COAL STRIKE

Hokitika Guardian, 3 December 1921, Page 2

COAL STRIKE

I_IIY TELEGRAPH PER PRESS ASSOCIATION] blackball out. BLACKBALL, Dec 2. A mass meeting of tße Blackball miners was held to-day. The meeting unanimously reaffirmed the decision to down tools against the reduction in wages that has been handed out to tho Southland miners. MORE NORTHERN MEN OUT. AUCKAND, Dee. 2. Tliei men at the Taupiri Company’s mine at Rotowaro <lid not start work to-dny. This was tho outcome of a stopwork meeting they held yesterday. Tli e - men at the Extended Mine (Hiintly) held a meeting to-day. They adjourned till Sunday, working to-mor-gfiSE. duller report. WESTPORT, Dec. 2. So far as is known locally, there are no developments in the coal mining industry in the Duller district. Everything is quiet. Tlie co-operative miners are getting busier, as a result of orders from Auckland.

MR "BISHOP’S CONTENTION. WELLINGTON, Dec. 2. Mr T. 0. Bishop, secretary to. the Mine Owners’ Association, states in reference to the strike of the Otago miners the position is that the coal mining companies at the present time find great difficulty in keeping their mines fully employed, on account of market conditions. This, of course, is bad for the companies, and even worse for the men. for the latter have to he content with less work, and therefore with less earnings. A strike now will simply mean the importation of further large quantities of coal, .and 1 it is obvious that when importations are made, they naturally extend over a considerable period, because the consumers, to obtain more favourable prices than they might otherwise do have to place contracts for supplies in excess of their immediate requirement, and is is also policy for them ten do so, as an assurance against interruptions of their indusI tries. The result is that the ipen who are advising their comrades to strike at the present time are simply condemn . ing their comrades and themselves also 1 to work half-time for a much longer period than there is at present necessary.

Mr Bishop adds: “There is abundance of cheap coal to-day available, both in England and in tlie East, and cheap freights are readily obtainable.” ALLIANCE OF LABOUR. WELLINGTON, Dec 2, In reference to a telegram from the Pukemiro, Mr M. .T. Mack, President of the Alliance of Labour, states definitely that the Alliance issued no instructions of any kind to the miners’ unions.