The Strike.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 66, Issue 66, 9 January 1914, Page 2

The Strike.

MONDAY. Early on Monday morning the pickets turned out in strength, the number parading before the Miners’ Union office at 6 a.m being fully 400. After being marched to their respective posts, they returned to the office and then separated. The workers in the mine remained aheretofore, seventy-one, there being neither increase nor abstention. A meeting of the members o the Miners’ Union was helc during the forenoon,the president Mr W. Wood, presiding over e large attendance. The prevailing tone of the meeting showed thal the great majority of the mer were determined to adhere to tin' attitude of resistance they had assumed, and as promises o financial support had beei largely made, the prospect of £ settlement seemed as remote ever. Duri ig the day small bands o police, mounted and on foot began to arrive in the town Inspector Wright and Sergean Hastie arrived by the afternooi train from Hamilton, and In night there were 22 mounted anc 11 foot police in the town. TUESDAY. The morning broke fine, and by seven o’clock the constables win paraded at the police station started out in little bands fo various parts of the town ii order to afford protection to tlx workers intending to “ up tools.’ Pickets were also out in larg< numbers, and though the situa tion was somewhat strained, am excitement tense, order prevailed and very little exertion wa: needed on the part of the polici to break up the pickets inti small bands, and to keep them oi the move. About 8 a.m. atten tion was concentrated at tlx Extended Mine where, oi the poppet heads, the Unioi Jack lapped lazily in the gentl breeze. Workers began to tun up in small numbers, and whei the whistle sounded some 3i in addition to the 71 men win had worked regularly sinci October 20th a total of 10' proceeded down the shaft, an the mechanics, winders am engineers to their usual posts. Before going down tin men were addressed by M W. J. Ralph, who with Mr H. A Gordon represented the director: of the Taupiri Mines. Mr Ralpl said that, despite the opinioi generally expressed at thi: juncture, the directors had n< *’ set” on its employees. On tin contrary, they desired to se< them working under the bes possible conditions and earning the highest possible wages. Ii former times when the men hac any grievances they asked tlx directors to talk the same ovei with them. As a rule the direc tors visited Huntly, held a rounc table conference, and after sonx table-thumping, an agreemenl was arrived at. which, generally proved satisfactory to both sides In the old days there' were iu strikes, but the Federation o Labour came along, mopped u\ the unions, and dictatorially outlined the attitude the men should and, ultimately did take up. Tlx directors could not recognise tlx Federation of Labour unde which there was neither security to the workers nor to the com pany that their contracts coulc be fulfil led. The directors had triec to deal fairly and honestly by the men, and they naturally expectet that the men would reciprocate as they would do if left to thei own initiative. He knew tha the majority of the Huntly miners were men of sterling worth, and he regretted that more had no responded to the call to work With his fellow directors lx hoped shortly to meet the loya workers under more convivia conditions. Mr H. A. Gordon in a few words expressed his regret at the occurence of the present trouble He had been a worker all his life, and his sympathies vere with the workers. The women and children had his sincere consideration. He thanked the workers for turning out as they had. After giving three ringing cheers for the directors, the men proceeded to work, and the cages which have been idle for eleven weeks,started to carry workers to the pit bottom. In a short time 3oal began to come up, about 100 tons in all being trucked before l p.m. During the forenoon Messrs Uilph and Gordon were asked :o meet a deputation from the Strike Committee. Mr Ralph ;aid that they were in Huntly >nly to see a start made, and had 10 authority to enter into any legotiations with the strikers. 'Jr Gordon and he would be deased to receive and hear what he deputation had to say, and ay the same before a meeting f the directors. The deputation then requested hat the directors he asked to eply to the following quesion : —“ Mr W. Wood, President f the Waikato Miners’ Union, r ants to know whether in the vent of the miners wishing to o hack to work in a body under le new union, they will lie al>wed to do so without dis•iiiitnation.” Mr Ralph in reply stated that le matter would be placed here the directors at a meeting i he held on Wednesday morn -

