STATE COLLIERY STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 683, 7 December 1909, Page 8

STATE COLLIERY STRIKE.

> CASE" 'FOR THE STRWCEBS, II , MINERS' EXECUTIVE EST WEEEDZGTOIL, - With tho object .of ' conferring upon tho fe,; ,> position created by the strike at the Point Elizabeth. .State coal-mine, members of - tho S i , ; vN.Z. .-Miners' Federation havo come to "Wellinglon, and have been meeting with closed doors.' ' Tho:attendanco comprises Messrs. '■■ Semple "(president, Greymouth),; -Manning (secretary i:. v, ■ - Galitfaith;(Auckland), Scanlon and . Perry (Waihi), Fulton (Huntly), and Arm-. strong .(Stato. Mmo Extension).'' . i Men Adhering to Original Demand. p a v - ■ ;,<■ Tho : officials, decline to mate any. communionh tion to tho press, but it is understood that the i strikers not modified'their. demands, and 1:.;,.', -J- do noiproposo to seek.a .settlement.except upon f in. ? >; the terms originally announced. It is contended j "on their behalf that when the Point Elizaboth C.y- v minajras first opened np,.-the trucking was not feSv 1 •'•?£a very groat matter," as ! the workingifaces "were ■ . : .r t npt. far .from the "flat sheet," to which the hv .minors .trucked the coal. It is claimed that the . regular practice in other mines is that from tho i "flat sheet" onwards the trucking is performed ; : by truckers engaged for the purpose. In tho |r-.; '.v.; . Point Elizaboth mine, however, a system grow ! . . np under which tho miners trucked beyond it ! ..the. "flat: sheet.". As the workings have been : extended, the length of tho journey has in- : ..creased,! and it is said. that'the howers are !<• still doing the-great bulk of the trucking in tha .'tiollieiy." ;.^J:/>.*;/■

Ministerial, Statements Denied. The 'lengthening of the trucking lines, they say,..',-has had ; the, effect ;■ of ; reducing their " ! : :£hat-< the?; average; earnings. are ,11s. 2d. per day of seven hours—not lis. ld.j .as: stated by'the Prime Jlinistcr and "Ktliel-'Ministervior/rMines. . - Sixty, per cent.' of the accidents (according .to ,this unofficial in;,"formant)' '.are ,;' dub • to;, the present- system of trucking. ;; They dony that the-State miners are treated : similarly >: to., Now, Zealand. miners in general ? ln . regard;to .trUcking.'SAt, the'-Millertonmine,' which 'is t a private enterprise, the;' trucking, they say, is done by tho company; without . , any. reduction in the hewing rati. - The trucking arrangement at .Point-. Elizabeth, the; : ; stnkers -insist, tends; to make. -the work ; . less ,'-'..remunerative;' there. than at other - mines.. .Tho.executive;'has asked the Hzie, ■ 'Minister ,; for.' Mines, to grant them an interview. me following senteAdes from tho Primo , Minister s recont -statement.--in--the House of ■. Representatives are in direct conflict ' with the above statements made,on behalf of the men-'— •.under the- old, agreemont and -.under the Ar- . bitration Court awards, trucking; and jigging' £ a yo - .heen done by .ithe minors . in' tho . roint. Enzabethr Colhory, as well as in- everv othei colliery on tho West Coast In view ...pi. these facts, the Government considered it . impossiblo ,'to- accede to, tho minors' request,- as the wages already earned- by them —approximately lis per day, that is a shift of seven nours— we™ fair, and reasonable, and :could not l bo increased except at the expense of the pub- ; iao or. the. consumers/'] ' ; MINERS WOULD ■ LIKE .TO' INTERVIEW' MINISTERS. -• , CERTAIN; STIPULATIONS IMPOSED. -. ■ -Yesterday the Hon. A.--R. Guinness was asked by Mr. OTRcgan, solicitor to the Miners' ; : Fedenition, if,, ho could arrange for the derepresenting ' the executive of tho ..'.Miners Federation to wait'on the Prime Mini- ,. Bter andv.the Hon.' R. • MTJenzie. In reply to . Mr;, Guinness was informed by the'Primo Minister that he would give a . reply after,. Cabinet .had considered the request. the sitting 'of Cabinet wis concluded Sir Joseph informed Mr. Guinness that' if; tbe' v executiveof federation-would' put into, writing s the subject . upon . which they : wished to interview, himself and-the Hon. R M'Kenzie he -would inform them whother tho deputation- could be received.' It is nnder.stood, that the executive have; not yet complied with the request. :The Hon. ,R. ; M'Kenzie (Minister for Public : Works) informed a Dominion reporter yester- - . day that as-both tho-Prime ;Mimster and he v were., exceedingly, busy,-they were, nnable to ' meet the executive yesterday.- ' ' ' ~ . • ALL"; DEPENDS dN 'THE - EXBCUTtVfe'S DECISION. 1

■, , GEEYMOUTH FEELING .■ THE BENCH. J ; ):r.-i*By tTetagrapb.—Pfrss vAisociattom Greymouth, December 6. .There .is nothing :to . report in connection .with the strike at the State coal-mine at 7 Point i Ehzabeth. All. ig. « quiet'and' orderly,- . although the pinoh- is already being felt by bnsiness people in Groymouth. :;,t.Great interest is being taken in tho delibcrv: - stions of. the Minors' Federation Executive -.now,,in Wellington, and on' their decision reHams everything. ✓

WESTPORT'S BIG OUTPUT.

CO-OPERATION IN ALL QUARTERS. >■-. Telegraph—Prosa Association.! , 'Westport, December G . -Ui® coal-miaers. in the >•-Westport district are ta ewerM l ?, and: successfully seconding the efforts i oi the companies to meet tho pressure in the Jdemands . for. coal.::. At Ngakawau - tho men ; make no objection to working on pay Saturday, i. Tho Seddonville and Gramty. miners are briskly If , at Denniston..: -On Friday;onother duly, record this established,, the output for-the-|t. i day.for one shift being 1573 tons.- v '•'■ j.: - The. watersido i men at i.Westport are working . overtime, and it. is only m. ont or two lso--.\<lated cases; that any objection: has been made. Although a largo quantity of coal' is being iu;;V:hantfed;'/.tlwTriul\fay ;is : moving: tho;mineral |t:; smartly,i'aiU '.th^>:Ms."not;<been' : 'the.-slightestl ii : congestion in 1 shipping.: ;The. co-operation of all H '. concerned is.a gratifying feature of■ tho rush:" . The pace, of-production,'haulage, and shipment is. • will go a ldng ■ way to prove : that New Zea-' i' land can supply all her own coal demands. j; . Tho output from the Westport Ooal : Cora-- . pan Vs. mines during November was 51,761 tons. : llowt.; Seddonville' State Mine, (1142 tons 1 ; pif cwt.; .Stocktons Company, 13,663 tons- scwt;; ]: total 71.76G tons 17cwt During the month .-: Wi steamers.worked tho port. \