COAL FOR RAILWAYS.

Taihape Daily Times, 7 August 1919, Page 5

COAL FOR RAILWAYS.

HAMILTON INDIGNANT. A LIVELY MEETING. V V HAMILTON, .Aug., 4-. A, There were many lively int'el'ludes at a meeting held, in t'lle‘,T’own Hall tuc-nigh-t, convened by Mr Ewen McGl'cg9r, to discuss. the railway I'estl-ic.tioTfs;.._l\llj E. _H; Hammond, ;p'r.ésident of the VFarln.ers,’.Un'ion- occupied the chair, and the hall \V3.S.:CI'O:VVdGd. A .

‘Mr V McGregol' asserted that the railvsfays had been using Tsaupiri coal forryeans.-, and were still using it-, and ‘as far as the Waikato was edncerned, 'tllere was no shortage of coal. He invited a committee to join him in testing the coal now used. Hundreds of tons of coal were being taken -to Waihi, and «lie submitted they had the right. to urge that this coal should be used for the carriage of goods. He pointed out that industries were being seriously interfered with, and While it was a pity to close any one indus‘try, if necessary the least essential industry should be stopped. ‘The Minister for Railways had said that the reserve stock at the time-of the eurtailinen-t was 6000' tons. The Minister for Munitions said it was 9000 tons, and MenVilly,: the genel'al manager, said it was 012,400 tons. W«hy'”this diffel'ellce‘3 It \\'ll.s_”.the duty of the people to find Out.‘ who" was i not ‘ stating” the = facts,’ and deal \\7'it'h him as he shouldbe dealt‘ with. (Laird applause.) M» " '

Colltinfiing; Mr A-McGregol' asked how it was that t.lfe R’qilxx'ay was‘ tile: only department to be I"os'tsl‘icted'."'Tllc country had the I'igh-t.'t“d"asl<:th\aft the cities, which were still a blaze of lighf, should be restricted too. The only consfruction one could ptifi on the matter was that the Govemlnent was trying to hit the country people.

The speaker ni-ado a S'.\'coping donunciation Peg-Lu-ding I)l'ofifCcl'ing'}. “You have got to go’ fuxxthor than the shortage of cual"fol' the tl'oublC.” he said, “and when you got to the bottom of it I am afl‘zli'Cl' ‘that few in Parliament will: ever see P"cl':3‘lianl-ent again.” (Cheers alld'cl-ies 5f “Put them 0u~t.”) \

The ‘:<pCzlkCl' i‘.-':ugge‘s-‘ted (‘chat to remedy the. trouble the State Should Open up new mines. Throughout a lengthy speech Mr MeGregor was subjected to some iutel'rup’tioll, At the conclusion of his address, one Of the ill«tel'jeet.oll's: mounted the plat-' form, and, after speakirfg a few words, was promptly “counted out.” Major \Vllite said .0. only way to o\4ol'come “combinefis” ‘was for the working man to co-operate with /(‘he farmer and work wifli him wifh a View to nationalising all industry. A member of the. audience moved: “That this meeting will not support any candidate at the 11ex't' elecation who is a vsnpporfer of {the present Government.”

This found a. seconder. An umondmc-nt was moved: “That this Im.-oting ask the present Govern. monaf to resign, owing {:0 its mismana-ge. ment of tho afifairs of the countiy am-_ ing the past five years, and that while the present Government is in Power the Waikatb will not send a rep*esemfative to Pal'lianlent.”

This was declared carried By a large ma.jOrity.

A conlm‘itte'«‘e. conL=,fis‘riul§_~_' }of Tflne Mayor, Ml‘ P. H. Wa.vtts). and two others, together with I'epies'onta.tivcra of Labour, was appoin-fed to test the coal used on the milwziys. (19111 to take further action if deemed necessary.