When asked what attitude tlx directors would take up, M Ralph said that he could no discuss that matter. When the workers arrived a the surface after the day’s toil wa: over, they found the police read} to accompany them to their homes The party going towards Huntly South was followed by a band o from twenty to thirty strikers many of whom live at that end o the town. Thinking the follow ing was big, the police quietly advised those concerned to g< back the way they came, but, a: no notice was taken of the ad vice, the mounted escort, by rid ing among men started to separ ate them. The position becanx somewhat strained, and om young man got into trouble will the policeman, who dismountec in order to effect an arrest. Tlx striker fled over a fence, but only to be caught by the officer ii question. A number of sympa thisers rushed to the scene witl • the intention, apparently, o rescuing or aiding their comrade Matters assumed a somewha serious aspect,the arrival of mor< police averting an episode tha might have become a genera melee. Meanwhile, as Constabl Taylor was making the arrest h< received a kick on the shins, th offender being promptly capture' and taken to the police station After this little bit of excitenien the town resumed its norma attitude, although the police patrolled the streets until a lathour, and any people loitering or standing together in group? were asked to move on. WEDNESDAY. On Wednesday morning, tlx police adopted the same tactics and when the miners gathered a the Extended it was* found tha the ranks ofthe workers had beei augmented by one, though three of the men who had put ii ’an appearance on the previou - morning, had, for one reason am ; other, failed to turn out. Worl 5 was resumed punctually at 1 ’ o’clock, the arrival of th 1 police being witnessed by a largt number of strikers who, while not all demonstrative, were an ! xious to know how many woulc 1 respond to the whistle’s note,and that discovered, the crowd, whicl 1 was not nearly so large as tha [ of Tuesday morning, quietly • separated. Work in the min ) proceeded with the customary ‘ regularity, and coal amounting to about 100 tons was sent up ‘ the first full truck being despatch ed to Stratford Hospital, whicl institution stood first on tlx ; heavy order list. At 11 a.m. W. Foreshav was brought before the justices Messrs E. J. Farrell and Lambert charged with having assaulter Constable Wm. Taylor while ii the execution of his duty. The • accused stated that he had no > been allowed time to subpoen; witnesses in his favour, nor t< obtain the assistance of council ; and that the case b; remanded. The bench agreeing to this, the court was accordingly adjourned until to day a 12 o’clock. j At four p.m. the police wer i again at the mine to escort th workers to their homes, th | episode of the preceding evening i and the knowledge that picketing |or intimidation of any kin< Would be severely repressed had the desired effect, a 1 i being allowed to proceed to thei several places of .abode withou , a second escort of strikers. During the forenoon the reply of the directors to the questioi ■ put to Messrs Ralph and Gordoi was received, and, as was antici pated, it was similar in tone tc communications previously pub lished, and was to effect that a a full meeting of the directors o the Taupiri Coalmining Company this afternoon the following resolution was arrived at it answer to the deputation by tlx men at Huntly expressing thei willingness to return and joii the new union if the com pan 3 would reinstate the men withou discrimination: —“ After carefully considering the proposals sub mitted by the deputation, tlx directors cannot see their way tc give effect to the proposition, a? there is a small percentage ofthe men cn strike who have, witl set purpose, acted a part inimica to the company’s interests and whom the directors feel il would be inadvisable to reemploy.” THURSDAY. On Thursday morning wort was resumed at the Extendec Mine, the pickets, no doubt pro fiting by the experince of Tuesday night, and the knowledge that the police would not allow picketing or intimidation of any ; kind, being conspicuously absent, and the workers being allowed to follow their avocation without any escort of strikers. During the afternoon, Messrs W. Wood and J. Moore, president and secretary respectively of the old union waited on the mining manager, Mr J. Fletcher, and asked if the men, desirous of resuming work, would on application to him as mine manager he allowed to resume. In reply 7, Mr Fletcher stated that his directors would be satisfied with such application,hut that all must clearly understand that no one would be allowed to descend the shaft unless his application for membership of the new union had been accepted by 7 the executiveof that union,and although the union accepted such application it should he clearly understand that the light of veto rested with him. His directors were prepared to overlook many things that had been done detrimentally to the interests of the company, but the deputation could understand that a strict line must necessarilv be drawn.