THE "GO-SLOW" POLICY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 301, 16 September 1919, Page 4

THE "GO-SLOW" POLICY

ItEDUCED OUTPUT OF THE JUNES. Mr. W. Pryor, secretary to tho Mine Owners' Association,writing to Mr. Massey, Prime Minister, regarding the "goslow" policy of tho miners, states: "i have to advise you that information a:i under has been received with regard to (he result of the continuance of tho "go-sllow" policy in coal mines for the week ended Friday,' September 12:— Tons. Taupiri Mines 1,590 AVestport-Stockton Co, 1,116 AVcstport Co 1,043 Blackball Co 879 Hikurangi Co : SGB Pukemiro Collieries 415 Paparoa Co 320 Tarn hi Mines 308 Northern Coal Co 300 AA'nipa CoM'iories 300 Nishtcaps Co 300 Jubilee Co 130 7,299 "In addition to the above, the loss in the State Mine,.which is probably not less than 1000 tons, has to be taken into account, and this means that for tho period indicated above the loss in output was <■ "'• 8000 tons. "This, added to the previous week's result of over 7000 tons, represents a loss in production of over 15.000 tons for tho fortnight dnrm,? which tho miners! of tho Dominion have been going slow/' KIRirAKA MINE CLOSED. By I'eleKrnnti.—Vrcr. Amneln'lon.

, Auckland, September' 15. The first fruits of the "go-slow" policy of tho miners were reaped last week, when the price of local coal went up to the consumer. A further development, the brunt of which will apparently also fall on tho coal user, has occurred loeallv during the week-end, resulting in the closing of the Kiripaka mine, belonging to the Northern Coal Company, throwing seventy men out of work, and further reducing tho coal outmit by SCO tons weekly. . * A Whangarei correspondent telegraphed to-day os follows:—"Work has ceased at the Northern Coal Company's mine at Kiripaka. The men to-day declined to accept the conditions of the managing director (Colonel Molgate) that the Vo-slow' policy must be dropped, the normal output restored, and tho agreement entered into last June adhered to. Colonel Hoigate asserts that the output was reduced by over '50 per cent, last week. The owners declare that the position constitutes a strike, and that they will not be responsible for the tools belonging to the men left in tho mine." The following statement was made today on behalf of tho company by the secretary:—The managing director met the representatives of tho union on Saturday, and he informed them that the "go-slow" policy had reduced the company's output by 50 per cent., and' that the company could not afford to continue under these' conditions. The mint) would be opened to them on Monday morning nrovided. that tho union gave an assurance that the "go-slow" policy would he abandoned and that work would ba carried on as per t*ie agreement en. tered into between the -ompany-and the union not later than Juno 24 last. The union held a meeting yesterday and notified tho management at 10 o'clock last night that they would return to work, but it would only bo Under tho conditions prevailing last week, namely, the "ro-sIow" policy. The mine was kept so that the li'ion could go into it this morning, and wlien they presented themselves for work they were told by the management that they could not go to work unless they were prepared to work under normal conditions. This they refused to do, and they were then told that the company would no longer be responsible for the tools, which wero then taken away, consequently the mine is now closed. The company claims that the men have struck, inasmuch a= they refuse to work under normal conditions. Ronghly, about 70 men, miners and surfacemen, are out of employment, and the normal output of the mine of 800 tons weekly is being lost to coal consumers.