IN STRIKE TIME.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1446, 22 May 1912, Page 7

IN STRIKE TIME.

VrAIHI AND ITS WAYS. GROCERS. INSIST ON CASH) HOW FARE Fl'/NDS? THE HOPE OF STRIKE P /Ay< (By TeloEraph-Bp , , . Waihi,.May 21. lho shauon of c i ouc | 0 f {-{j-fl miijeis .strike-In iw&Vily'ovo'r Hio Vowu to-day, but tin less than cv«v to to hoard am f An ambitious n i'i?' n Jh . * had been arrang,s , , iWiko Committee, but it was all (leclarc j, t _ coiiNcquciico, of tho funeral <! /-^ lO )n j nC f -, v ho had died from natural cuusos in (lie hospital. Only minors attended tho funeral |. ™ n 0 Aers loitered about tho streets «s U3:on do, and talked and smoked. r-V® !VKS 1,0 ' : evcn l! lnass iKcetiug tff Ulf /jact or licartea them. '.' • 'i Why Grocers Ask Cash. Much indignation. lias bepn expressed *' 10 i ' lo^o ' l of the tradespeople in cwsing down on.all credit i!usilios?:,ajid, frj-day, a dcjjvitation of grocers' waited npan ills Strj/ic Committee to , case, and to reply to the unkind criticisms' passed upon. tbem.. . , The dep'.itrilion pointed out that 'the* wero cony jelled to adopt the cash method of trading because of the notification received f'.oin the Merchants' Association in Auckla'iid and tho Thames Valley Dairying A ssodution to the 'effect ■tliat?' Imtil i'lrthor notice, all orders, from . Waihi tv.ns' t be accompanied by cash. The.y therefoitj needed cash to purchase their goodj. arid they had 110 alternative but to ask £w cash from their customers- if' they 'Were to keep tin supplies. The Strike Committee received > (lie deputation courteously, and promised that tho matter would lie submitted to tho next mass meeting of the union, When the agreement 16 insist upon, cash payments was first dlviwti "up and signed, one grocer stood out of tho compact, and professed himself willing to give credit so long as he could. Far aim it, was an excellent stroke of busij wss; .miners who owed him money'havt pajd their bills, and they have ■ tinea nought stores mostly for cash. Other' strikers have told.the other'grocers that they will not pay their bills iust yet. There have been cases reporlwt also of strikers having refused absolutely to par any vent during:, the currency.," of, tho "striked On, ■ the other hand - iitfiny; a!s paying their jnst debts freely, tiu'd'soni* men -who avo living in lodgings havt paid, their board for' a month ahead,

Latest Boycott—A Picture Show. The latest instance of a boycott: tm the most absurd to date. .A local picture theatre proprietor had decided, in ricW of a probable reduction in receipts, to reduce his' expenditure, awl he dismissed his pianist to engage a cheaper inoii. Tho new pianist engaged was a member of tho Waihi Minors' nut! Worker#' Union and tho officials were so incousedi at bis daring to seek to <?nrn money while ho was on strike that they declared a boycott against the picture show, Afterwards it was explained that tho unhappy proprietor did not know (list the man whom ho proposed to employ waa a member' of tlm union.' l!e told the new musician that .ho need not come along, ond engaged anothei —the daughter of ia shift boss in tho Martha Mine. ' This arrangement satisfied everybody, and the embargo*was removed.' It- was nov-cr really put ,"into offcct ■ for, laft night,, there were as many miners it tho theatre as usual.

