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Hokitika Guardian, 23 October 1930, Page 4

The coal miners seem ready to adopt an uneasy attitude, very readily irrespective of the cost of the action. Tire readiness to down tools is proverbial and the stubbornness to resume is equally well known. A few days ago the northern miners resolved on a mass demorlstration to protest against the importation of eoal to New Zealand, and the meeting was duly held at a considerable cost to all concerned. The loss of wages for the ocoassion. is estimated at considerably in excess of £IOOO, while there would 'be a substantial loss to the coal companies—this ’in a district where the week before there was an appeal for work for unemployed coal miners, and a Government official was rushed to the locality and was instrumental in providing several free grants for "road works. 'The next episode is the idling of a State coal mine' because a train did not run to schedule time. These instances will assist to discount public sympathy with the plight of the coal miners in genuine cases calling for need, and the men must surely ho led very indifferently when the unions resort to tactics which cause loss and impose iniui'y all round, the importation of coal is more likely to gp Oh while suck a Spirit its rampant among the men, as a safeguard against a possible national hold-up were those unions to have thoit* own way, and put an embargo upon coal importation; The unrest among the miners and the insecurity of the future has in the past (as in the present) created the oversea coal trade primarily as some guarantee for industrial security. The uncertainty of the coal mining production has hastened the introduction of oil burners in shipping—that and the disposition! o c the stokers to he as irresponsible ns the coal mineiis on occasion. There is a definite militant element in thes* unions and it is not a leaven for good apparently, when in the case of want such as was revealed at MiUerton, and re is noised abroad from time to time of the shortage of orders and consequent lack of employment, such tactics as those of recent happenings, occur. This unrest at a time of grave economical difficulty is not- a health? sign, and does not suggest that some sections of labour at least are disposed to do the fair thing in the way of steady production to help relieve the general situation. Afi a sign of the times it is not a healthy state of affairs, and it behoves the responsible leaders to study their full responsibility in such matters, and endeavour by reasonable co-operation with their employers to assist to promote rather than to hinder production. Only by this unify of action can the country be enabled to pull thromrh this period of serious stress and difficulty.