THE COAL MINES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 280, 15 August 1918, Page 6

THE COAL MINES

> MASS MEETING AT HUNTLY

CONFERENCE DEMANDED

OR CESSATION OF WORK

By Telegraph.-Prep.s Association., Auckland, August 11; A mass meeting of miners was held at Huntly to-day, 500 men being present from the Huntly, To Akatca, l J UKemiru. and Rotowaru mines. Au official statement nays the meeting unanimously repudiated statements by the mine owners that the federation executive was responsible for the demands. It was also unanimously decided' by a secret ballot that in the event of a conference not being granted within seven days, the miners would immediately cease work.

Work will be resumed to-morrow pending a decision regarding a conference.

The secretary of the Hikurangi Company has received word that the miners at Hikurangi have decided to leave tho decision regarding a conference in the hands of the MineiV Federation. The night shift is to work as usual this crening.

Whnngarei, August U. The employees of tho Hikurangi Coal Conipnuy's mine ceased work at midnight. They held a meeting at 10 o'clock this morning and decided to resume this afternoon. The men employed in the Northern Company's mines at Hikurangi vand Kiripaka are not affected, as they are working on contract. TROUBLE IN~AVOCA MINE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, August H. It is reported that trouble has arisen in the Avoca mine, on the West Coast railway. The men ask that truckmen nnd shiftmen should work alternate duties. The management does not consider this is practicable, and prefers to keep the men employed at the work for which they prove suitable. Twenty-five men were idle yesterday. A meeting is being held to-day to discuES the position. ON THE iWEST COAST. VIEWS OF WORKING MINERS.' A correspondent of the Christchurch "Sun," telegraphing from Blackball on Monday, siated that conversations with working miners at Blackball and Runanga suggest it is a certainty that the federation will receive for itself a favourable verdict, so iar as the Wist Coast coalfields are concorned. "There canuot be said to be much excitement among the men," wrote tho correspondent, "but the desire for an increase is apparently genuine enough. Tho opinion is Iheld among tho men that the owners will make a concession. Should the owners, not do so, it is practically certain that trouble is in store. No union official has been consulted, but a go-slow policy is favoured in preference to a straight-out strike. . . . The men state that before further action is taken, either in the direction of a strike or 'go slow,' a further secret ballot will be taken. "The men are emphatic that the increased cost of explosives,' picks, shovels, carbido, etc., as well as of the ordinary necessities of life, makes an increase, from thoir point of view, urgent. There is a great deal of talk among the men concerning the difference between the cost of coal at the pit-mouth and the prices charged to consumers in the large centres. At present there is an absence of bitterness, though it is very hard to say what may transpiro at Wednesday's meeting, when the men get together." "SOLDIER-MINERS." MILITARY SERVICE BOARDS OVER- . RULED. There has been some commont in Christchurch recently concerning the fact that large nunioers of miners who were refused exemption by the Military Service Boards are still permitted by the Defence authorities to follow their civil occupation (stated Tuesday's "Sun"). The Greyiuouth Defence Office, asked for an explanation of this, said that tho number of miners refused exemption, but not sgnt to camp, was approximately 200 in Area Group 21, comprising tho counties' of Westle.nd, Grey, Inangahua, and. Murchison. The grounds on which tho boards refused exemption to these miners were that they participated in au illegal strike. Under instructions from Cabinet these cases aro to be held over. The men are not to be interfered with, and not even examined. It is explained that tho reason of this is the urgent need of coal, and the great shortage of miners. So urgent is the need for men that mine managers are giving work to anyone thoy can get. Miners refused exemption nnd not sent into camp are officially designated ■"soldier-miners.". They aro carded in the Defence Office records, and kept track of. The mine agement must report tho names of men leaving the mine, and the miner is also under a penalty to report a change of work. The Defence authorities have experienced no trouble in regard to this, and the men leave one mine, only to go to another. West Coast opinion is that these men should either bo definitely exempted or sent to camp. There are numbers of "soldier-miners" in other districts also. The position is a peculiar one, as Cabinet appears to have sidestepped the provisions of the Military Service Act. Thero is a considerable body of opiniou on the Coast, that now that married men are being called up, single fit. miners should be sent into camp. The fact remnins that conl is most urgently Heeded.

THE MINISTER'S COMMENT. The Minister of Defence, referring to a summary, of the preceding report, remarked that after the coal strike of last year there were a few men whose appeals for exemption were not allowed by Military Service Boards; but coal was such a vital national need that the miners were allowed to resume their ordinary work as soldier-miners, liable at any moment to be brought up for service.