WAIHI.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1559, 1 October 1912, Page 5

WAIHI.

* , PREPARING TO BEGIN WORK< ON WEDNESDAY. SOME PRECAUTIONS TAKEN. (By Tolesraph.—Pross Association.) t Auckland, September 30. Twenty constables were sent down to W ailii 10-day. Tlio " lioiaid s" correspondent at Wailii says that the police force should number ninety when the mino re-opens. Walhi, September 30. Strike matters are quiet here to-day, but tiie strikers uro arranging for an elaborate system of picketing on the Waihi Mine ITill for Wednesday morning, -the aihi Gold Mining Co. have publicly notified that nil persons trespassing on, or loitering about tlio land occupied by the company for its mining operations, will bo prcseeutetl. 'A small cottage for the accommodation of tho guards who are to protect the Waihi Company's bridge on tho Ohinemuri River lias been erected. Quite an influx, of ex-residents of Walhi has set in. The influx is coincident with the resumption of work at the mino. It is anticipated, that about sixty men will respond to the Waihi Company's warning to resume work on Wednesday with tho alternative of cancellation of contracts. Tho new portion of the Wailii Company's Waiki.no line, alterations to which have just been completed, has been tested. An engine with a number of loaded trucks-wus slowly taken over it this morning. The carriage of quartz from the Waihi mino to Waikino can new bo resumed at any time. ■ The grading and .other alterations necessitated by tlio passing of the East. Coast line over tho company's line lias been in progress for several weeks. WORKERS' MANIFESTO. Waihi, September 30. The following manifesto has been issued by the new union:—"We, as members of tho recently-formed Ohinoniuri Mines and Batteries Employees' Union, desire to make clear our reasons for forming an industrial union under the arbitration laws of Now Zealand. Wo belong lo that section which woro not satisfied with the ballot taken by tlio Waihi Union upon the question of the cancellation of its registration under tho Arbitration Act. Tho deadlock which lias since occurred, and which has lasted for, .nearly five months, can only be terminated by tho action wo have, taken. We decline to l;o a chargo upon the generosity of our fellow workers when there is profitable employment awaiting us, and a judicial tribunal in case of dispute is offered to us. We bear no animosity toward those who think that we are wrong in taking this tho only lino of action possible to ' bring about rc-emplovnient. We as); that thoso who are willing to return to ' their work shall recognise that all sections have rights and liberties. Wc invito you to join lis in sharing tho management of uuion affairs, leaving the final settlement of disputes to tlio law of the laud i in which we live," ! "DO YOU INTEND TO START r" "Do you inlend starting ivork on Wednesday?" asked the Auckland "Herald's" representative at Waihi of one of tho strikers 'on Friday last. "Certainly I do; why not?" was tho prompt ropiy. "Tho Federation of Labour has done nothing for me apart from keeping mo in compulsory idleness for just on five months, and reducing tlio little 'nest-egg' I had put aside against tho rainy day. Had it been a straight-out fight between the employers "and the Miners' Union for better conditions and wuges for tlio men employed below, I would have fought on to tho bitter end, ; even if it had cost me my last cent, and then driven me out of tho town, but this is no fight between master and man. It is just a squabble between two sections of workers, and I see no reason why tho engine-drivers should not liavo a union under tho Arbitration Act if they feel that their interests are best ser.ved by becoming arbitrationists, However, it's no uso crying over spilt milk, as wo old hands were more or less to blamo for letting the management of tho affairs of tlie Miners' Union drift into the hands of a small clique composed of fedcrationists, and advocates of I.W.W. mothods." > "Had we taken a hand in running tho show there would have been no strike," he continued, "but you can take it that we won't forget the. lesson. They say you've got to pay for experience, and we have certainly paid a pretty long price; i in fact, a' lot longer than we |aro likely to pav again. In future we will look after our own interests,- and not. put our trust in an organisation (the Labour Federation)'which can do nothing beyond making a lot of noise, and can find only indent money to keep us from starving."