SETTLED

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2943, 1 December 1916, Page 8

SETTLED

ENDING OF THE BIG COAL STRIKE

TROUBLE IN NEW ZEALAND

Blackball men out

(By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright

(Roc. November 30, 8.50 p.m.)

Sydney, November 30. The Coal Tribunal, after hearing addresses by both parties, held a secret conference, at which it was decided to resume on Monday on the eight hours bank-to-bank principle. The proprietors will receive compensation for any pecuniary loss involved. Other matters under dispute will ho dealt with later. ~~ THE SOUTH WALES'COAL STRIKE STATE CONTROL APPLIED. (Aust.-tf.Z. Cable Assn. and Eeuter.) (Rec., November 30, 8.5 p.m.) 1 London, November 30. An official of the Board of Trade, .Under tho Defence of the Realm Consolidation Regulations, will assume on December 1 possession and control of tho South Wales coal fields. (Aust.—N\Z. Cable Assn. and Eeuter.) (Rec. November 30, 8.50 p.m.) London, November 30. , The Press Bureau states: New defence regulations empower the Board bf Trade to take possession of any,coal mine whero it is deemed expedient for the defenpe of tho realm. The Board of Trade has. appointed an.Advisory Committee, representing Itself, tha Home Office, and the Admiralty, to apply the regulation to South Wales. The committee will meet forthwith and deal with the wages ques- '• Won. DOMINION SEAMEN v STATEMENT OF THEIR ATTITUDE • NO APPEAL FROM MINERS ... i / The following official .statement as to the position of Now Zealand with regard to the Australian coal strike was issued yesterday bv the Executive Council of the Federated Seamen's Union of New Zealand :— "On November 29 representatives of tho seamen met representatives of the miners and watersidors at ■ Queen's Chambers to confer on proposals to' be submitted to the Acting-Prime Minister and Minister of Mines to safeguard the interest of Australian coal miners in seeing that New Zealand coal was not shipped to Australia, and to that end to secure from mine-owners, steam-ship-owners, and the Minister of Mines an agreement. On conference assembling, Mr. Roberts, secretary of the Waterside Federation, produced and read a typewritten document containing conditions for the proposed 'agreement/ and in reply to a question by a teamen's representative, stated that the representatives of tha miners and .Vatersiders had not adopted theso conditions, nor others, and that they were kubmitted merely as a basis for discussion, and were open for amendment. "The conditions were as under:— "(1) That hospital-ships and transports be supplied with a reas- I onable quantity of bunker coal to bo determined by miners, watersiders, and seamen's renresentaV tives. "(2) That ships bound for Australia to be allowed only sufficient bunker coal to carry them to port of des- • tination in tho Commonwealth, and not for the return voyage. "(3) Admiralty. to bo supplied with coal, provided that it be supplied in. New Zealand or at a place or ! • places other than in the Commonwealth of Australia. "(f) No coal cargoes to be shipped from New Zealand -to Australia. "The seamen's representatives combated the conditions of (1), (2), and (3), but were prepared to carry out number (4), regarding coal cargoes, and earlier in the day had communicated with tho general 'manager of the Union Company with the object of getting his assurance that a ship would not accept coal cargo for Australia for home consumption of tho Commonwealth. "On condition number (1) the seamen hold that hospital ships and transports aro entitled to all bunker coal required.-without limitation, and to do otherwise would endanger the lives of crows and all on board. "On condition_ number (2) the seamen take the view that this moans: (a) That the miners and watersiders will continue work if somo 250 seamen are thrown out of employment, it being clear that if a vessel canuot get sufficient bunker coal for the'return-voy-age to New Zealand, she will be laid up and the crew paid off; in tho Moerald and Manuka this would throw on the rocks 96 seamen, whilo miners' and watersiders would continue working; (b) that unless bunker coal is limited for tho passage to Australia only, and 250 seamen aro dumped out of the ships, tho miners and watersiders will cease work, which is a. monstrous proposal, coming from representative labour men. "On number (3) the seamen point out that coal for the Admiralty lias been landed at ports in Western Anstralin.. and transports pud other ships working under Admiralty jurisdiction call at theso norts for bunker coal, and seamen stand for a continuation of that. "Tho seamen place on record th.it the miners of Australia have not in any way appealed to the seamen of the Commonwealth for assistance, and in faco of that fact, and tho fact of New Zealand seamen being in possession of official information that Australian miners'do not 1 dosir° interference by outside labour organisations, it seems most curious that certain persons in New Zealand should take, steps te involve the miners, watersiders. and seamen in the miners' strike at tin's stage. "Sinco the miners have been on strike for what is regarded by seamen as only a reasonable demand, tho seamen of New Zealand have closplv Watched so that no ship should ship coal in the Dominion to be taken to Australia for tho home consumption of tho Commonwealth, and season will continue to carrv out that poliev till tho Australian miners have secured what they are fighting fnr, and towards (hat end the Seamen's Executive Council has received from thofoncral manager of the Union Steam Ship Company the following telegram:— " 'Under arrangements made bv Government with minora' representatives, we dispatehed Kaianoi from Creymouth to Mhanv with coal for incoming hospital ship and tnnspbrfc, but we have already declined .to carry any coal to Australia, f nr commercial purposes, and will not do. so. Mv: Kennedy has alrcailv been advised of our decision, and is cognisant of tho full position. Pnscost see him if you desire fur- . H'"'- particulars.' "The telegram bears out and sup-

