AN ULTIMATUM.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 660, 10 November 1909, Page 7

AN ULTIMATUM.

GENERAL STRIKE. -; N.S.W. COLLIERS AND WATERSIDES i "*&■ 'W : Xi : workers. , ; :::<: v^&iSs :. r (Bj '.TeleKrapiii-Treas ;A»ioclaUoh: r .C.,tiyrlffht , .i.' ■ ';■■:v'i'J ,, ; , . '■ , ;" ; '.::'' , !'" ,^'..':.i: '- : .Sydney ) , 'November ,, :!).,. : per .tottJinvSydney/yesterday,: .while'- up; to.:je3 : is. : ask'ed-'at..NeweasUe : i for;best..coal.. , ,:;■■:■;■ ■■■::■; : : ■■ One ' of.the -strike ■ is .that !a; hundred coal; trains, daily-liavblcensedOrunningiin , ,tho northern districts, rendpring;tvvO:hundred,mep ,:. ; The yraterside'.workors. await,tho. decision.of. 'to-day's■■conference,of jniners':delegates.:beforq 'making- , any more, ■■■ v'-.Oi. ■'•'■■■' ' ■"■■ , 1 ; * , "-"."'.-'-. '■•.' Some':of:- tho northern, co-operative societies. have'':agreed■■'to supply...the ...strikers'j.'families ■with 'the necessaries of life;. : - :: .''- : '>'".. v-'r.! .'.*"'■■■ '■'■■; ■ Mr. V: Bowling,- the miners'! secretary , ; , 'de-.. Clares that members of Parliament will: not be allowed to interfere in the dispute in; any.way. .. The president.of the Colliery Proprietors', As-, sociation'says that the proprietors havetheii: grievances : .ds' well, the ; men, and these, will* have to be settled, before the miners resume work. They cannot'go back on the same, terms as they came out on'.. ■',■..,.■ ■■~■''' ; ;■'•' ■ One prominept proprietor declares: that the oyrners are. going to .fight, out the. matter.this time themselves; No offers of intervention ;b'y the .Government or anyone 'else are' likely to; be favourably considered. ''V. ■ ■■' : v : ; " ■»:'~ : ; IMPETUS '' TO VICTORIANiCOLLIERY: ■ '~ ■/■■'.■■■■■, PROJECTS,''; ■■.':.: ' . Melbourne, November.9. . The strike at Newcastle is not likely to seriously affect the Victorian railways or the.city gas supply fpr some time. Both have stocks uf coal sufficient,for some weeks... ■.■■■■■:■;. '~..• . Some of' the. shipping and ; : manufacturing firms have been caught shdrthanded, and will feel the pinch unless; there is a speedy settlement. ■■■' '•■■■■'■■■ ■■' .■ ' '■• ■■ a'' ■ ■ '"■■:'■ ■ ,; ' A meeting.of the Chamber of Manufactures discussed the situation, and resolved to: urge upon the Government the necessity of openiug up thp.Victorian coalfielda ..at the earliest opportunity, ... .•' .' ■ !; ■■ ■: ."

CALLED TO CONFERENCE. I '■•'. UNIONS' COMBINED VOICE. .'.;■/ GENERAL STEIKE THREATENED- Bt ■ ; .-;■ ■; TUESDAY, .',-■• ■'. ■ .•' "PIN-PRICKS'; AT NEWCASTLE. ';..- , (Rec. November 10, 0.4Q a.m.) ' .':.,- , ■'■'■■'■■.■'■' Sydney, November :9. The conference,of unions in connection, vritbthe minors' strike concluded; to-night, . The following resolutions,we're adopted ■ - : ■. (1) That the proprietors of the ; ■■' northern, western, .and-southern coal districts be'asHed, to tnejt represents- ■ tives of the , Federal coal and shale ,\ workers-of Australasia in open confer-; ■■;> ence immediately, in order; to redress : existing grievances. .--'', '•■-."■ (2) That in the event of si|ch con-., ~ ference' not meeting; before Tuesday. .. next, 'the delegates, representing the : ; , 'Waterside and Maritimo, Unions, the; C«al Lumpers' Union, and; the. Coal .Trimmers' Union 'recommend -their \ - .members and.all 'those:.enflaged in the .■• traneport trades , to cease work on that day. .. V>.'■'.-, /'.''!./\ ■■ ' V -.' -v. M>. Hughes Converted, y , . .'

