THE WAIHI STRIKE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1046, 21 May 1912, Page 3

THE WAIHI STRIKE.

COAL CARTERS INTER-

CEPTED

Auckland, May 19

The Star’s Paeroa correspondent telegraphed yesterday as follows ; An attempt was made to-day to stop the cartage of coal irom the Paeroa railway station to Waihi. The Paeroa Gold Extraction Company’s plant is at Paeroa. Carters were unloading railway trucks when a number of Waihi strikers instructed them to stop delivering coal, with the alternative that the men employed at the Extraction Company’s works would be called out on strike. Mr Dean, the contractor, has taken no notice of the appeal, and the coal is still being removed. Mr N. M. Aitkeu, manager of the Paeroa-Waihi Extraction Co’s, works, informed a correspondent that he has received numerous applications for work from workers from Waihi, all applicants being non-unionists.

THE POSITION AT HUNTLV.

Auckland, May 20.

The Huntly engine - drivers, winders and stokers, have passed a resolution with special reference to the Waihi strike: ‘'We affirm the priuci,.o ot industrial unionism as against obsolete craft unionism, and are of opinion that the Arbitration Court militates against industrial unionism.”

A MASS MEETING

Waihj, May 19

On .Saturday uight a large crowd thronged the main street, and a big audience listened to an address by Mr Savage, ot Auckland. Perfect orderliness was again a marked feature of the assemblage. This afternoon Mr Savage addressed a mass meeting ot woman and men out in tbe recreation ground. He exhorted the men to remain firm, and pointed out that the great industrial development that was taking place all over tbe world made industrial solidarity of tbe working classes imperative. Workers must organise under a bead and make common cause. It was foolish to think for a moment that the master classes were going to help the workers. They, the workers, must help themselves. The daily press misrepresented the federation, either for lack of understanding or deliberately. It was quite evident that employers wauled a national fight, and if they wanted a national fight they could have it. (Applause). He believed the Waihi strike was going to be carried to a successful issue, and beiore very long. He (the speaker) was- attending a conference at Wellington on Tuesday, aud if nothing was done by that time the Waihi miners would see something done very soon alter. Mr M. Savage, speaking at the Waihi demonstration, said he had seen the Act and found the action of the enginedrivers in forming a separate union was lawful, but the law was made for man, and if man was dissatisfied with the law he was right in kicking it aside.