ports the desires of seamen, who will not support a policy proposod to limit the bunker coal supply of hospital ships and transports; neither will they support tho policy to throw hundreds of seamen out of work while miners and watcrsiders are employed, by limiting tho bnnkor coal supply; of vessels proceeding to Australia with passengers and mails, or with cargo other than coal cargo." BLACKBALL MINERS OUT ON CONSCRIPTION ISSUE MINERS' FEDERATION DOES NOT FAVOUR STRIKE .The Blackball Coal Miners' Union has, officially ••notified the Blackball Coal Company that the union has decided to strike until a referendum is taken on the question of whether tho Conscription Act be repealed or not, and 'that tho union. expects all other unions to be on strike by Monday. It is stated that the Coal 'Miners' Federation has instructed tho Blackball miners not to strike, and that the Federation does not wish other unions to go on strike with the Blackball men. , This bombshell reached' Wellington via ChristchuTch yesterday afternoon, and since then tho Federation heads, some of whom have gone to Auckland, havo been communicated with. The foregoing statement is the outcome of those communications. The Blackball mine is one of the biggest on tho West Coast, and the Joss of its output just now would be an important loss, even if the other miners stay at work. Its output is about GOOO tons per week, or about one Quarter of the total, output of the West Coast mines. DECISION OF THE STOP WORK MEETING By Telegraph—Press Association. Creymouth, November 30. . A stop-work meeting of miners at Blackball to-day decided to strike work in protest against tho Compulsory Service ballot. T , . Later. It is understood that the resolution of the Blackball ■ Union not only applies to members of the Minors' Union but to all monrin, the Blackball district drawn in tho ballot. MEN'S GRIEVANCE OFFICIALLY VOICED By Telegraph-Press Association. ' Creymouth, November 30. di ii < $ a ,'r man alld secretary of the .Blackball Miners' Union waited! on the mine manager at Blackball this afternoon, informing him that the miners did not intend to resume work until a referendum on tho conscription question was taken. The mine was idle all day, no workmen entering, the pit. Everything is quiet in the township. At the State mines at Rewanui work proceeded as usual all day, and everything was quiet there, although ' last a meeting of miners was held, and a resolution passed to the-effect that if men were conscripted the remainder would down tools. Work.is proceeding satisfactorily on the water front, although many rumours are afloat. ' COALMINERS' FEDERATION DID NOT ORDER STRIKE STATEMENT BY UNION LEADERS. A representative of The Dominion saw. Mr. R.Semple and Mr. J Arbuckle, two of the heads of the Coalminers Federation, last night, and asked tbem for such information as they could give regarding the' Blackball strike. Their reply was, "You know as much as wo do about it." When the terms of the Blackball Union's message was repeated to them, Mr. Arbuckle said, "You can say that so far as the executive is concerned the other unions are not going on strike on Monday. The question of going on strike has not been considered by tho Federation." It was suggested to him that the unions might strike'without,the express consent of the Federation, and he agreed that this was possible, adding, "The Blackball fellows have done it." Mr. Semplo gave a very definite assurance that the Miners' Federation did not want lo involve the men in a strike at present. THE EXPORT OF COAL A REASONABLE VIEW. As the result of the conference between miners and shipowners on Wednesday night it had been arranged that » V Webb ' M- I '-. should go over to Australia on Monday'.to conduct certain rather delicate negotiations there. One of the shipowners' difficulties is that there are Zealand ships tied up there because they arrived at Australian ports with empty bunkers, intending to coal there. The request is made that the export of New Zealand coal for the use of these ships should be permitted. As the laying up of these ships simply causes needless waste .without helping the Australian miners, tho New Zealand) miners are wiling that New Zealand coal should bo sent over to release them. In view of the danger that the Australian watersiders might declare such coal to be "scab" coal, Mr. Webb was to go over to .explain tho state of things. Now that the coal striko in Australia is over, presumably all further negotiations are unnecessary. Tho arrangement is important now only as showing the attitude of.the Coal.Miners' Fedei° ation. Tho executive insist that they did not want to plunge the country in a striko or to cause any trouble, at all, so long as no coal was sent to Australia which would prejudice the position of the men on strike there.