Alt Hopinn for Strike Pay. It is quite evident from reports current that the minors arid'their 1 wives expect tli? strike to be over soon. Perhap? they shirk the reality as too terrible to bo true. They ,arc also hopeful that money for striko pay will be avail able from somewhere;.' It is . notorious that, immediately the men were called outi many unfinancial members rushed to tho union offico to pay up their arrears, and it is mi easy inference that they did it in order to bo eligible for strike pay. Now they etre anxious as to where thomoney is 1 to came from.' It is an opeiy secret that tho union has no money., and that the Federation is not fortified with funds to stand u siege; It is said, in fact, that tbo"-F<sderMi&n. pnrss is empty. If other unions arc called oat there can 1» 116 money for Waihi, for •somebody must work to earn; wages out of which striko pay may come.'.lt is reasonable, to sujsposo that the position will furnish th* Federation with matter for some hard thinking. Are Miners Leaving Waihi? The threatened exodus from Waihi luifli' apparently commenced, - Qn .Monday wards of 100 miners left ,tlie town by train, and about 100 left yesterday. Thi-s is at tho rate of about 10 more per day than is-usual at this period.of. the year.. Those men, however, ' may coino' . back,"' They may have left only on holidiiy'\liitil llio olouas roll by. Tho union seemed to fear that men may leave in"snch'iHllrV-"' hers as to reduce their fighting force-ser-iously, and thi-i railway station is.watthed 1 by pickets. Some voyagers have been, questioned, but no cases aro reported .ofi steps haying been, taken. tt> detain, -auybody. ... •••

Tentacles of the Federation Octupus. Tho secretary of the hew Kngiue<dri,TC," ers' Union has not yet received advieoefj tho registration of the union. . Askedj whether he thought that'his members, of whom there are 42, .would bo', .satisfied;;", to join tho Auckland Engine-drivers': Union, ho stated that, the Wnilii winder* and drivers had had experience of tho-' Auckland body before, and it had been a ino«t unhappy 'experience. Tliev jvjll-. ; not, therefore, join, the Auckland. Union. - It is suggested lierc that tho little'Aiiek- t land protest against the registration of . tho new union lias Irecn . stirred up'by*.' 011 aof the tentacles of ihe Federation octopus. In any cans it is not probable" that tho Waihi Miners' Union would IxS 1 ': satisfied to let tho local engine-drivers join an'outside union. On that question 110110 of tho union officials left in Waihi have any authority to sprak. Tn tho lace of this (he Labour Department's move to ask tlio Auckland Union to admit Waihi men is interpreted by tho'iicw"' union as a device to K a in time. And-tmio . is fighting for tho lawless Federation" of Labour, and not for tho body of men who propose !o bo law-abiding. v

THE DRIVERS' UNION. ' ' 1 IBr 'JTciecraDU,—Pros® Association.] Auckland, May <21. Mr. T. Cain, secretary of the Auckland Engine-drivers' Association, when seen this afternoon with reference to-.tho,.ob-jection which his union had lodged against the registration of the new Drivers' and Firemen's Union at. Waihi, said that the position was a perfectly simple cue. Section 11 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act aimed at tho prevention of a multiplication of-union* in osie industry in on® district, liis union felt that there was no need whatever for the formation of another union nt Waihi, and tho Wuihi engine-drivers would la just as well served by coming into tho Auckland Union, which was registered: under the Arbitration Act, and worked under an award.

It was true that the Waihi m«n desired <■ to 1-avo tho firemen incorporated in their llllion, as was tho case with most, other unions of the kind in New Zealand, but tho inclusion of firemen had been a subject on which the .Auckland Union had • been deliberating since April last, • and ballot-papers were now out dealing with this vorv subject, and would be returnable " by .May 30. "Tho )josition as statod in a telegram from voar Wellington.. correspondent in . vesterday's 'Star' is correct," added Sir. Cain, 'i'lie Wnilii engine-drivers wore members of our union till 3004, when they seceded to join the Waihi Minors'.Union. 1 JCow that they want to come back and work under tho Act, wo feel justifiod '.in •<« asking that Clause 11 of tho Act bo observed, find only one union 1-o allowed to opciujto in tho Auckland district."

Waihi, May '21. As a result of depression in tho, borovsU." finances brought, about by the "striker tire Horough Council,-at .vspecial ■ meeting last night, decide.d to'reduce lh6. Mayor's .« honorarium from *£150 to £30,. and^asked, the engineer to resign. So is to hire tho ' first refuial of a, fr«h' appointment if neecaiarji