THE MINERS' GRIEVANCE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1443, 18 May 1912, Page 5

THE MINERS' GRIEVANCE.

STATEMENT OF UNION EX-PRESt. PENT. ORIGIN OF THV- TKOUULB. (By Telegraph—Special Con-OEtioudenM Christchurch, May 17, Mr. H. T. Ai'instroi'.fj, who for throe years president of the Wailii Miners' Union, and who worked for eight vears at the Wnihi mines, was in Ch'ristchnrch to-day. on' his way from (ircymonth to Wellington to attend the conforcnoo ami annual meeting of the New Zealand federation of Labour.

Mr, Armstrong gave a "Star" reporter a brief outline of (ho ease for the workers in tins present "Wruhi dispute. I'lio causes of the present trouble are connected to some extent with tlio past history of the union. Lous' .vears ago the union took a ease to the Arbitration Court. At that time, although the cost of living was high and house rents wero dear, labourers in the niiiia were receiving only 7s. Gd. a day. Tim Court in effect said that the workers had proved their ease for an inerra'O in waffes, but; that

"Ihe industry would not stand the increase." Al liiat time the Vaihi Comnaiiy had paid away in dividends some* thing like 011(1 lo its London shareholders. and was paying away enormous dividends then. It was thp 'best-paying eonrcrn in the S.iullieni Hemisphere. That sic-keiioi! the uuiim of the Arbitral tion Act 'aad tlie Arbitiraticu Court, whw fi/jftferfudum of tlio members

wm§L- subsequently taken, it was decided by ' a proportion of nearly 9..t0 1 .or thci(members to oancel registration under tho> Act. Tlio union affiliated with tho Federation of Labour, and later, without any; recourso to tho - Arbitration Court, it obtained an increase of wages ior all classes of workers. Tha.b was tlio position- when the present troublo aroso. Tile employers, seeking to undermine tho-power of tlio federation, had recently, Mr. Armstrong, induced soino fifteen engine-drivers to form a jeparato union, and register under tho Acf,; . Tliero were oyer 100 enginedrivers and firemen in tho employ of the;','; Waihi Company. Those workers used' to have a union of their own, but th<s.' preferred later on to throw in their lot with tho miners and other woi'Xers. Under tho Arbitration Act f the/, fifteen men who had formed tlio new 'union could bring nil the rest of tho engine-drivers and firemen imdor tho (Arbitration Act, and this would bo only tho' I ;thin end of tho wedge. If this [iiiovo tfor a registered Engme-drjveivs • union was successful, tlio company (might find fifteon miners ready to form Vnother "scab union," and tlius bring i the" 1500 miners and other workers ainder an Act of which they heartily disapproved. 'It was because of tho farroa'cli in g conscquences .-which might be expected to follow if this "scab union of engine-drivers was allowed to take a ■casa': before tho Arbitration Court that

