COAL VEND CASE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1149, 9 June 1911, Page 5

COAL VEND CASE.

STORY OF THE STRIKERS' MINE By Telegraph-Press Association-Oopyricht (Rec. June 8, 5.35 p.m.) Sydney, June 8. In the Coal Vend case, Sir. Cant, the managing director of Messrs. Kctliel and Company, admitted that during the Newcastle strike ait agreement whs entered into between Kctliel and Company and .Mr. W. M. Hughes (tho Commonwealth Attorney-General), Senator li. S. Guthrie, and Mr. I'eter liowling relating to the sale of coal from the company's Young Wallsend and Ebbw Main collieries. Messrs. Hughes, Guthrie, and Bowling, in consideration of the payment of one pound sterling, were called "the purchasers," and were to have the option of disposing of tho coal from tho said collieries. The company was to manage the collieries, and guaranteed during tho term of tho agreement, unless accident occurred, that tho output would bo at least a thousand tons a day. All the money above nine shillings a ton received for tho coal was to be divided equally between tho company and tho purchasers. The purchasers might terminate the agreement at any time on giving two days' notice, and tho company might terminate it when selling price fell below lis. a ton, and it became impossible to sell at the price fixed in the manner provided. Attached to tho agreement was an endorsement by Messrs. Hughes, Guthrie, and Bowling, assigning their interests in the agreement to Messrs. Daniel Hutton, Albert Burns, and Peter Bowling, the last three undertaking to acquit and releaso tho first three from all responsibility in relation to the agreement. The witness Cant, continuing his evidence, said ultimately the Railway Commissioners took possession of all the coal that had been raised during tho strike, and paid 7s. 7d. a ton for it.