STRIKERS' MINES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1639, 4 January 1913, Page 3

STRIKERS' MINES.

AND PETER BOWLING'S SCHEME. WHICH WENT AWRY. Tho Now South Wales Government has decided, after throo years of negotiation and threatened litigation, to pay tho wages of some 300 miners who, in the great coal strike three years ago, worked •in what were then known as "tho strikers' mines" (says tho Sydney "Daily Telegraph"). Tho sum involved is about JCI2OO. At a meeting of tlia Cnbiuct recently it was decided that this money should bo paid without prejudico in any way to certain other claims which may bo pending, or likely to bo, put forward. Tho payment of this money by tho Government concludes the history—as far as tho coal miners of tho north aro concerned—of a remarkable phase of industrial warfare. When tho coal 6trike occurred three years ago, Mr.' Peter Bowling propounded a scheme for working two collieries, Young Wullsend and Ebbw Main, for the benofit of the strikers. With the price of coal raised by the striko' to £3 per ton, the then president of the Colliery Em-, ployecs' Federation anticipated an enormous profit on coal production. He entered into an arrangement with Messrs. Kcthel and Co., who controlled the two mines mentioned. The hugo. profits were to bo divided between the federation and tho company. Somehow Mr. Bowling poiv suaded tho miners to embrace this extraordinary scheme, .which ho at tho timo de- ■ clared would bring in a revenue to the men on strike of .£OOOO a, week.. . -But Mr. Bowling made one miscalculation. He thought that if coal were placed on trucks tho Railway Commissioner was bound to draw it to its destination.- Mr. Johnson, however, simply captured it for railway purposes., Mr. Bowling's' miners dug the coal from Messrs. Ke-thcl and Co/s niino, but that was tho last that was heard of it—at any rate, for many months. Tho Railway Department calmly seized it. - '■■'■.'■' For a while the owners of tho mine kept tho men going. ; Financial difficulties ensued, and eventually Messrs. Kcthel hud, Co. wont into liquidation. Mr. Bowling's scheme had'fizzled'out. A good deal of coal had been produced, certainly, but it had merely aided.Mr. Johns6n in keeping the railways running. ' For a fortnight wages, even, had not been paid. The company complained that its coal had been seized by tho Railway Department, and that'it was unablo to meet tho men's claims. Tho subsequent insolvency of tho/ company left the luiriere; with no redress whatever.. In tho nieantimo, Kcthel and Co. had. been threatening action-against tho Government ovef the seizure of its coal: Members of Parliament representing.Newcastle, constituencies approached the Gov-' eminent, and asked tor a consideration for mon. who had:'worked for weeks without receiving a penny for their labour. Tho fact that the men wero working to prolong ''a disastrous 6triko was not emphasised. . ..• '. ■ Tho Govomment'has apparently decided to set aside all technical objections to tho men's.claim. The;, Cabinet on' Saturday determined that the money should bo paid without delay. Claims ,'of men who worked at Young Wallsond aro to bo sent to, Mr. D. Hutton, Bnrnsloy, near Newcnstlo, who, it will bo remembered, was one of tho strikers' leaders at tho lime tho mine was worked.' Tho Ebbw Main minora aro to 6oud their,' claims to tho lodge secretary. . A few mon have, pf course, in the throe intervening years drifted from tho Newcastle field oisewhere. Tho Government, however, has been assured that ' most of those who threw in their lot with Mr. Bowling's great venture are still scattered among tho northern ' collieries. ' There is to bo no delay in paying tho money. As soon ns claims are substantiated, the, long overduo wages will bo forthcoming.