be a very great calamity to Newcastle should a general strike result from this movement. At present no such misfortune is anticipated, but whin the relationship 01 a lurge body of men with their employers and with their work is once disturbed, it is impossible to 'cc the end — events may carry the control out of the hinds of the employers and employed. For these reasons wo earnestly hope all parties concerned will pnu.se in time, and appreciate the dreadful consequences of the unhinging of our mining relationships before it be too Lite. We may just add, that there is no occasion whatever for any reduction in the pried of cv.-.l at this port, and that the fall will only have the effect of 11 firebrand in our midst. Later in the day (yesterday) th*n the foregoing remarks were written, a rumour was current n town that a •' strike " had actually occurred at the Lambton Colliery, in cungequence of the reduction alluded to. From inquiries made however, wurehnppy tostaf c that we believe the report in question to have bet.i without foundation. Some little unpleasantness, itappeais did take pluce at the l.aminoii Colliery yesterday morning, but t!je affair was a much smaller one than rumour, with its thousand tongues, ha<l ni;tdo it out to be It seems hat on going to work, some of the boys employe') in the colliery had a row with some of the men, tue latter complaining that, some of the boys had faile I to do cortuin work which it was their duty to do. ihe upshot was that between forty and fifty of the men came out of the pit, rof using to do any more work until the nwtt< r had been adjusted. Thene panics .vere toll by MrCroudwce that if they came out then, the need 11 jt go to work agaiu. 'ihis aas how matters stood when our informant left Lambton. From another source «c learn that a meeting of the miners employed in the Lambton Colliery was to be held last evening, t<r take the decision of Mr Crcudace into cunsi deration ; but, to far as we can ascertnin, the proposed meeting was not intended to have the slightest reference to the above-mentioned rupture between the different collierits, as regards the reduction in the price of coal.