THE WAIHI STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1452, 29 May 1912, Page 5

THE WAIHI STRIKE.

ATTITUDE OP OWNERS. STANDING ABSOLUTELY ALOOP. COMMENTS ON FEDERATION MANIFESTO. {By. Teiesranli—Press Association.) Auckland, May 28. 'A definite statement of tho attitude nf tho mine-owners towards tho present situation in Waihi was given to a "Kcra,ld" reporter by Mr. Charles llhodes. the president of tho New Zealand Gold Mineowners' Association. Having perused tho manifesto issued by tho Federation of Labour, Mr. Rhodes was asked to discuss the principal points set forth in it. ' 1

•"Obviously, the intention of tho Federation of Labour," lie said, "is to disguise tho present position at Waihi by stating that it is a fight between organised employers and organised' workers. The fight there so far is between two bodies of unionists who cannot agree about their internal methods, and who as a result are causing employers severe loss by refusing to work together, and by their cessation of' work without an hour's notice. That tho employers havo tho strongest grounds for complaint all reasonable people will agree. Those in that category include also a great mawy unionists who havo uo sympathy with tho arrogant demand that all'.unionists'must be of the Federation of Labour brand or lay themselves open to bo called 'scabs,' even though thev belong to definitely organised unions. To whatever the Federation of Labour may design to lead tho present trouble, tho fact remains that till now the employers. at Waihi have hnil nothing to do with it, but wait the will of tlie strikers. They havo stood absolutely aloof from the whole matter, hoping that the two factions would soon settle their differences. Of course, in all such oases new issues crop up and distortion* arise which make, settlement more and moro difficult, and the very aloofness of tho employers appears to have led to tlm charge of union smashing, though not the slightest attempt has yet been made by tho companies to do anything of the sort. On the contrary they havo ail conformed with the preference to unionists' clausn."

APPLICATIONS FOR PROTECTION. REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAW. Auckland, May 28. The applications for protection which are being made by tho'Waihi and the Grand Junction Gold Mining Companies aro necessitated by the provisions of the Mining Act and the regulations-marie under it. The existing law demands that a. property over which mining rights are held must be continuously manned in the proportion of one man to every three acres, and of the total number not more than half may be represented by machinery. The attitude of the law is that the holder of a mining concession must carry on the operations which it permits or make way for some 0110 .who is prepared to do so. 'In certain circumstances protection may bo granted, relieving the holders of the mining rights from the requirements of.the .law,.and in the present instance the Wttihi' companies arc seeking protection on the ground that the miners liavo refused to carry on the operations of the field, and have picketed tile mines to prevent anyone else i from working, so that it is a physical impossibility far tho companies to man their properties.

Tho first application by the companies will be heard by tlio Warden at Wo.ilii on Wednesday, when they will ask for summary protection for fourteen days for all claims to enable them to cany on until tho applications for protection of (lis main ana_ subsidiary rights have been heard on .htno 14. It is expected that tho Miners'' Union trill oppose the applications with tho object of compelling tho companies to resume operations.- j THE TEN PER CEfIT. LEVY. WHAT LOCAL WHARF MEN SAT. The New Zealand Federation of Labour decided on Monday to levy a contribution of 10 per cent, on tho wages of all members this week to assist the strikers at Waihi. There is only one body _of workers connected i with (lie Federation of Labour in Wellington—the Wellington Waterside Workers' Union. Thi* b-?dv only includes casual workers on thi.° wharf —not the Harbour Board's pirmaiient stnlt' of lumpers, storcmon, etc.. The 111 per ,«nt. levy'was almost (ho solo.topic of conversation among (he "casuals" oil llio wharf yesterday, who almost to' a ninn resent the .federation making a_ levy without-consulting the union-or giving members a chance to discuss the position as far as they were concerned.

"They all feel pretty hot about it, I can tell you," said a member, "and what' is more, none of them intend to pay tho levy." 1 , APPEAL TO ENGINE DRIVERS' UNION. i ■ NO SATISFACTION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Waihi, May ,28. A delegation from the Federation of-Lab-our, ineiuding Messrs. Sample, Parry,, and Armstrong, were received to-night by representatives of tho Engine-drivel's' Union. Jlr. Semple appealed to them «s reasonable men to consider tlie advisability 'of returning to the Miners' Union for the sake of industrial ponce. The reply was that the new union would not be broken, up. Tho federation delegates then with-' drew, Mr. Soniple concluding with : the cryntic remark: "We will be with you in the end." The conference lasted.about five minutes, and later a mass meeting was held in tho theatre, about 800- being present. Mr. Scmple stated that they had interviewed flie engine-drivers, raid had got no satisfaction from them. He said ho would endeavour to get an interview with the local mine managers in Iho morning with the object, of solving the.' prbblem'. Asked o.s to what attitude ho would tiiko in the event of the managers refusing a conference, he said that, he could Yipfc at that, stage say what his attitude would be. Tho speaker then outlined what he had done in Australia, when he had got an undertaking from th.c Viclwinn nnd New South Wales miners (hat - in th» event of tho federation being involved in an industrial upucnaJ they would not got coal for Now Zealand, and there would be no intercolonial "seabbery." Ife read tho agreement to the meeting. Referring to tho present trouble, ho said as far as they could sm?, thev would confine tlio trouble to Waihi. The text ot the. wire sent by the federation executive to Mr. Parry re the, strike was read, of .which tho cffect was that Mr. Parry had tho authority of the executive bf the federation to strike, providing all other means failed. In answer to a question it was explained that tho proviso had by inadvertence not been read in tho earlier stages to meetings of miners. Tho result of the conferenr-n with tho managers would be reported to the federation before it would bo announced to tho union % ;Hc snid: that if an agreement wa-s made it would be observed so long ns tho principles of tho federation wore not violated. Should that occur, tho federation would have no com. punction .in breaking it. Ho stated that the Timaru waterside workers had announced by wire their intention of .civing financial support to the Waihi Ijnion. A motion endorsing tho attitudo of tho federation was earned. In regard to the application by the mining companies for protection, it was stated that opposition would be given to the application for six months' protection of the mines and their subsidiary rights. As the result of a question, Mr.' Parry denied that the federation had censured him in reference to his attitude in railing a strike. Ho asked members to have implicit confidence in him. After the meeting with the mine num. agers, Mr. Seinplo stated that ho would return to Wellington. Tho question of strike pay was not touched upon in. Mr. Semplo's address. No immediate arrangement has been nip,do with tho Mine-owners' Association for a conference.