COAL STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 50, 22 November 1907, Page 5

COAL STRIKE.

'"'MEN DEMAND-MUCH'TO OBTAIN A-

LITTLE."

j/ ; ..;FiIR;VERDICT CHALLENGED. : . 1 (PBOM. OUR' SPECIAL > CQBBESrONDEST.)

!■■■• '--'J, , '.- 'i;.'. •.;-.' ••'.- Sydney, ,• November, 1,6.. ': .Though' many .of. tho .miners; themselves do not seem to be' very clear,as/to what the •trikV is'aopvitj:' that*: there ,'is.'a.: stfikfc "is only too ; obvious)' in the' sudden jump which tb'eV prices, of coal"and■■'firewood' havo taken. Yostcrday small lots of-coal wore delivered in ' Sidney: aV £2 per'ton, .while coke showed an • advance ■ of' £1 per .ton j and firewood was Is. ■ per; ioni.doaror. ./.'. '■ -..,.. '. ': ':'••.i', ; . •In !vie.w. of the- possibilities .of the., situation, the forry companies about Sydney Har-bpuriare-altering, their timetables,, and some of;the boats will- have to-be' piiit out' of service. ' Several'bf tHo'coastal colliers and a few. of ■ the.' steamers running to' tho; other States, have.been thrown idle by the want or coal. In Melbournej' the'prico ofNowcastlo coal-has.gon? up to £2 -IVs. 6d;-to a tori , .;., The . inter-State steamship companies ■rinpUhcb'nh increase in the rates of passages and'freights .from Sydnoy.to tho neighbouring '.ports,, and the Union Steamship -; and HudQart-Parker Companies notify, that all fares arid freights to aiid "from bydney arid Tastiiariian ports will be increased from today/;'So -that' it will: be' seen ;that/though tho strike, is.;barely; a 'week- old,- its'.'effectslipon '■ tho:, community are'- already '■.serious. : One; never realises how intimately coal enters into, the , ,transactions of our daily life until eno'.comes to 'try to. do^without,it,-. -....',

'J v^;-;: • CONTINUAL BREACHES.,. .-.,;' '.'. , i'.?At ; . : time.6f "the : prosjpebts irieht are! bright.;, Air. ;Wade, ! the" State Premier,..'.is doing all he can to' induce : c6mpr'oiiuse, bu't;so. far> his : 'offdrts have been fy' vain. 'This'proprietors-, are determihed.> nqt' to, give way esdepfc. on certain ■ cpridji^ipne—p-iji ,'fact, dn;',a long.'lqtter, to, the Premier s'ettirig. forth ..their, side of the case, they declare themselves 1 heartily tired of- the continual ; demands 'made upon them. ■ They s ?y,.'in. theicp'urse''.bf.. this letter:-=-, .- ;. ;, -. ■.' 'If.. unbiassed. and independent person were- to investigate' 'the. conditions ' under' whi6h: the' present crisis has' been brought aßputj' he would be' indeed: surprised at the.-.toleratioa that., has been exhibited:. by the proprietors,-in the face of breach; after breach of both /written and implied tions, arid 'customs; and it, is'.very qiiestipnable,in'deed whether, half the : moiv who are. now yielding to the injudicious and unrcasbrieble' recomnleridations of their leaders really know the actual , grounds which have given rise; to; the trouble. ; .' . - : . proprietors, like' all other business men,, have limits' to| their' ;"rjatio'nce v arid "it Kaj be;eh only too plain, during the last few months,.:that:-their'-reserve of this virtue w'a's pecoming:absolutely'.exhausted.V; .'; , ; ; ; ? '■>. WAGES!.' "/ : I

It.has been the practice of those who "arc at the.^head of 'the Employees';. Federation; to-rinake:demands which .they'.know cannot possibly;be satisfied,; bu.t. which 'are made.in the hope that although they know they cah- ■ not Bocure, what they aat, : they wiHgeteome- • thidg; .from: time't<3 ■time':' The. proprietors aro f tiredof:this method of attack, and have now!' definitely -madoMlp ;their minds to let" the' men ■ realise", that' the 'limit has" .been reached.- , :'■'•■■■ ; " '■'■'' '■.'■■ ■■■■ .'■'■ '■■''■ - • ■ ■■■-. -j ■■ ■ -"The. splendid'wage's whicbth'e men have been,earning.as indicated by tho'returns, fe.oenttf published relating to the various, pits'. ] ?'; t °^ ma p lv < ; s the strongest proof"that' theimetf'Have no cause for complaint; more especially■■•'as these.returns will be materially enhanced' by .the-ihereased', wages which the .will reqei mr fr ? m of the when.cparisi paid for. ; at;the lls. rate. ,? AND voßv /i-iiv. .-V: :;.-:?; , y ■> •• ' :. • ■

■.; .'The ypropnetors,;' however, ito 'avoid-' the .disasters, Which will follow from a protracted .strike, suggest ..that the men should return .to' Work itnder';-the 'conditions' existing 'befqrethey^entout.i'ana'that the matters in' s ,P«te.; t s |»ooW ..then' bo,referred 'to arbitrajj!ol!''. ■"• .tp.ey. say, "the men return to ••■■•!? \l oTk c ' ' sn 'gg e s<*d/. the proprietors, with the full conviction, that no' reasonable tnbunal.caii take any other view than their ■.'.. °™'. are. Prepared to. leave all questions in :, ■ dispute, to. the decision of: the. Arbitration t/ourt,: on the clear understanding, however that, some positive assurance, strengthened 'P.fXerX' possible >gal arid moral, manner, them toyou.(as Premier ■ of the .State), and the proprietors, that the men-will honourably and strictly adhere to the; award be made by that Court,., whatever ; the ; 'nature • of,, the award ™??.'' be :> the ;propnetprs, of course,'on • the other band, coming under' a similar obliga-

.. It:,must.be furthermore understood that any.-agreements.dr; awards-now in force: and Wi'ch the menJiave,-deliberately: disregarded, ?°?"- be '. t bo,Bnb]ecfqf revision by the Court fci.the-end and.-intent that' the relationship between:, the,.proprietors: and men may' :'m +r^ re !P ect h be ' and; definitely,, setstood that. the'. Court shall nbl inforfere with the exclusive privileges of the .proprietors of ?f om ' time .tp time, the : selling prices Prime Minister; stated S| .W^-/.the New South.Wales Government faied it. would probably.'fall to the Commonwealth •Gpvernmerif to tZ action