THE COAL STRIKE

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15874, 13 April 1917, Page 7

THE COAL STRIKE

+. lIIMSTERS TO VISIT WEST COAST. (rntSf AF?OCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, April 12. Sir .Tame? Allen, Acting-Primo Jliuistcr. and the Hon. W. I>. S. MacPonald. Minister of Mines, leave tonight. for Wchtport. Sir J;iines Allou told an "Evening reporter that they were going down bccauso they had been locally advised that it would be wise for them to do ><'• IN BULLER DISTRICT. (ruti-/ ASSOCIATION" TELEGRAM.) WESTPORT. April 12. There is no changc in the strike situation. I'ITOXOA AND NORTH CAPE •MEN CEASE WORK. It is learnt by the "Nelson Mail" that the miners at l'uponga and North Cape, in common with the miners in other parti of the Dominion, have gone on strike, and no work is being done at either mine. Tho stocks of coal in hand in Nelson lire likely to Inst for some little time. COAL SHORTAGE IN THE WAIKATO. (PRESS ASSOCIATION' TELEGRAM.) HAMILTON, April 12. At a meeting of the Waikato Hospital and Charitable Aid Board to-day, tho engineer reporter! a serious shortage of coal supplies, and that the whole power plant was in danger of being stopped on account of such shortage. Ho said fifteen tons of coal per week wero ncccssarr during tho winter. Tho Board resolved to communicate with the- Minister in tho matter, and in tbo meantime to engago labour xo " secure firewood. STATE COLLIERS. 6IR JAMES ALLEN'S COMMENTS. fsrECIAli TO "TH3 PRESS.") WELLINGTON. April 12. A suggestion that the State should acquire colliers was one of many ambitious Socialistic schemes propounded by a deputation of timber workers ivho Waited on the Acting-Prime Minister today. < "Wo have a State coal mine," said Sir James Allen, "and judging by recent experiences a State collier would not be of very much use to us. . We can't get any State coal now. If Stato industries aro going to be subject to tlie.se strikes, then they are not going to be much more use to ns than private industries. If wo had colliers '»e n.ight have the men on the collieries striking. I. don't see how we are going to have any security unless there is going to bo* some better understanding between labour and capital and tho Government. all agreeing to work together for the good of the whole community. This seems to mo to be the onlv. way in which efficiency can be produced." MJiK MINERS' BEFORE THE COURT. The six miners arrested at Huntly— John Janice, Josojjh O'Brien', Arthur Jordan, James Maloney, James Cummings, and Robert Wintle—and the thieo men arested on the West CoastsJohn Arbuckle, Thomas Helson. and John Winnnrd—came before Mr F. V. l'razer, S.JI., at the Polico Court at Auckland on Tuesday morning, on remand on various charges under, tho War Regulations, alleging encouragement of a (seditious strike at several coal mines. Sonior-Sargeant llutlodge applied for a further adjournment of the hearing of tho charges until 'Wednesday of next week, nt Auckland, adding that the 1 polico would probably bo then prepared tc go on with tho hearing. THE REQUEST FOR BAIL. ;V Arbuckle:'We have no attorney. Wo wore looked in gaol, and havo had no possible chance of preparing any sort of dcfcncu. If wo don't get bail, I ■ .consider wo have no chance of propar- • ing any defence. There aro threo of us from tho South Island—taken away without a minute's, notice, and without notice of whero wo were going to. All tho evidence wo can procure is at tho West Coast, and we havo no opportunity while in gaol of getting it. Senior-Sergeant Rutlodgo remarked that cach defendant was allowed to communicate with friends, or with any solicitor desired. Arbucklo replied thnt they had not i the money to get a solicitor, and to communicate with friends on the West Const would take fourteen days or so. His Worship pointed out that tho lack of funds would continue whether the men got bail or not. Arbucklo: But if we wero free, wo could secure evidence for ourselves. We are all men with homes in tho country, not hardened criminals, and it seems ridiculous to say that we won't turn up at tho stipulated time. His Worship: I don't supposo for a moment you are criminals. But under the War jlegulations it is not tho practice to grant bail, for reasons that may be moro or toss obvious to you, and I cannot break tho practice by allowing bail. No difficulty will be put in your way in tho matter .of getting evidence or witnesses. I Tegularly visit the ■. B a °l, and you can Jet mo know if you havo any difficulty of that sort. NO'FUNDS FOR THE DEFENCE. Arbuckle: We havo no trouble in communicating with friends, but it seems to me they aro determined to lock us up so that wo can't present a case,' His Worship: I should imagine that jour union, or association, would bo l n * position to engago counsel for you. Jn any case, you can communicate with in ends to get the witnesses and eviAk~ nccessal - V / or y°ur- ease. Arbuckle: Neither ourselves nor our organisation are in a position to engage solicitor. If you aro determined wo can't get bail, which is allowed the ordinary criminal, are you prepared to allow us to appoint a fiend from outside to interview us and tin our case? His Worship: I don't seo there is any objection to that. oenior-Sorgeant Rutledge: That rests with tho gaoler. I have no doubt no would not raiso any objection. THE IMPOUNDED DOCUMENTS. James: Will any obstacle bo put in tue way of allowing us to seo the correspondence seized and now in the hands of the polico ? His Worship: That is for the police » say. If it is part of their cuse, I have no more authority to make any Order, but no doubt tho friend you appoint to act for you may be ablo to arrange with tho polico to see such of >t as may be necessary tq your defence. The Senior-Sergeant stated that he could make no promise whatever about the documents seized, which would he used as evidence. James: It is decidedly unfair. His Worship: When the documents

aro produced as evidence during the case you will be entitled to see ciiem, and to any adjournment nccessarv for you to call evidence relating to tlioiii. _ Arbucklc: We know what is in the documents, but not the exact wording. "Would there bo any objection to our representative getting a copy of thorn ?

His Worship: I have no moro authority over the polico cvidencc than I would have over your evidence. Arbuckloi. But they aro our documents.

His Worship: Yes, hut in the hands of the polico as evidence.

POLITICAL POINTS

Maloney stated that among the documents seized were the books of a benefit society, and it would bo a hindrance to tho work of the society, for medical and accident benefits, if the books were retained. They bad nothing to do with tho case, and he wished to know if they could bo handed back. Senior-Sergeant liutledge 6tated that all documents seized were sealed and in the keeping of Sub-Inspector Mcllvency, and his Worship advised Maloney to write to the Sub-Inspector on the subject.

Continuing, Maloney said that he >rould like a trial by jury. Producing a printed slip of paper, he mentioned that it was from a novel, pointing out that 90 years ago in Sydney there was no trial by jury, and we didn't appear to have progressed any since then. His Worship replied that under the Win- Regulations there was no right of trial by jury, and ho could not discuss political questions with the defendants.

Jordan: There are four or five fairly good miners here, and we hear there is a shortage of coal. Possibly a charge of sedition might bo brought against the polico for refusing us bail and keeping us from working. Helson: They might the true perpetrators of tho offence before the Court—the mine owners.

His Worship repeated that politics were outside his province, and the defendants filed back to tho prisoners' room, to the accompaniment of a remark by one of them, "Back to our happy home."