WAIHI STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1442, 17 May 1912, Page 7

WAIHI STRIKE.

HEW- DEVELOPMENT,

TOWN'S COAL SUPPLIES MAY BE CUT OFF.

SERIOUS OUTLOOK.

(By TcloßMDh— Snecial Correspondent! Auckland, May Hi. The most important development in connection with (he Waihi strike to-day is an item of news which opens up tho possibility of tho trouble fproudng lo Himtiy. At that place the Tanpiri Cool Company is operating tho .coal'mines, from which 'not only tho AVuihi Mining Company, hut tho dealers supplyniij Wiulli householders, draw their coal. It is stated on Rood authority, that today the Tanpiri Company'received notiiication from tho Waiuato Miners' Union, to which (heir men belong, that that body objected to tho company sending any more coal to Wnihi for any purposewhilst the strike lasts. ,

What reply the company will make remains to bo seen when it-receives-tho notification in question in writing. 'There is, however,-a strong probability that it may decline to cease forwarding supplies to dealers. The companies' orders liavo been suspended in any case. Should tho 'JVuipiri Company and the- Wuikato Minors' Union fail to agree on tho point raised, it is quite possible, that the 400 or 500 miners at Huutiy may bo called out. ' ' Last Pay on Monday. The latest news from Waihi shows that matters are quiet, though tho situation grows more and more critical. When. the shoe begins to pinch thclo will, it is almost certain, ho a pitiful story in tell. The- men get their last pay on Monday next, but after that the suin of more than JltiOOO weekly in wages nlone will be lost to Waihi for current circulation. Tho Waihi tradespeople arc in a small way of business, and cannot, even if they would, give long credit. Busi'nes.s is already being conducted on a .strictly cash basis. day long (he Miners' Union Strike Committee sii.s and transacts business, which U not divulged. Last njghtnearlv 2000 men congregated in front' of the Miners' Union Hall, making, a-,most unusual sight. An inquiry elicited the information that the roll call was in progress. This proceeding is carried out on alternate days, and those who fail to answer to the call thereby forfeit strike pay for that week. A tier tho roll call the- crowd melted away, leaving the streets dctcrtod. Picture eiiterlaimnonls, billiard saloons, and commercial rooms absorb tho leisure time o£ the idif miners. Effect on the Borough. The stoppage of all works by (be Waihi Borough Council has created a very serious position. Tho Borough Engineer wired to the Minister for Public Works yesterday, with reference to the strike in Waihi:—"Our revenue ceases, and, consequently, all our borough men have boon suspended, pending a settlement. Could you provide work for them on tho Wailii-Tnurnnga railway during continuiinco of the trouble? Thov are all married men with families and honwis in (he town. Thero are 30 or' 40 men concerned." The Minister replied: "I am making inquiries whether it i-i possible to employ men on the vailwnv construction works a 9 suggesteclHSiffiicdi W. D. S; Macdonald." Sanitation Endangered. The health of the town is threatened t« a dangerous extent by the tteppago of pumping operations at the mines; The congested part of the town is drained by surface concrete channels, into which washhouscs, kitchens, and public conveniences are also drained, the matter being carried away to tho. Ohinemuri River. Tho channels have been kept clean by diverting the water from tho mine, into them, and if tho sanie amount of water were diverted from tho borough' service

the town supply would be reduced lo a dangerous limit. The borough officials are doing their best to keep the- channels sluiced out, but. if tiio striko continues for any length of, timo au epidemic may result. Dank and Overdraft. A significant action on the part of tho National Bank came to light this morn, ing. It seems that the caretaker of the Miners' Union Hall is paid a weekly wage of 255., and yesterday or to-day feo letoived a chequo for £2 10s., being u fortnight's wages jmid in the ordinary way. Ho failed to cash the cheque'at any shop yesterday (being the weekly half-holiday in any case), and this morning he f reson ted it at the bank, when it was returned marked "Refer to drawers." t-ome explanation of this incident, must bo made in fairness to the union. The union has an overdraft at the. bank on the Miners' Union Hall, and the bank- has hitherto given credit without hesitation. 'Apparently, however, in view'of'tho unsettled conditions prevailing, the bank has dfr cided not to grant further credit. Single Men Departing. Many single young men left Wnihi this morning. They are going right away to look for work, some at least to Australia, whence'they came in the first place, It is tho married man with an anchor in the form of a family, and possibly a .-.mall properly who has tu lwnr tho heavy, end of the burden. Property is practically unsaleable, and owners would not realise even if they could. It is understood that a number of dismissals have already taken pl'ne'e'Jih' tho grocery, drapery, and other 'trndßS,"os tiio result'of slackness due to. the striko. Quito a number of dressmakers also Imvo been thrown into idleness; - -• -•• Mining Contracts Lapse, All mining contracts lapsed yesterday, forty-eight hours having passed . without tho jobs being manned. 'Phi? iiieiins a groat loss to many contractors. One party alono of twenty men have been making between 4,'s'D and .COS) ench per .'umnth, with eight months' work ahead of them. All this has gone. Another parly had' been working for a. considerable time.making a bare existence, but during tho next four months, according to conditions and ie the work done in connection with (hit shrinkage contract, they .would... bnv« reaped about. .1:3)0 per man approximately, In theso circumstances ibis will be a-dead loss to them. . ..-.,- Government Criticised.' Mr. David Goldic, president of th« Auckland Kmploycivs' Federation, when interviewed by a "Star" reporter this morning, had some interesting opinions to offer. "I. do not think I can say anything now ution tho matter of the Waihi strike in addition to what you have already published," said Mr. Goldie, "excepting this, that I tako it that it will bo'very generally recognised that the employers should, anil will, assist those men who, with their families, are suffering because of tholr tlcsiro to act in accordance with the law. It is very evident that some strike leaders intend as far as .possible lo defy the Inw, as. evidenced by the reported utterances of a Mr. C. P. N. Webb.jvlm is stated to have said at a'meeting. In Wellington in the early part of last m<v'ih Ihat tho Arbitration Act wns of nK'valtin lo the workers. It seems to me (hat in the interests of the men—i.e., the renl workers and their families—th'aHhii Gov. eminent must, by special legislation.put a stop to the possibility of such men .is these causing n striko in this Dominion. In Australia they have such a law, nnd there they have a Labour Government.

"In New Zealand," continued ?ifr. <!<ddie, "the present Governmenl: soi-iiis nfraiij to enforce the penalties imposed l>,v Ad of Parliament, and so have instituted .lotions against'unions under Clauses 5 and G of the Arbitration Act, which carried small p«nottios against unions and Mrikors, and' their only action was fakon against unions and not against both, ,n the law providfld. And this has beer, douo when the offending union and strik, i'» ought to have been proceeded ajrainst under Clause S), which provides pehniius more than double that of Clauses 5 and 0, against unions and strikers in trade- n-id indiifflries which _ would -* afrcc-t the gflneral public When. remonstrated willi, they replied that they did not dwiro in prosecute. Yet they thenfsjii'.vcs .intraduced and carried Uiroufrh th.o vow lenis. lntion wliich they wo now afraid to give effect to. I fear drastic legislation, inu.«t ho passed to prevent th.e present t'tal* ef thinsr* continuing, J3rery man is "entitled to reserve a few day's wags for a fair jas'a wari. bm :!» am our industries

paralysed at the -whim of a few men who noithor toil nor spin is beyond, endurance, and must; be stopped with a firm hand.