: The. Hon. W. M; Hughes; , M:P., president of tho 'Waterßido-Workers' Union, ir, announcing the resolutions to tho press, stated that the.reeolutions.wero come to .after the delegate's hadcarefuilyjistoned .tpV.thc' ; case,'put forward.by ; , tho miners. -■.'. It: jje.came; perfectly • clear.- that while it might have-been, possible toi'hayo' ponedthe mattor : a little while,; a condU tion. of .things existed, an.d-had existed for. a considerable time,.at Newcastle,;\rhich'inado' it impossible'for-the men tb"continue work.-. A policy' of pinpricks had been pursued for a longiwhile. Some pf the pinpricks haij gone very deep, and were, he , thought, deliberately for the purpose of provoking'.'.piob, .<lis.T. iurbances.as .this)by tho employers. ; ■;.'. r :, ..'■ ''Verge of Starvation." ; '..-' '..'■.'■' ./Speaking for himself, Mr. Hughessaid. ho wentito the conferonco' 1 rather' disposed 'to censure tho precipitous;action.of tho minors; but came' out.with the. conviction that the position had been deliberately forced on them'. As things: were, it was only,; a- matter of a few .days, or a fprtnight at the putside, .when fully half-the persons employed throughout. Australia would be unemployed and,on the verge of starvation through -lack' of, coal.. Under these circumstances it was ; felt that the only hepe lay .in a. conference. between the' parties. ATTITUDE OF THE UNION ,COMPANY,'!. . . -.'-. , ■-' Ounediri, November 9. ; With regard to. the -Newcastle coal strike, the Union Steam Ship Company officials • are reticent.V but'they express no. douU that the intercolonial passenger service will be maintained at full efficiency. They admit, however, that there will probably be'some difficulty in maintaining the -usual inter-State services between Australian ports, and that some of the cargo beats' in tho intercolonial ■service will bavo to be laid up if 'the strike is continued' very long. .No danger of : coal shortage'here, is anticipated..' : . '..-.,.:. ,;• EXTEA LOADING IN AUCKLAND; : . ' : (By. Telegrapß.—SpeotajOprrcsijonaent!) Auckland, November 9, ; : So that she might not he inconvenienced by the, New South Wales coal strike, 'the Slaheno took on board at Auckland; prior to her departure for Sydnoy, a' supply of coal efficient to take her across the 'i'asman Sea and back to Auckland, The /intercolonial ■ pteamers make a practice of going up to-New-' .castle, from Sydney to.take in cpal for, the round voyage, ,but in view of tho strike supplies for the return journey, amounting to '660 tons, were taken ouat Auckland, the vessel already, having on board sufficient coal for the run to Sydney. Owing to supplies havingbeen taken on-at Auckland, sho will not call at •Newcastle this trip, and no doubt tho other steamers engaged in the. trade will bfi similarly coaled until ,the strike is ended, Owing'to the ' coal having to be shipped. at : .Auckland, the Mahono was delayed several hours/getting away at 1J p.m. yesterday. ■ Tho departure of the steamer Atua, which was to have sailed for the South Sea Islands and Sydney this morning,. has been postponed until 10: a.m. tomorrow, to enable her to, take o'n board additional'coal suppliea in "consequence of the strike. The Atua will not be due at Sydney until December 2, but the Union Company .has decided, to take,no, risks, hence she ie shipping at Auokland from 200 to 300 tons, of coal over and above, the amount required, to take her to Sydney,, This will enable'the vessel to make the.return voyage from Sydney as far as Fiji, where she will replenish her bunkers for the balance of the voyago to Auckland. : . ■ ... : ° . , EFFECT ON THE,EXPORT TJIADB.' ' '■■'"., ' Dunedin, November 9. Speaking to a "Times" reporter yesterday a gentleman- well informed in snipping matters stated that one effect .of the frequent industrial upheavals in the New South Wales ; coal trade is that Newcastle 'coal is losing ground in the eastern"Pacific,."and.is'-being replaced by lower grade coals from Japan and elsewhere. The result is neither, .in the interest of the Newcastle owners nor miners. IJo also expressed the opinion that if the un-' certainty as to supplies continued a similar experience wculd fpllpw in other markets. ' /