The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1920. COAL TROUBLES AGAIN THREATEN.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3634, 22 November 1920, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1920. COAL TROUBLES AGAIN THREATEN.

With which is incorporated "The Taihape Post and Wainiariflo News "

It is particularly noteworthy that the Miners' Federation have lodged a demand for an increase, of wages amounting to twenty-five per cent., to be made retrospective fo March 1. As there seems a very poor prospect of owners .or Government conceding such a demand, the people of this country may very soon be in the throes of another coal famine. It is truly extraordinary that no sooner does it appear that one coal famine is at an end than there are ominous indications that another is about to commence. For months Taihape coal-merchants have had no coal to sell to householders, but Just recently a few truck loads have, by luck or allotment, been distributed in one or two-bag lots amongst the people. This little good fortune is ,more probably due to hot axle boxes than to any approach of supply to demand. However, the idea that there is going to be a supply of coal at a price i people can afford to pay for it may be abandoned, for the . industry-bursters

have again assumed a threatening at titudc, and if the future may be discerned through experiences of the.past, there is going to be trouble, as well as another coal famine. There was a time when coal-miners laid the base of claims for increased wages before the public, with a view to obtaining public support. They have abandoned that, excellent practice, and now they just issue a bald demand, through their federation, that they must have an increase of twenty-five per cent., and that that increase must date back some nine months. No whys, whercfors, explanations or information are vouched, beyond the fact that they want it. Nine, months retrospective twenty-five per cent, on their wages should, at this time. of the year, be the subject of an appeal to Father Christmas. This journal has, from time to time, supported demands made by miners for improved conditions of life; we completely used up what store of good reasons we had for doing so, and as neither the miners nor their federation have furnished a new supply we presume that they, like ourselves, are without any. says there must be a revolution somewhere so that Bolshevism may "be put on a sure foundation; why not have it in New Zealand? Those amongst us who were opposed to going to fight the world's common enemy would, perhaps, like to enjoy their Christmas in having, a little insurrectionary amusement within the Dominion, just to prove that they are not cowards, as some people audaciously suggested. Still farther developments may be in hand, the cue having been taken from Colonel Malone, and lamp-posts may already be selected and allotted the 1 respective honours they are to carry, suspended by a piece of rope. Just think of what honours Lenin would shower upon New Zealand Bolsheviks if they could run off a little revolutionary success. They woulc probably be recalled to Russia and made kings, princes or high priests of Bolshevism; or they might even be made commissary with ten times the power any modern king can possess. But, reverting to the threatening coal difficulty, is it not advisable that the industry-bursting business should be given some consideration? No doubt the great master of Bolshevism in Russia would be delighted to se3 ail New Zealand industries destroyed, so that the workers would have nothing else to do but. starve to death or be goaded into an orgy of widespread destruction that would make it impossible for industries to supply the needs of the people, however much they desired to work. The coal elysium promised b,y Mr. Mass-y is not to be hoped for; it was too much for miners to concede; they could not allow householders to get sufficient coal to cook their Christmas dinners with; people might have forgotten there were any coal-miners. Putting aside the industry-bursting proclamation recently made in Parliament, it is indeed difficult to understand what the real motive is behind all this coal unrest. It is admitted —freely stated, in fact—by coalminers ' leaders that something like half the mines of Britain are being worked at a loss, and yet miners would have men in all industries go out on strike to have the price of coal reduced by over fourteen shillings a ton. Not only that, but an increase of wages is part of the same demand. Surely this is an indication that the desire of extremists for but two political parties has been gratified, and we nows(have what may be clearly defined as the industry reconstructionists on the one side an<j the sclf-proclairricd

uuua "j ww " , , j i number of British coal mines aro | aeing worked at a and yet the I miners, or some of them, want to | s trike for a rise of wages and a reduc:ion of coal prices \j fourteen shillings v ton. Who is going to continue working the mines that are already losing businesses? How can men expect an increase of ■ wages from the unprofitable mines and a reduction of coal prices? The Bolshevik leaders know very well that such a demand will never be conceded; then what would they strike for? Would it not be purely to precipitate a revolution with the object of destroying those industries? The New Zealand Federation have demanded a 25 per cent, increase of wages, and a bonus to every man working in mines averaging £SO. We cannot regard that demand for retrospection in any other way. If miners were entitled to an increase of 25 per cent, nine months ago, why did they not pursue the issue to a legitimate end at the time? It is a well-known fact that many" businesses at-present, returning no profit arc kept going with the hope that a stage of stabilisation will soon obtain. These unprofitable concerns include several of the largest works and most important industries in the Dominion;, industries without which there can be little or no progress as a community. The Miners Federation have not published anything in support of their demand, and as we are neither in their confidence,

in the confidence of the coal-owners j or the Government, we can only view ] the demands with considerable alarm, { as something Mat lis fraughft >w|th | another series of hardships, if not dis- j asters, for people generally. We "are 1 convinced that if the State seriously j desires to preserve the industries that | have been built Op in this Dominion at | the cost of much labour and money, j the-time has now arrived for ceasing the constantly increasing, unbearable, j harassing and industry-bursting pro- | ccssos. The people are tired of inter- '■ ference with the supply of the necessaries of life; Mr. Massey no sooner raises popular hope of a coal supply than it is dashed to the ground by the Miners' Federation. One day it is "Ministerially stated that cool is'being mined in greater quantities and .that miners are working contentedly; the next day fcomes the bomb, blowing up all hope of improvement, hurled by the Minors' Federation, in the form of a demand for 25 per cent, increase in wages, and that the increase date from : March last. What will be the result f of this new demand is not apparent, but we do know that many, industries will very shortly cut down their losses by dispensing with the services of many men who have hitherto proved good workers, unless the recklessness of extremists gives place to reason and commonsense. y