The Evening Star. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1871.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 340, 10 February 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1871.

A few days ago a leading article appeared in our contemporary the Evening News, being professedly the miners' account ot the difficulty between emfloyers and employed at; the Bay of .-lands coal mines. As the article Was self admitted to be special pleading, the bias seemed excusable. The case made out appeared, however, so Btrong—was wound up by such a burst of eloquent spread eagleism, about serfs in Siberia—that we have been at the pains to get correct information on the subject, and do not hesitate to express our indignation at the utterly

false and unfounded statements of our contemporary. What can prompt him to endeavour to pander to the low passions of the mob, and to excite animosity against employers we cannot conceive. It is not kindness to the working men, for it would only tend to produce a state of things that will deter capital from beiug invested in any enterprise. The correct view of what has been occurring at the Bay of Islauds is fully borne out by the depositions en oath taken at the Police Court, and is wholly different from the untruthful aspect presented by our contemporary. The miners had been earning, as stated, about nine shillings per day, and almost the whole of the Alteration in terms was in obliging them to use their own candles, as it was found the company's candles did not last one fourth the time during which the miner's own candles burn. The cause of this is intelligible. The finding of their own picks by the men was necessitated by similar causes, and the total reduction in wages being an average of about fourpence out of their nine shillings, was not such as to be felt very oppressively by the men. Notice of these three items of alteration was given to the meu ; and the manager asked them to say if they would slay on the terms, and, at the same time, told them that if they did not stay, they must of course give the usual fortnight's notice. Not one of them had the straightforwardness to say yes or no. That was not their game : and everyone that knows human nature can appreciate the tactics. The intention eridently was to stop work without any warning, and so embarrass the Company and compel it to take them on at their own price. Mr. Williams asked every man separately, and with the exception of eight, who consented to remain at the price, every miner preserved a sullen silence as by concert. They intentionally and deliberately gave the manager no grounds for believing that they meant to leave, and so demeaned themselves as to convey the impression that they would continue on the new terms. When the moment came for carrying their concerted action to effect, they struck.

On the new miners arriving from the Thames, the terms of the agreement were read over to them ; they were tod the others "were on strike; they thoroughly understood the terms, and stated they " did not mind the men on strike—that they came for work, aud work they would," and on this clear understanding signed the agreement All this has been sworn to ia the Policecourt. Butfrom the hourthey signedthe agreement they were never left alone, some of the old hands constantly staying with them. And on the following morning the miners took the new comers away in a body, hired boats, and took them down the river, paid their passages, and sent them off to Auckland, so stopping the works at the mine ; the men who were sent avraj giving as their reason that they " were afraid to go back, on account of the old hands." This was the state of things, and this is what an evillydisposed little contemporary would presume to defend. During the time that this was proceeding, the old miners were trying every means to stop any one from working, by marching about in a body singing songs in the most insulting and defiant manner, and hurling contempt at the managers and company. Mr. Barstow, the Resident Magistrate from Russell, voluntarily offered to go up and try to bring them to see how foolishly tbey were acting, but they very rudely refused to see him, at which we understand he felt much hurt, as it was only out of kindness, and from knowing some of them personally, that he had offered to go. And this is the magisterial interference of which our pestilent contemporary endeavours- to make capital, as exceeding tbe severity of Siberian ukaae. The men for some time past have been acting in the most unfair manner to the company. Some three months ago tenders were called for driving levels, when they all agreed to not lower the price then going, thus preventing the work being done cheaply. And again, shortly before the strike they refused to work, only for eight hours in each twenty-four, and only at such times as . they themselves pleased, when, from the exigencies of such a work as mining it was manifest that it was necessary to adopt the hours to emergencies. Of course our eon temporary, in his new character of "The Working Men's ■Friend," would say that this was legitimate, and that the men should be the judges of their own work. But while conceding this, we assert that it is such conduct and such combination that deters capital from being employed. The coalmines have hitherto jbeen worked at no profit to the proprietors, and their development is of

public interest. The manager, from bis distance from Auckland and the Thames, is to a large extent in the hands of these miners who consider they have a rested interest in* the mines, and regard men coming from other places as intruders. The company have built most comfortable cottages for the miners, and let them to them at the merest nominal rent ; and not only have they paid what must be regarded as splendid wages, but in providing education, secular and religious, week day and Sunday, and in every way consulted their health and comfort, have placed the Kawakawa miners in circumstances that might be envied by working men in any part of the colonies. And now, when these fellows have waxed fat and kicked, and refuse to allow workmen from other districts to intrude on their preserves, the Evening News must back them up in their defiance of law and order; and for the sake of humouring a few idle loafers who do not want to work, commends a conspiracy for shutting out working men from excellent wages, and discourages the development of works that might be made the means of giving employment to many hundreds, and vastly benefiting the general interests of the province. We can hardly find words to express the indignation that should be felt at such conduct. The account given by the Evening News is garbled and untruthful from first to last, and ouly tends to produce a spirit of dissatisfaction between labour and capital, which it is the duty of all well-wishers to the country to remove.