COAL MINERS' STRIKE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 507, 16 November 1909, Page 3

COAL MINERS ' STRIKE.

OWNERS’ OFFER.

men STILL CONSIDERING

Sydney, Nov. 14.

A congress of delegates from the three mining districts is being held to-day to consider the decision of the 'northern proprietors (who have agreed to meet the miners’ representatives in conference if the men resume work within a week).

The prospects of the congress falling in with the suggestion to resume work preparatory to a conference are considered very unlikely. Yesterday’s conference of the labour delegates lasted late into the night. Although no official information as to the result is obtainable, there is reason to believe that some disconcerting development occurred at the conference, rendering it necessary to again confer with the executives of the various unions represented. After this had been done the conference will be resumed to-morrow afternoon. It is rumoured that the attitude of the Seamen’s Union may mean a strike not to extend beyond this State. Mr Bowling, miners’ secretary, has returned to Newcastle, presumably to confer with the Miners’ Executive. PROGRESS OF STRIKE movement. Sydney, Nov. 14. The Mount Keira miners laid down their tools last night. All the southern miners are now out. An aggregate meeting of the western miners decided to cease work immediately. It is expected that all pits will be idle to-day. At the coke works at Bulli and Bellambi the mem have been paid off and the works closed. The outlook is considered anything but hopeful, and fears of a general strike are increasing. The strike leaders state that the object of a general strike is to rouse public opinion to coerce the mineowners. ATTITUDE OF OTHER UNIONS. OFFERS FROM NEW ZEALAND. Sydney, Nov. 13. Mr Bowling, secretary of the Miners’ Federation, expressed the opinion that the waterside and other unions would come out if called. The spirit of unification amongst the unions was, he said, never so \ strong as to-day. Nothing would J be done to hurt the public that could be avoided, but it was a fight for supremacy, and the unions must have all the power they could get. Mr Bowling mentioned that he had offers of assistance from all parts of Australia and New Zealand.

PROPOSED WORKING OF

MINES

Sydney, Nov. 14. Among other matters to be considered at to-day’s congress of delegates from the three coal-mining districts is M 4 Bowling’s scheme for working a colliery or collieries by the Miners’ Federation. The pits mentioned are the Young Wallsend and the Ebbw Vale.

Negotiations are in progress, and it is understood that steps towards ' completing the agreement are well advanced. Addressing the Hetton Lodge, one of the delegates announced that the miners were not going to allow anyone to try to work the mines. Melbourne, Nov. 13. Asked in the Federal House whether he had not power under the law of Eminent Domain to work the mines, as President Roosevelt intended to do at one time in America, the Prime Minister (Mr Deakin) stated that the law of Eminent Domain did not exist to the same extent in Australia as in America. , The Commonwealth Government, Mr Deakin said, had not control over lands as the American Government had. [Eminent Domain is the right which every State or Sovereign Power has to use the property of its citizens for the common welfare. This right is tha true foundation of the right of taxation].

CONSUMERS’ STANDPOINT

Sydney, Nov. 13

Reports from other States indicate that the effects of the strike are becoming serious. In Melbourne there is an increasing tendency to reduce the number of hands employed in the large manufacturing and commercial establishments.

All existing coal supply contracts in Melbourne terminated yesterday, the contractors taking advantage of the strike clauses in the agreements. The Australian Paper Mills Proprietary has closed its works at Melbourne and Geelong, on account of lack of coal. The effects of the strike are being severely felt at Newcastle. The export of coal during the week just euded..am6unts to 1800 tons, as compared with xo,ooo tons in the previous week and 80,000 tons for the corresponding week last year. The general trade of the town is at a standstill. Advices received at Sydney state that a shipment of coal has already left Hohg-Kong for Australia, and quotations are being received from Natal and Japan for cargoes delivered; within a month.

Durban, Nov. 13. Numerous Australian orders and inquiries for coal shipments have been received by Natal collieries, but all orders have been declined, owing to shortage of labour and the heavy bunker trade. London, November 12. At: a conlerene of the leading butter and rabbit importers and agents, anxiety was expressed as to the result of the Newcastle strike, and the possibility of lessened supplies being followed by the marketing of accumulated stocks. Though most of the c.i.f. contracts contain a strike clause, the results of delaying shipments would be disastrous. There is a general absence of definite comment on the Australian strike, because the causes are unknown. INTERCOLONIAL FARES TO BE RAISED. Dunedin, November 14. An advance in intercolonial fares ot 10 per cent., and in freights of 25 per cent, bringing the charges into line with those ruling in the inter-State services of the Commonwealth is contemplated by the Union Company as a result of the coalmining strike in Australia, but the date from which the scale shall come into operation has not been fixed yet, as further developments may make the change unnecessary. Should the strike last long, however, the difficulty and increased cost of getting coal and the general disorganisation of trade will probably make the imposition of increased charges unavoidable.

The mines on the West Coast of New Zealand are doing all they can to supply the sudden demand made upon them, and quantities of coal from Westport are being stored at Wellington, where the Melbourne - Bluff - Cook StraitSydney steamers will coal. It is not thought that the intercolonial services will have to be reduced, but a reduction has already been made in the Tasmanian services. By the permission of the Postmaster-General, the Loongana, running between Launceston and Melbourne, is making fewer trips, and the Hobart-Sydney trade, carried on hitherto conjointly by the Huddart-Parker Proprietary and the Union Company, is being maintained by one of the companies. Sydney, November 15.

The Herald says : “It is known that alternative proposals to a general strike which were proposed at Saturday’s conference failed. The situation appears to be this: Seamen were not in favour of an immediate strike, but the waterside workers were. Therefore it was determined to ascertain whether the waterside workers would strike, and whether, if they did, the others would join them. The waterside workers meet this morning, prior to reassembling at the conference.” The Herald adds: “ The waterside workers throughout Australia will almost certainly leave work to-morrow. Broken Hill miners are also determined to strike, if the waterside workers come out.” All the western colleries are now idle.

The Northern proprietors have decided to pay up the men’s back money, which amounts to about ,£20,000.