Attempted Reduction of Wages.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 32, 12 January 1884, Page 2

Attempted Reduction of Wages.

ViCRY considerable excitement was occasioned at the townships o£ Te Aroha ami Waiorongomai on Siturday eveniiu, when it became known that the directors of a number of the leading mines on the field had decided to reduce the washes of the workmen from nine shillings to eight shillings per day. Most of the mine managers had been made acquainted with the proposal during their visit to Auckland during the Christmas holidays, and they I cairn 1 up quite prepared to explain the intention of the directors. When the nows got about herf, the minpr> sneedily colIpptfl in little knot 6 !, and it win soon appan nt that there was a f,tr '\\g healthy pub'ie opinion against the change in the rate of wag p. Work should have started at mii^t ol' the mines on Monday , but with ono exception not a pick was put in the ground, "in these mines in which it had been announced wages Fuel been reduced. At th it time the on'y mm -s of con^eqiKMT cm which the l'nte or" pay was nof chant, od « r ero the Waiorongonni and Phoenix. In the Klnreka, the manager himself guaranteed his wen the shilling a day out of his own pocket if they would go to work, and most of thorn complied with his request. At about 10 o'clock on Monday morning the miners, to the number of 200, assembled near the battery, and order having been obtained Mr Thomas Gavin, manager of the New Find, officially announced the decision of the directors. He said that the step had been induced by the fact that most of the mines were not paying. As a part recompense, however, for the reduction, huts would be erected for the men, and if they desired it their provision would be taken up the tramway at Is per cwt. He severely criticised the action of one of the mine managers'in going away from the meeting and taking his mjn with him. In conclusion he asked them to remember that a number of: men would be thrown out of woikif the mines were stopped, and requested them to consider whether they would accept the i eduction or not and communicate with tho numa^eis. The mine managers then withdrew, <uid Mr Verity li ivmg been voted t<> the chuir, he aikf'd all who were disinclined to accept t<e ivdueti.m to step to the right. There was si simult mcous movement of all present in the direction mentioned, and ihe r 'stilt was hailed witii loud cheers. 8 -veral having spoken in favour of fighting against the reduction", ti deputation v. .is appointed to communicate th" result to the mine managers. The latter having learned that the men steadfastly refused ; to agree to the interference with the rate of uuge, they, through Mr Gavin, telegraphed to Auckland. The reply was that the directors would not alter their decision, When this was made known to the men they gave three cheers and determined not to work in the mine* at th<reduced pay. Since then no wmk has been done, and a good mmy of the men have alreidy packed up their bwag\s and left the di.stiict.