THREATENED COAL STRIKE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 415, 25 July 1908, Page 3

THREATENED COAL STRIKE.

Wanganui, July 23. A southern commercial man, on a visit to Wanganui, informed the Herald that he had every reason to believe that a big strike of a more or less general character was being engineered among the coal miners. “li their plans do not miscarry,” he remarked, “I have good authority for sayiug that Ist August has been fixed as the date, and most of the South Island miners and probably many in the north will come out.” The Government, as well as commercal firms, are anticipating something 1 f the sort, he added, for they are placing very large orders both in New Zealand and Australia for immediate delivery. Auckland, July 23.

Inquiries in Auckland tend to support the prediction of a coal strike in August. As a matter of fact, the large Auckland firms have been getting in heavy supplies to provide against emergency. Wellington, July 23.

In reference to the rumours of a probable strike of coal miners, the We.-tport Coal Com, any state they know nothi ;g at all about such a feeling existing, nor of firms laying in large stocks of cohl against some such emergency as suggested in the telegrams. From the source, however, comes information that ever since the Blackballslrikethere has beena feeling of uneasiness amongst miners generally. Further, it is stated, that the Government Railways have been buying up all the coal they can obtain and have had to go out of the Dominion for an order of ten thousand tons of Newcastle coal. It is stated that a repeat order for the same quantity is contemplated. There is also an unusual demand for coal from all quarters. Christchurch, East Night.

About a mouth ago a conference was held between representatives of the Blackball Miners’ Union and that of the Company, relative to the demands for an increase of wages and other concessions which were being made by the Union. The Union representatives then intimated that if the demands were not granted, the matter would be referred to the Miners’ Federation of New Zealand ; that body would approach the Company in support of the demands. The miners said they would not go to the Arbitratio u Court to decide the matter but to the Federation, and that if the demands were not granted, a strike would probably follow. Dunedin, July 23.

The suggestion that a coalminers’ strike is meditated is characterised by Mr A. Forbes, secretary of the Otago Coalminers’ Association, as a ridiculous rumour. He said that in the course of his business he had every opportunity to know whether there was any organised preparation for a big strike or not, and there has been no communication between the Otago Union and any other coalminers’ Union on such a question. As regards the local miners’ disputes, Mr Forbes states that arrangements have been made for a conference between the employers and the miners next week, and it is confidently expected by the parties that an amicable settlement will be effected. So far as Otago employers and coal merchants are concerned, they have had no intimation of a general strike impending and they consider the rumour to be the outcome of imagination.