thcMiners" Union had taken the only ■weapon at its disposal and resorted .to ;a strike. Thero was little doubt, added iilr.'.' Armstrong, that tho Miners' Union twould receivo tho support ot' organised iLabour at this juncture. Tho executive,','of the federation would meet oil Monday, and whatever was done would bo dono in what was deemed the best interests of the Waihi Miners' Union and W tlio workers generally. TRADESPEOPLE'S DIFFICULTIES. Wholly dependent on miners. (By. Telegraph—Special Correspondent.) Auckland, May 17. Tho tradespeople's position at Waihi is .thus referred to by the special correspondent of the "Star" :-Tho hardship attendant on the stoppage of the mines and !the consequent cessation of the only yource.of revenue to, Waihi will fall not jnore heavily upon the miners and mine jworkeirs of all kinds than upon the retail ibusiness men in this mining township. Mr. Donaldson, a borough councillor, Was questioned upon this matter, and though he was careful to avoid any expression of opinion oil the justification or otherwisojof the strike, ho left 110 doubt ns to his realisation of tho extreme gravity of the .position. "It would bo quite .unfair," ;ho said, "for a business man to i,A'enture an opinion as to the rights or 'iwrougs of'the matter; but the striko hits 'flis hard. I '■■'■Waihi'"retailers depend wholly '• .on the mining' population, for their turn-' xver, and a s'toupugo of work' is a calamity for the business man', in . common w-ith tho miners. •.Immediately mining stops lour occupation is gone. Thesmall ■farmling element, in this district, is not worth [mentioning. , There are no independent 'men in Wailii. Every, man is a i'ftnd every mail' }s affected. ~ It is-most (unfortunate that the-.troublo should have Come on just as. winter is approaching." . Another point affecting retailers touched upon by Air. Donaldson - was the. unreasonable readiness with; which; the miners were inclined to accuse them of being liand and glove with the mining com-: 'panios. So soon as a business man enowed signs of curtailing credit tho miners wero inclined to' suggest, boisterqusly that 'he was : agninst the strikers.' The fact ■was, ho explained, that the retailers simply could not afford to give, credit, and an tho ■present " circumstances his hands ■were forded by, pressure front Auckland merchants.' ' His attitude was not arrived at by any wish 1 .of liis own, but was, forced upon him'by the wholesalo peoplo (with whom lie dealt. •

MERCHANTS STOP CREDIT. SHOPKEEPERS MUST PAY CASH IN full: Auckland, May 17. The Auckland Wholesale Merchants' 'Association, passed a resolution urging strongly on traders in districts affected by o strike the wisdom of insisting on :receiving cash before delivery during 'the progress of tho strike. 11 was also resolved that owing to the conditions existing in Waihi, AVaikino, and surrounding districts, no orders for those places will bo supplied by members of the association unless accompanied by cash for tie full ncconnt. POSITION AT HUNTLY. ■- NO ACTION YET TAKEN. Auckland, May 17. The "Herald's" Huntly correspondent (telegraphs as follows:—"The executive of the Union,met. to-iiiijht, „ ■presumably to consider •• tlio •commiinica-. lion ."from L.tlio directors'.'of .the •' Tau'piriMtnes aslring',..for, an'explanation of a •portion of' tliij letter sent to them on ■ Thursday by..tho union. No. communication ;was made to" tho press, but it is ' understood that no action is beinf taken pending the. result of .the meeting '„of the directors to-morrow.' A-rumour current .in town'that work was to stop "as from* to-morrow morning has been emphatically denied. ■' TROUBLE AT PAEROA. ' COAL QUESTION AGAIN. (By TelezraDh—Prosa Association.! Auckland, May 17. The "Herald's" correspondent at Paeroa telegraphs to-day as follows —There was a little trouble in Paeroa this morning over the carting of coal to tho Extraction Company's works. An employee of Messrs, Dean Bros, was loading coal at tho railjvay. station wheu he, was warned by some of tho officials of the Waihi Miners' Union that there would be ■trouble if the coal was carted, as it was somo' of tho coal that had been sent to Waihi for tho Waihi Gold Mining Company; and railed back to Paeroa for the Extraction Company. Mr." J. Deaii was communicated with, and he decided to go oil v;ith tho carting, and so far the trouble has not eventuated. Between 30 and 40 non-unionists have been looking for work at tho Extraction Company's works during tho past three or four days, but without Fiicces3. ' THE MINISTER FOR LABOUR. CANNOT INTERFERE. The- Hon. G. Lanrenson, Minister for Labour, when questioned last night by a Dominion reporter, said that no approach had been made to the Labour Department by eilher of tho parties to tho trouble at Waihi, but he understood that tho newly-formed Engine Drivers' Union was applying for registration. A fact to be considered in that connection that there'was already an Engine Drivers' Union, with its headquarters in Auckland, embracing the wholo province. Apart from this application no communication had been made to the Department by either party, and though he was distressed at what was happening at Waihi, ,'he had no Tight to interfere, and conse--1 quently it would be impossible for him (to do anything unless ho was approached by either or both of the parties.