STRIKERS GUILTY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 702, 30 December 1909, Page 5

STRIKERS GUILTY.

♦ ' SENTENCES. THIRTEEN NEWCASTLE LEADERS CONVICTED. s - FINED £100 OR TWO MONTHS. s o By Telegraph-Press Association-Oopyrißlit. o (Ecc. Docember 30, 0.40 a.m.) Sydney, December 29i 0 As a result of tho charges of inciting 0 a striko made against members of tho Delegates.' Hoard of tho Colliery Em- ? ployees' Federation, tho Industrial Court * at Now castle has found tho following ' thirteen accused guilty:— Dfoes, Brecs, Parkes, Hanlon, Lettlefair,; Williams, Watson, Pease, Sneddon, f Noilly, Stenkouso, Young ond Frith. Each was fined illOO, with an alterua--1 tivo of: imprisonment for two months; - MAXIMUM IMPRISONMENT UNDER THE, ACT. These proceedings and sontences aro under tho old Industrial Disputes Aiit of Now South Wales, not tho drastic amending Act (with much soberer penalties) recently passed. Tho nltornativo of two months' imprisonment is tho maximum that tho old Act allocs. Section 42 of tho old Act provides: If any person (a) does any act ol , thing in tho natuio of a look-out or strike, or tales part in a lockwut ol strike, or suspends or discontinues cmplojment or work in any industry; or (b) 1 instigates to or aids in any of tho abovc--6 mentioned acts, ho shall bo liablo to a' , penalty' not exceeding ono thousand pounds, or in default to imprisonment not exceeding two months. Provided that nothing in this section shall prohibit tho susponsion or discontinuance of any industry, or the working d of any peibons therein, for any cause d not constituting a lock-out or strike. I, The liability of tho funds of tho unions i- is set out m Section 45, as follows i— •. (1) Where any person convicted of an tt offence against the provisions of Seol" lion 42 was, at tho time of las comD mittmg such offonee, a member of a " trade or industrial union, tho Indus■J trial Court may order tho trustees of ' tho trade union, or of a brnnoh thcre--1 , of, or may order tho industrial union J! to pay out of tho fundi) of the union. ™ or branch eny amount not exceeding J 1 X2O or tho penalty imposed. '• (2) Tho said Court shall, before making ,* such oider,i hear tho said trustees or "" the said union or their or its counsel or attorney, and shall not make such 5 f order if it is proved that the union IC has-by means tliat are reasonable, and £ under tho circumstances bona fido cns_ deavourod to prevent its members jj from doing any act or thing in tho 10 nature of a lock-out or strike, or t t from taking part m a lock-out or „ strike, or irom instigating or aiding 0 . a lock-out or strike. i 3 (3) Any property of tho union or branch, n whether in tho hands'of trustees or r- not, shall bo available to answer any ;. order mado as aforesaid. o! SECEDING MINERS. is ME. HUGHES ON THE SITUATION. s. it Sydney, December 29. >i- Mr. W. M. Hughes (tho President of °' tho Waterside Workers' Union, and tho j]j dominant factor in tho Strike Congress) ,g regards tho break-away of tho Northern y. miners' delegates irom tho Congress as c- ono of tho effects of Mr, ,Wado*B new law, tt " He considers.'tho whole position compliIf cated. Id They aro now fighting not merely their a enemies, ho said, but also those who for lo some timo had pretended to bo their in frionds. Tho Striko Congress was created at tho desiro of tho Northern miners. The latter had tho amplest right to con- □ duct their affairs as they pleased, but every day they remained, out involved other workers, and'thoy (tho other workers) must liavo a roico in a conflict which defies every oflort to confine it within the comparatively narrow limits of tho coal-mining industry. They arc now (added ' Mr. Hughes) , fighting outsido "among thomsolves where at formerly they fought inside. It EFFECT IN CHRISTCHURCH. ;o (By rclcgraph.-Press Association.) Dr Christchurch, December 29. m The effect of tho coal striko m Ncn t, South Wales is being felt by tho Citj n po» ncl J bore. The,council has received o Id letter from Messrs. Thomas Brown Ltd., f- contractors, for supplying tht Dcstmctoi a- With Newcastle coal, asking that, in y terms of tho strikes clauso m thoir con to tract, they bo relieved from porformanc( ■O of tho contract until a further supph as of tho Newcastle coal comes to hand as It was pointed out that although Now n- castle mines have been closed for ovoi i SlX ,™? ks . ti» council has been supplied ■ with Newcastle coal at contract rates, ai 4 had a quantity of New d, castle coal in stock. This, however, u or now exhausted. '