THE COAL STRIKE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2927, 13 November 1916, Page 5

THE COAL STRIKE

PROTRACTED STRUGGLE IN PROSPECT WAR ON CONSTITUTED AUTHORITY BrlWojraph-Presj ABEooration-Oonyrigit _ Melbourne, November H. A deputation from the Associated Chambers of Manufacturers of Australia waited on Mr, W. M. Hughes with reference to the supply of coal for industries. Hero appears little possibility of the Federal and State Governments intervening, and a protracted Struggle seems certain. The colliery proprietors ha-vo issued b statement that the strike is a war against constituted authority; and that the real object of the Miners' Federaciu 5 "btain by force the abolition t P. resen ' i wage system and the substitution of common ownership. MUNITIONS STEEL OUTPUT AFFECTED broken hill employees idle. . Sydney, November 11. Owing to the coal shortage eight hundred employees of the Broken Hill Company's steel works at Newcastle have been paid off, resulting in the bossation of the manufacture of munition steel for the British Government. WILL NEW ZEALAND MINERS BE AFFECTED? UNION OFFICIAL INTERVIEWED. Bj Teleyraph—Prres Association. Westport, November 11. Mr. John Dowgray, a' prominent tniners' union official, interviewed, said: "The miners at Newcastle are on strike for a privilege enjoyed by the coal miners in New Zealand ' and Great Britain for a number of years." He denies that reducing the hours means e reduction of the output. So far as .the bank-to-bank hours are concerned, a reduction of the hours of work, even' more f obviously than the increase of Jwages;; benefits not.only the employee, bqt the employer, and that is why it has so frequently been accomplished without friction.

Asked whether the strike was likely to affect New Zealand, Mr. Dowgray replied, "I'm niit in a position to say at present. The Australian miners certainly have the best wishes of the New Zealand-miners in the strwgle for the Rame conditions enjoyed hero. They also consider that their rights to an right hours' hank-to-bank is . unanswerable, and ought to have been granted without a stoppage of work. Personally I do not think the strike will affect New Zealand _ so long as no attempt is made to ship ooal to Australia. The New Zealand coal companies, owing to the_ shortage of labour, can hardly meet their own orders, so coal, to Australia from New Zealand is out of the question." • -