SEAMEN, MINERS, AND WATERSIDE WORKERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17689, 29 July 1919, Page 5

SEAMEN, MINERS, AND WATERSIDE WORKERS.

RESTRICTION OF COAL SUPPLIES DENIED, J WHY SEND SHIPS TO NEWCASTLE, STRIKE IN AUSTRALIA AFFECTS POSITION," In the Otago Daily Times on Saturday an article appeared from our Wellington correspondent in which the statement was, made, inter alia, that too much, coal was being brought into New Zealand from overseas to suit the plans of the coal and that as their conference with tile employers was to take place shortly, they hoped to have the country in such a state by that time that they would bo able to dictate terms. The article went on to say that the waterside workers were linked up with the miners, and that the part _of the , former was to make it difficult for the Government to get so much coal by sea as was being obtained. Mr W. T. Young (general secretary of the New Zealand Seamen's Union), who ia at present in Dunedin, declared yester- r day that the statements concerning the steamer Briton, the waterside workers, and coal and the coal miners generally were undoubtedly based on imagination, and wero without a tittle of foundation. As a matter of fact, he went on, the waterside workers ajid the seamen were working under a common understanding to guard the country against being overtaken by the plague that occurred in November last, and cost the lives of some 6000 people. They were determined, where a Bhip was infected with, influenza, that she should be quarantined for a specified period, and should not be permitted to come alongside the wharf until that period had expired. If the authorities disregarded this standpoint and. brought a vessel to the wharf, then she would- not be worked until the term of quarantine had run out. Respecting the .Briton, it was reported that three cases of influenza had developed on board, and in accordance with a mutual understanding fhe ship should have been quarantined for seven days from the date of the removal of those suffering from the complaint. The Briton, however, had been brought to the Wellington wharf about 3 o'clock last Thursday afternoon. Two of the soldier patients were sent to Trentham Camp, and the other (a female) was sent to the Wellington Hospital. This, said Mr Young, was contrary to the conclusions that had been arrived at and as a result the waterside men ceased work on every ship at 6 o'clock, and de-. manded that the Briton be taken into stream. The question of the ooal supply and the case of the. miners was not even thought of, let alone considered, and there was no intention on their part to curtail the coal supply of the country, as indicated in the article, in order that the miners might win in their demands now unden consideration. As a matter of fact, they were of opinion that the miners had such, a good case to put forward that they would win out without any such tactics as those referred to being employed. The miners wore at. present Enked up with the transport -workers, continued Mr Young, but they were not part or parcel of the Transport Advisory Board, which consisted of representatives of the waterside workers, the railwaymen, the seamen, the tramwaymen, and the cartel's. He miners wero linked up with the board through another channel, and according to that association the miners could take no action beyond what they were at present taking, without consulting the transport workers, and they would be required to fall into line with whatever action was decided upon. The same conditions applied to any other organisation forming part of the Transport Board. Mr Young said he wsfched to mabe it' quite plain that no effort was made or contemplated to stop the Port Victor from proceeding to Newcastle for coal, as inferred in the article. The Port Victor was quite free to ro to Newcastle when she . was ready, without interference from the waterside -workers or any other organisar tion^ Referring to the coal shortage, Mr Young said he had fairly reliable information that there were thousands of tons of coal on the West Coast to-day, only waiting to be taken away, and it seemed to him that in place of sending tonnage to the West Coast for this coal, the ships were being diverted to Newcastle, with a much longer journey and a much higher freight. Our own coal was thus being left at the mines. In New Zealand, Newcastle coal was not used very much for household purposes, _ and consequently this procedure was inflicting & severe injury on the community, in view of the fo-ct "that the people saw very little or none of tho Newcastle coal which waa brought here. Beyond that, tho Government made an effort to export New Zealand coal while, thousands of homes were loft tireless. The watereiders rightly took np tlio attitude of endeavouring to provertt this, and securing to tho people the first right to the coal production of tho ooui>> try. "And in that connection, and if needi be," said Mr Young, "tho seamen will back them up and refuse to transport coal abroacT whilst the people of New Zealand are without it. When tho waterside workers ro. fused to handle ooal for export it was then discharged and used for household and that in itself envo the peoplo of Wei. lington, and no doubt of other parts, certain relief from the shortage of coal." ! When asked why the seamen refused to sign on to vessels ready to sail for Australia, Mr Young said that m quite a number 3 cases 'ho men had declined to sign on because they did not wish to become involved in the strike taking place there. ■ Apart from tho Waitomo, now at Port Chalmers, other ships in other ports of the country were also held up. His impression was that it was just as well to have a New Zealand ship tied up in New Zealand waters as to have her tiod up in Australia. IJp wag pretty well satisfied that if ships went to Australia just now they would be tied up thero. The Paloona had signed up with the seamen at Wellington on Saturday for a voyago to Fiji, and a clause had "been put in har_ articles that sho should not go to Australia. That olauso was neccssary. Otherwise the seamen would not havci signed on. j