HUNTLY POSITION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1583, 29 October 1912, Page 5

HUNTLY POSITION.

THE COLUPSE. TERMS OF -RE-ENGAGEMENT, DIRECTORS' NOTE. (By Teltgrapli.-PrcSß Ajssoelatlon.l •Auckland, October 26. The directors of the Tnupiri Coal Mines, Ltd., met to-day to consider -the position regarding: tho Ilimtly wine*. After nearly four horns' deliberation, the directors came to a decision, anil the following official statement •was given to a "IlJenild" representative by the chairman <ilr. K. IV. Alison) :- A statement hns appeared to-day to (ho effect that it is (he intention 'of t'ho workers at Huntly to resume work. No oflieial notification of .such intention hits been Biven to the company. Assuming, however, that such is the intention of the ■workers, the directors rejßird it as cswn■tial that the present position, ns between the company mid the worta?, slmll be defined, and clearly understood. It will be .remembered that, in a notice, .published by tlio directors umler dak; Odobcr 8, ami posted lit (lie pit-head, (lie difficulties likely to nriso, if the course (hen suggested tow! adopted, were plainly indieated. "The action of tlio workers in refusing to resume work when tho whistle was sounded on October 11 and 'following days, has confirmed mid omvhnsiscd.'thcir previous step, mid ssrious consequences necessarily follow. Of these -vv-imiing-was given, viz., that the provisions of the existing award, by which both tlio company and Hid workers were bound, are suspended,- and hours of work, wages, and other -.conditions of work for all ■β-orkers under tho award are left open to be fixed by _a(;rewnei)t bstwoon tho company -and' individual workers. This te'uii; the position, the directors desire to state the conJ ditions upon wliicli individual workers (excepting tiioso whose services Imve been dispensed with) will now "bo employed:— "(1) For tho time bsing, hows of work will bo the same as those contained in the now-suspended award. "(2) The directors state, definitely and clearly, "(a) That they are "prepared to enter into a new agreement as between the companv and o union . duly registered tinner the Industrial, Conciliation,'.- nnd Arbitration Act. V ' "(b) That 'they ■β-ill net, under any circumstances, recognise or ■enter into any agreement with the Federation of Labour." Mr. Fletcher, mine manager, was pro* sent at tlio directors' meeting, and l\o wjis iustriiclttl to post notices to the above effect at the pit-head on his returD to Buntly n1'8.30 o clock this evening.

MR, SEMPLE AND THE MINERS, lily TcloirraDti.—Press Association.' Auckland, October 2S. ! Mr. Scrapie, in the course of a 6pceeb. at the meeting of Huntly miners, em])hasis;d the fact that the lack of funde necessitated the decision of the oxecu- , tivo in advising the men to return to work. It wos better, he said, to give tlio federation a chance to fight out to tho finish at Reefton and Wnihi , thau rfek failure all over. Tho iinaucial factor was a tremendous hurdle, Tho Federation's recommendation woe adopted, but a further motion wr.s carric'l that in the event of any father victimisation the whole body of iron refrain from going down tho mine. OTHER STRIKE NOTES. ■ : ; Waihi, October 28. ' A well-attended meeting of , miners working under the arbitration laws waa held lierc on Saturday to elect officers. The men were enthusiastic, and expres*ed satisfaction at tho progress being made by the secretary, who hnd been kept busy enrolling names-and taking subscription!-. It is anticipated that a number of local men will enrol iivtho course' of the. next , few days. At a meeting at Wnikino a number oi new names were handed in lor membership. ". " ■ All credit hns l>een stopped atlyurangahake owing to the recent steppage of work at the Talisman mine. Tho transmission poles in connection with Hie Wtiilii Company's electrical power scheme arc now within three miles of Waihi, and the installation is expected to be ready early next year, During the usual demonstration accord-' e<l tho workers coming off shift this afternoon, a youth snap-shotted a prominent suffragette. The lady promptly resented being photographed, and made a dash for the camera fiend. She seized him and was administering vigorous punishment when the police rescued the napless snnp-shotter. ' PETITION TO PARLIAMENT. A petition from R. E. Dunn and 524 others, citizens of Timaru, urging tho Government to immediately release' the VTaihi strikers who are how undergoing imprisonment, was presented to the House of Representatives last evening' by -Jlr. J. Craigie, member for Tiinaru. The petition was informally addressed, .but Mr. Craigio, who remarked incidentally that the petition had been drawn up with the very best intentions, asked that it should be received notwithstanding the informality. This was agreed to on the voices. _________ i■" '