THE WAIHI STRIKE.

West Coast Times, 12 June 1912, Page 4

THE WAIHI STRIKE.

THE NEW UNION. MINE OWNERS’ EXPLANATION. [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. —COPYRIGHT.] WAIHI, June 11. Mr. H. P. Barry (superintendent of the Waihi Gold Mining Company) interviewed with regard to the statements anent the formation of the Waihi Engine Drivers’ Union by MV. Howard (president of the Canterbury General Labourers’ Union), gave an emphatic denial to Mr. Howard’s assertion that “the new union has been formed by the employees.” Mr. Barry, proceeding, said: “I had no knowledge of who was getting up the new union and did not know the union was being formed except from what I saw in the newspapers. As to the superintendent or someone in authority arranging the meeting at which the new union was formed, Mr. Barry said: “I never heard of a single meeting being held or who held it, I had no communications with anyone on the subject either verbally or in writing.” With regard to Mr. Howard’s assertion that matters in connection with the early stages of the formation of the now union camo from the superintendent’s office. Mr. Barry said: “This is an absolute fabrication, and there is ■ not a word of truth in it.”

LYTTELTON SHIPPING HELD UP. £IOO VOTED TO WAIHI. CHRISTCHURCH, Juno 11. Shipping was hung up for two hours at Lyttelton this morning, while the watersiders discussed the Waihi strike. They decided to vote £IOO to the strike fund and also levy 2s 6d per week.

MR. HOWARD CHALLENGED

WAIHI, June 11

Further proof of the inaccuracy of th l allegations made by Mr. E. J. Howard, president of the General Labourers’ Union, Canterbury, aro furnishel I)the Waihi Engine-drivers’ Union Executive.

Mr. Howard stated that the majority of drivers on the field wore not members of the now union, nor sympathetic with it, and that the employers were responsible for its formation. Detail figures show the total engine drivers employed number 71, of whom eight aro members of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (already under arbitration). The new union’s membership totals forty-two, th no leaving twenty-one drivers who are not under arbitration. Of these, some have adopted a neutral attitude towards the dispute.

To the allegation that the employers wore in any way responsible for the new union, the Executive give emphatic denial, and challenge Howard to prove his figures and his statement.