News and Comment from Everywhere.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 16, 23 June 1911, Page 14

News and Comment from Everywhere.

Coal for the Navy.

DOMINION MINERS' ATTITUDE.

ORGANISER SEMPLE INTERVIEWED.

Negotiations which have lately been conducted by Lieutenant Sydenham (resident agent of the Admiralty at Westport), and the executive ot the New Zealand Federation of Labour, \n reference to guaranteeing supplies ot coal required for naval purposes, have •mow been brought to a termination (says Wellington "Dominion" of June On behalf of the Admiralty, Lieutenant Sydenham asked the federation to agree that, in the event ot a strike at any time, coal-miners should continue their labours for a day or two, or for as long as might be necessary to maintain the Admiralty supplies. This proposal was discussed at length by the Federation Executive, which decided not to enter into any binding agreement. The reply made to Lieutenant Sydenham was that, in the event of an industrial crisis, the would deal, upon its merits, with any application by the Admiralty for supplies of coal. Asked last evening whether the merits of the case" would not be all on one side in the event of coal being needed by warships in time of war, Mr 11. Semple (organiser to the Federation of Labour) stated that the Mew Zealand miners had no idea of •taking any sectional action in trying -to prevent war. "We would not be so stupid," said :Mr Semple, "but there is a growing feeling throughout the world among coal-miners that war is a relic of barbarism, and that they hold in their •hands a great power to prevent it. Most wars are got up in the interests of capitalists, and are ascribable to a greed for markets or territory. We retain our freedom, should the matter arise as an international question, to fall into line with our brethren m other countries by joining with them an a united effort to prevent the outbreak of war organised in the interests of capitalists. We look to a time when the intelligence of the workingclasses will make war impossible.

Asked what stand the miners of New Zealand would take if Britain engaged in a just war, Mr Semple replied that presumably, in that event, no attempt would be made to obstruct the Admiralty in obtaining coal supplies. Concluding, Mr Semple reiterated that the miners would, in any case, only take action with a view to the prevention of war as an international organisation. They recognised that local and isolated attempts of this nature would be futile.

Mr. W. A. Flavell, local manager for the Westport Coal Company, stated that, so far as he knew, the mineowners of New Zealand had nob been officially approached by the Admiralty .with a proposal on the lines of that submitted to the Federation of Labour. At the same time, though lie could not answer for the mining companies, he did not think that they would have any hesitation in acceding to the wishes of the Admiralty. No doubt, if the men, by agreeing to ,work, made the thing possible, the companies would be quite willing to open their mines for the provision of naval supplies in time of industrial crisis. Common sense indicated that rfchey would readily meet the requirements of the Admiralty in this matter.