DOWN TOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1445, 21 May 1912, Page 6

DOWN TOOLS.

DEVELOPMENT AT PAEROA. BLUFF FIRMLY MET. Waihi, May 20. According to the Pacroa correspondent of the "Herald," the operations of the strike committee of the Waihi Miners' Union have extended to Paeroa. and the Waihi-Paeroa Gold Extraction Company's works have, in consequence, suspended work temporarily. This morning two officials of the "Waihi Miners' Union waited on Mr. "R. M. Ailken, manager of the company's works, at Pacroa with a number of demands. Their first demand was that the company insist on the disbandment of another union (other than the Waihi Miners' Union), which was being formed at the works at Paeroa. Mr. Aitken's reply was that he did not know about any union being formed. They were-working under the Thames Union, and did not recognise the Waihi Union al all. The union officials then «nid that there were a number 'if men at the works belonging lo the Waihi .Miner.--' Union, but Mi\ A.it ken's reply was thai he knew nothing about Unit, and could nut interfere with tile men. The second demand was that the company should insist on all its workmen becoming members of Hie Waihi Miners' I'nioii. but Mr. Aitken s-.vd that he would uot insist on the nu-u joining anv union. The ulliiimtiiin presented by the union officials wits that, if their demands were not complied with by nine o'clock tin'? morning." all members the Waihi Miners' Union employed by the company would cease work. Mr. Ail ken replied Unit he could not agree lo their demand-, bu! the company was prepnrcil (n li-len !n -my rca-naMc repre-enliiliriis fr.nn Hie Tin - Union to which body he bel-'eveil I he men b,..' longed. Lvidrnilv ihere haci been "nine uro.iv. ranged -ignol. for. as soon a = Mr. Aitken ' had replied. ;< number of men nut on i llieir coals and knocked oil' work. It i- ' not vet known how m.iiiv men will cra-e work, but about 14 knocked off this morn- i ins- The r/inumy '"' decided (r. >m. i pond operitictis for i few. days bo at to

roorgan'-e the new men that will be engaged this mcniing. All men who ceased work were ordered off Ihe company's premises, as the properly at I'ncron is freehold. OTHER STRIKE ITEMS. Auckland, May 20. The lluntly engine-drivers, winders, and sinkers passed a. resolution with special reference to the Waihi strike:—"We affirm the principle of industrial tiiii<iniMii against obsolete craft unionism, and are of opinion, that the Arbitration Court militates against industrial unionism.'' A Hireling of miners decided to refer the (|iiesiiou of supplying co.il In Waihi to file executive of the Federation of Labour. Work proceeded at the lluntly mines this morning as usual.

Waihi, May 20. In regard to the tally clerks ceasing patrol duty, it appears now that: no drv nhind by the Strike (,'onimittre officially was made, but individual strikers threatened certain clerks, styling them "scabs," and that, in conference with the mine superintendent, these clerks asked the company's protection, but the latter could nol see their way to comply with this.

The pumps at Waihi mine, going at an average rate, lift 2,1(1(1,000 gallons to 2.418.000 gallons in twenty-four hours. As it takes two or three., days to lift the water accumulating daily, it will bo readily seen (says the Waihi "Telegraph"} that the company will have a stupendous risk of uiuvatermg the field when pumping is resumed.

Waihi, Mar iH. Tt is reported that, at a niecliii-r of Ka;rangahake miners on Saturday night, when delegates werp received from lln- Waihi . Miners' Union, h resolution was carried endorsing the action of thp Waihi strikers, and promising assistance- in any way required, H. was rennrted at to- | day's ma*s meeting of strikers that arrangements would lie made I>y the union to supply CQ»I to a!) private consumers requiring it, and to all distressed people. UNDER THE SURFACE. GREAT TURBULENCE OF HATE. THE X.AJIE OF "SCAB." ißy Telezraph.—Special Correspondent.) Waihi, May 21). To-day has boon the quietest day since the strike was called. There was a mass meeting of miners this morning, but, apparently, the men are tiring of the. eloquence of the union leaders for the attendance at the meeting was decidedly smaller than at previous meetings. There have been fewer idle men about the streets alse.

