THE WAIHI STRIKE,.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1453, 30 May 1912, Page 6

THE WAIHI STRIKE,.

* STATEMENT BY MINISTER FOR LABOUR, DEPARTMENT CANNOT INTERVENE AT PRESENT. (Ily Tclegraph-Press Association.) Christchurch, May i! 0. In mi interview to-day, llio lion. 0. I.auronson, Minister fur Labour, stated I lint tin- strike «t Wii-ilii lvas a disturbing factor ill connection with tho ],ul)iiiir question. 'J'lic pusilion was that. I lie en-gine-drivers at AViiihi wanted to form i; separate union, while Hie Auckland Union protested against -a new uiiiun being formed in tho Aiieklaud industrial district. The chief argument advanced in favour of the proposed new union was that the. Auckland Union did not. admit firemen, as did DioYVcsDuud, Wellington, and Canterbury Engine-drivers' Unions. The AVailii men wanted to have firemen admitted into the proposed union, lie had telegraphed to the Auckland Union iuo,uiring if if was prepared lo admit tiremen, and was informed that the union was Inking a ballot on the subject. The result, would bo known on Friday. As soon as he was advised of the result, all the papers relating to the ilispulii would be laid before the Crown law nlhcers, and the Department would give the matter its consideration. At present it was impossible fur the Labour Department to inter, fere in (he dispute, as it hail not been asked by the mine owners, the federal inn of Labour, or the union to do so.

MINTING 01:' TRAM JIKN. Auckland, May "11. A general meeting of ruember.s of the Auckland Tramways Union will lie held to-morrow, the men on dilVcreut. shifts assembling in the morning nud nl'lcriuiiin respectively, to discuss the Wnihi trouble, and probably to decide on its coitrsu of action in view of future development;-;. If is understood that Mr. J'aul liioh'nrdsiui (president of the union and one of the. delegates to the Federation Coufereiico in Wellington) will explain the position lo the union. It would appear that the tramway delegates did not have authority from the union to take any action at Die conference with respect to llio Wnihi diliU cully. POSITION AT WAIHI. Wnihi, .May 28. A local mine manager, mterviewifl, stated that lie had no authority to confer with federation delegates. In any case, delegates have not yet approached the mine managers.

The federation delegates, including Messrs. Seuiple and Parry, left for Wellington to-night. They will arrange with the secretary of the' Gold-mine Owners' Association as to the date of the proposed conference, which will likely bo held in Waihi in a. week or ten days. Mr. Semplo states that the federation will accept the conditions on which tho association has cousented to a conference. A meeting of women this afternoon was addressed by Messrs. Semple, Parry, and Armstrong. SOME INSIDE HISTORY. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Auckland, May 29. According to the "Herald's" special correspondent at Waihi, it now appears that the strike, which came as a sudden blow to residents of Waihi, was decided upon at a meeting of the union three weeks before the men wero actually called out. There was an attendance of about SO miners at the meeting, and the strike was decided upon by a large majority, but only after some opposition. .It is also stated that, at a mass meeting, held immediately after the strike, a member demanded a secret ballot, but Mr. Parry, who presided, stated that the meeting was not called to decide on "strike" or "no strike," because there was already a resolution on Die books, passed threo weeks before, deciding on a strike. Many of tho miners, it is stated, attended the meeting and resolved to vote against a strike, but got no opportunity to record their votes, and it is held that, had a secret ballot been taken, tho decision to striko would not have been upheld. It will bo remembered that, at the time of the strike, it was announced that a mass meeting, with only three dissentients, had approved of tho strike. Those who were present tit both meetings now dispute this, stating that no vote was taken at the mass meeting, and that, at a meeting of about SO men held threo weeks earlier, there were more than three dissentients.