COMPULSION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 679, 2 December 1909, Page 7

COMPULSION.

NEW SOUTH WALES CRISIS CABINET'S POLICY. WILL TAKE ACTION ON FRIDAY IF NO SETTLEMENT. IBy Teleerftph.-Preßs Asaoclalloii.-OoDrrirliU (Rco. December 1, 8,50 p.m.) Sydney, December 1, In the,Stato Assembly, in reply to a question, the Acting-Premier, Mr. Lee, staled that, as the result of Government intervention, negotiations were proceeding between the parties concerned in the strike. They bad been given till to-morrow to come to un arrangement, failing which a compulsory board would be appointed on Friday. LABOUR MOTION DEFEATED. GOVERNMENT'S MAJORITY FIFTEEN. Sydney, December 1. The motion moved by tho Labour Loader (Mr. M'Gowan—"that the mothods proposed by the Government to deal with industrial troubles are absolutely insufficient to meet publio requirements"—was defeated in tho Assembly at 3 o'clock this morning by 40 votes to 25.

TIME TO CONFER. STATE'S PENDING PROCEEDINGS, (Rcc. December. 2, 1.10 a.m.) Sydney, December 1. The Premier (Mr. Wade) had on interview today in his bedroom, to which ho' is still conBned, Tilth Mr W. M. Hughes (president ot the Watersido Workers' Union and spokesman of the Striko Congres6). This morning Mr. Wade' will see Mr. Learnionth, chairman of tho Northern Collieries', Proprietors' Association, The object is to giie'the paities an opportunity of coming to some, arrangement so as. to fore-1 stall legal proceedings by the Government on Friday. . The 'Northern''Collieries';' Proprietors' Association handed the press a lengthy statement of, their position. .They complain of misrepresentation by-the strike leaders, and state that , thoy. have nothing to hide, and are willing; to | abide by the findings of a Parliamentary: tribunal.; They claim that only'an, independent' tribunal can adjust.-the 'difficulties. ; ',?. ■ >IX)ST OVERSEA ' .'... ':_ (Rec. ; December. 1, p.m.)... ■; Sydnoy, December V ~ Giving evidence before: ..'a'Cojliery;? .Wages Board, a, prominent Newcastle proprietor declared ttyat the foreign coal-trade had*recently fallen 'off,-50'. per cent, ,cial troubles, and general, doprbssioh. ; ; As ,a : result, of' the present'' strike, next,. year's , con-,-tracts had been' elsewhere, and their foreign.trade was lost for that year. '■■■■ .; co-operative; coalY ;'•■■ state takes halfat reasonable•', ;;..,,-,.;•'."■.;.' \/PRICEv.O;j-I\\;:'..'' : i;'.i;: : ' ' .'•"■■''■ •'.",'•'■.' ',- Sydney, J3pcombor_ I_. . ,V. The, first coal '.. from . the 'strikers' \ inino at Ebbw Main amounted, to 300 tons. Tho Bailway, Department took half; , .'

•.. It is .understood'the Railway '■ Commissioners consider a, reasonable price is between'. 10s; and '15s. per' ton; : :'i';' :: ' : ': ~';/■■■'.- ''•-V-;. '': •'i