The big facts of the day are the stoppage of work by the men on the Horalioi'a Electric Power Works, and of some of the men on the I'aeroa Gold Extraction Works. If is not certain, however, whether all the men on tho llorahora Works have "downed tools" br not." The news here is that only the- men engaged in erecting the poles to carry the cables have stopped, and that they stopped after being told to do so by the union officials. This scheme is being .undertaken by the Waihi Company in order to got cheap power wherewith to run the winding plant at the mine and the batteries at Waikino and Waihi. It was admittedly an excellent stroke of business on their part to secure such a valuable water-power concession from the Government, and it is said that, even by itself, it could be made a dividend-paying concern. Of course, the object of the company was to make possible the treatment of low-grade ores, of which a great quantity is taken from the .Waihi mine. .Several paddocks round the shaft heads art: full of low-vniuc dirt, which is being kept against the installation of cheap power. There is no urgency about the works, and the delay need not inconvenience the company, but, no doubt, they would have much preferred to see them pushed ahead at this slack time. The .strike of the men at Paeroa dof* not, affect the Waihi Companies iu the slightest degree. The I'neroa Company has plant for rc-treating the silt in the Ohiuemuri Itiver, which is composed of tailings from Waikino and Karangahake, mainly from the Waihi, Talisman, and Crown mine?. For whatever reason, no coal can be obtained here, and some householders are making shift to do the daily cooking with wood. If, as seems possible, tho Federation of Labour endorses the preposterous demand of the Hunt)}- miners that coal for Waihi shall be consigned only through the Waihi Miners' Union, the inconvenience will certainly be aggravated. The contractors in the Martha Mine were paid to-day, but the junction men will not> get their money for some few days yet. If there is to be an exodus, it

should happen in the course of a day or two, but, if men are going, they are keeping silence as to their intentions,- and no considerable number have left the, field yet. Business people are complaining, that there is no trade doing, and that people seem to be living on air. The miners are certainly "playing the game" for the most part, and paying up their biiis and buying for cash. There are no reports of credit having been refused to any serious extent, but the pinch of want has not been felt yet. Round the town the feeling of bitterness id spreading and growing in intensity. That hateful word "scab" is being filing about recklessly, and very possibly it will lead to violence here. Yet it makes strikes possible, just as it makes unionism practically compulsory, for men will pocket principles rather than submit to the name of "scab." All the members of the newunion are culled "scab?" as a matter of course, and also all the wages men still earning their living as patrols in the mine works. A few of these had to give up their work and wages to-day in order to keep their peace of mind—they were beingcalled "scabs" too often. Not only wore they called "scabs." but their wives have been called something of the sort, by women friends, who happen to have strike heroes for husbands. Small children, who have hardly iost their baby lisp, have been heard to uie the word, and tho same small children have been heard telling one another whose houses are going to bo burned down. Where did they get the idea? Under the surface calm there is certainly an angry turbulence of hate in this little town, and it will upset nil the omens if it does not find .some unpleasant expression by and by. Even games cannot go on without reference to strike affairs. A senior football team refused to take the ' field on Saturday because the referee was j a company's officer, and a new referee had to be appointed before the game could proceed. It is purely foolishness to look for a riimb down iii this trouble. The Federation may lie able to "tie up industrial Xew Zealand," and in the tighest of knots, but they cannot stress the directors of the big company, who live in Loudon.. The Engine-drivers' Union will not .capitulate, and even if they did the o in pan? might not consider She uunrro! over. The long and short of the whole affair is that the movement, which was a strike, has brought about a lock-out condition. The mines are closed until the companies please to open them, and the terms noon which (hey will be opened have yet to be discussed. Tf is stated freely enough here that there is some backstairs "conciliation" roitig on ,

snmfwiiere. The registration of the new union was npplied for some while ago. and all sorts of care was taken to see lh.it the application was made in proper order. Consequently people sny that registration is being held up. In any event, ih» rio-.v union will not confer with the Miners' Union about a settlement. Their altitude, ns stated by two members approached, is that: thev simplv have no concerns in common with the Miners' Union, and that ihere is therefore nothing to lie discussed bid ween Hie two bodies.