COAL PIT CRISIS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11093, 2 June 1914, Page 1

COAL PIT CRISIS.

TROUBLE AT MAffllNß. AFTERNOON SHIFT NOT WORKED POSSIBILITY OF DIG BATTLE. By' TeH'ißpJ'i---Frets As.-o.nai.ion~-Copyright. SYDNEY, Jurto 1. A crisis at the Maitland coalfields nmx-ars inevitable. Notice has been poked at the pits that unless the men worked;the afternoon shift to-day the rdnes .would he closed dot' n. The men at the Grota pit did not work, fcho-nftornoon shift and .thoett i» other collieries appear equally determined.

It .'is. almost cortaiu that these pits will bo'closed to-morrow, throwing idle nearly four thousand men. The executive 'of the Miners' Federation is not advising tho men in the matter, leaving thorn .to light their own bottle, hilt an attempt will be made to confine the. trouble to the. Maitland' field. SHOULD THE HEAVENS FALL. By ,Tol<?gr*pli—Press Association—Copyright. (Received* June. 2. ,9.10 a.m.) SYDNEY, June 2. ' Tlio executive officers of the Mine Employees' Federation state that tho mon are determined that, the afternoon' shift must end, should the Moavciii fall. The president said that.no industry lent itself more to nationalisation than the coal trade.