[An; important question is what tho Government : will consider a, reasonable price for tho , public to pay for tho'remaining half of the coal. Tho Acting-Premier;: "Mr! JLeej • was ro-J, ported yesterday as.saying, ".Ajctioh would bo taken to command the whole output of ,tho coal-mines now, at work with which to. supply tho community. The- Government' would as-' sort its right to take' as much • coal as it wanted; and care: .would be', taken -'to 'protect the piiblio in the matter; of;',values."]''',.'- .. ; ■ j ■ GOVERNMENT'CONCILIATION, FAILS.;:; "■.'..■''■ OWNERS REFUSE' ; ':; : i ; : THE: HAULAGE/OF.;COAL .QUES^ON.^',; ■ The strike (writes , the "Sydney Morning, Herald" of November 27) is ropidly settling 1 down into a simple fight .between two parties. Tho only thing .tljat is' not simple about it. is . that • ono party; is fighting tho other by means of at. the. spectators,,who tiro only looking-on. ;■' ■■■'s ■'~'■ i'-';, ,;',:."' AS: a last attempt at: conciliation tho .ActingPremcir (Mr. Lee) had invited both Bides to meet in his presence-,to-day. Yesterday,,;- ; he 'got the answer of both parties. The proprietors all .refuso tho invitation. The men accept it. Tho Government has therefore abandoned tho' interview, though Mr.'Hughes. says' he will'attend-it. : .'. .;■ ' .; Position of tho Law. -.'.'". \ '\< " ""..'' .The .proprietors' answer' to : tho. Government practically amounts to. this: "You have niado 1 a law-,'and wo have kept it. 'If we had broken thoiaw. you would, have punished; us. ■ ■,•-.But when '-the other side havo broken ..tho law you ask us to give way and meet them. ';;Wo.nrß ( afraid we cannot do it. ' Wo will meet tho' ; men when they meet tho law.". ::: :'•''-'.., -'The -men's 'answer practically. is: ,'Tvt:hayo, made use. of a certain weapon to obtain • redress o'f grievances, which were consistently refused redress. The proprietors -ask/us before; wo-discuss any redress to throw away the pon: by which we were trying,; to get redress,; and not to pick up the weapon again if we do not'get" redress. '■■ Still wo will meet youj asyou ask us, and see'if thero is any third way.' , The position of the ■ Government,-;which-ofii> cially at anyrate, represents;the public, wa6i "X our weapon is an;illegal,ono, and. we shall punish'you if you use it.; -But then the Government did not dothat. As somo people say, wisely, and as others say .'unwisely—it-'deter; mined to see- if the quarrel;could : not first' be ' settled by conciliation.,; Obviously;. whilst .it was inviting the two parties to meet and discuss tho quarrel it could not arrest one of them for quarrelling. > '-.•'■-''- ; ';'- • -'' v ":'..•-:.'• The first invitation, failed; so tho ActingPremier sent, out another invitation 'to tho parties to meet him; Ho- could hardly arrest one of them till, the mooting was over. The men agreed to como to it. Tho proprietors refused. If the Government,could.not arrest tho strike leaders before that meeting, it is difficult to imagine that it will bo likely to arrest them now" becauso of th'o'proprietors'irefasnl.--;;' It-appears, theroforo,'as if both sides will bo loft more or less free to .fight on until.cither thej ore the public givo way That there will bo a long fight appears moro than ever likely. '■'■■■" i^ Conditional Carriage of Coal.

Yesterday morning it appesiured that either the Government or tho. Chief Commissioners had, by refusing to carry any coal' except for tho railways, checkmated Mr. scheme for obtaining money by working f two)- mines.. But the Acting-Premier, stated .last night, these; instructions, which had. been. sent out : in' certain instances, had been countermanded. .Tho railways would carry all coal on tho orio condition that they were to be offered as. much as they needed at a reasonable price; If that Cbnld not; be obtained-it wohld bo impractic-. able to continuo drawing-coal, for thoy would only be using up their own coal in drawing it for others."." - ~ , . , , That appears to have been tho principlo on whieli this condition is laid down.. The effect of it is not clear. It is of courso possible that the' railways will demand, to take the whole outjut of; the miners, ', and' any otlier mines at ft reasonable price for their own purposes, In that case the of profits to be divided between tho strikers and tho 'owners might not be vory laTgol Bnt the jfiLctinff., Premier when asked these and other' questions lost night refused tb ; answer: them.; Heisaid: "Sufficient for the dajr-ii tho'ovil thereof."--- ' . However, this decision- seems , to.. clcar 1 tho' way to a long struggle. For that .struggle tho grcfit need of the strikers will be money. There are plenty of. men out of work at prcsont, who are. not on strike, are not getting strike pay; and . possibly aro not: likely ,to got it. It is known that tho Strilco; Congress is in two elm divisions'on.'other points. -If onb party- in!it accepted' Arbitration of any sort, oven Federal for example, the other party threatens to break away. It is possible, that difficulties: in, apportioning the funds raised will bfl rather hard of settlement.. . ': An official statement says that "the -Railway Commissioners hod not" ceased - to carry, cool for any persons, nntl - nro carmnK it now; bnt, ninder. the ;: distinct', understanding' that 'they shall havo first call, upon any' such coal' for [jpjujoiw ol tho railways. It Has btCtt mado tq,

appear in the KoiroasSov(Dstri&t.snd>«lsowhcro that thiA regulation has been framed fax tho purpose of aiming at tho, Young Wnllsend and Bbinr tfnin mines, which, it. is .alleged, are to , ' bo put into work by •tto 6triko loaders. Nothing of tho kind has Jjcen, or is intended to be, done, but it must bo clearly understood that in tho caso-cf coals raised or dispatched from any. colliory, tho Railway Commissioners irill, \n consequence ot tho groai shortage, liavo first claim upon, any sonh coal for Departmental use at a roasonnblo trricoi" In the meantime coal is becoming scarcer; > it may now arrive from abroad' any any. : ' i r\