THE COLLIERS' STRIKE. Excitement at the Greta Colliery. Men Obtained From Sydney and Protected toy Police.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 298, 12 September 1888, Page 6

THE COLLIERS' STRIKE. Excitement at the Greta Colliery. Men Obtained From Sydney and Protected toy Police.

There has been great excitement at Newcastle in connection with the Greta Mine. There is stored at this mine a large quantity of small coal, for which contracts have been taken by the Greta Company to supply in the other colonies, 10,000 tons alone

being for the Victorian Government. Between 30,000 and 40,000 tons of this coal are to bo observed near the pit's mouth, this being the accumulation of years. For this coal, when everything is going on all right, the usual pricois about 6s a ton, but now that tho striko has begun the piico has more than doubled, and as there is such an extraordinaiy demand for coal every effort is being made to dispose of this great stock. The Greta Mine is not in the Proprietors' Association, but the men are in the Miners' Union, and though they have no grieA ance and are working under a loca agt cement came out at the call of the miners in Newcastle. The management determined to avail themselves of the presentdemandfor coal to goo rid of this large store of smallstuff gatheiedat the pit's mouth. They set thoir laboureis to work to fill the coal and to havo it canied oil" as soon as possible. It was anticipated that some trouble would en°uo, and as a consequence a number of police, about 12 of them, were last week sent up to see that no inteiference took place. They came irom Maitland and were placed under Sub-inspector Duffy, Matters pioueeded all right for a day or two. On Friday last, however, the miners maiched slowly in a body to where the labourers weie at work, and by the exercise of moral suasion, for which, doubtless, the labourers had privately been prepared, they succeeded in inducing: the men to leave oil' work, bore them oft in triumph to the neaiest hotel, " shouted drinks "all lound, gave the men sufficient to pay then passage away and saw them sately off. There was, consequently, no filling done on Saturday and none again yesterday, the management quietly ananginer their plans and the miners remaining alert. Ad\ eitisements wore inserted in the Sydney papeis asking for labourers to fill coal, and 26 "applications weie leceived. The plans ha\ ing been carefully arranged, 26 laboureis were shipped by the steamer Newcastle, these being accompanied by 25 policemen, under Inspeccoi Bremner. The steamer arlived at Newcastle about 5 o'clock, but the men weie not landed till imine- | diately before the train for Gieta started. They were then marched on a& quickly as possible to the cairiages. On the station weie a number of persons, who gieeted the men with some ex pi essions of disapproval, but nothing particular took place. The tiain reached Gieta at 10 minutes to 9 Oa the station platform weie some 20 or 30 moic miners! on the lookout for any men coining up to work. They were evidently taken aback at the large escort of police, almost one per man, and though they shouted expressions that were uncomplimentary and called to the men not to go to work, nothing at all of a forcible nature was done. Thereare nowatGreta 34 police altogether in charge of Inspector Bremner. The men are stationed on the ompany's Cproperty, near the pit. A large marquee and . two tents were sent up this afternoon, together with blankets, etc., in anticipation of a proti acted stay. The police are armed with revolvers in case of emergency, but they don't expect to be called upon to use them. The plan adopted is to refuse admission to the grounds immediately surrounding the pit mouth, wheie the slack coal is to be found, to any miner?, and the labomers, in oidei to assure them complete piotection, engage not to leave the ground by night oi da)'. A large stable has just been built on the ground in the locality ot the main pit, and this has been con\ci ted ioi the time into dining and sleeping quaiteis foi the men. Tables placed on trestles arc tixed in the centie poition of the building and the stallb have been comerted into bediooms : iour heds aie auanged in one stall, two on each side, : , much after the stjle of a ship's cabin, though they aie not quite so fumptuou~. For the work of hlliiig the c>ial the men get 8s a day of eight hours, and out of the pay 12s a w eek is to be deducted ioi boaid and lodging. fHuing this morning the miners musteied to ihe number of becween 200 and 300 outside the ience near the place wheie the men 1 were bu=y tilling the coal and indulged in some hooting and shouting, calling on the men to knock oil and not take away the biead norn then \\i\es and childien, vaiymg the noise by shouting " blacklegs " and using other , oppiobrious expiessions. The miners tired of this in the afternoon when they found but little le^ponse to theu ciies, and only a few of the men loiteied outside the ground towards the ! latter pait oi tne day. A diriiculty was found in piocuring food lor the labouicis. They ha\e been boycotted by the local storekeepers, who aie acting under notice from the miners that they must not'supply piovi'sions to tho men oi their custom would oe withdrawn. This way of putting it was '■umcientlj eommcrng to the giocer, butchei and the baker. The mining manager, Mr .Robertson, was not diseonceited bb t \ thi-a procedure, which was anticipated, and he has piocuied provisions from Lochinvar, a township which is seven miles off. To-day 190 tons of coal were filled by the laboureife. As theie will be 30 or more trucks ready to send down in the morning, it is expected that about 70 men will be reeulaily engaged in filling the coal, and this will mean some 400 tons a day. 1 At this late thetc will be plenty of w oik for several months. A veiy satisfactory pi ice is being obtained tor the ' coal : and, jn fact, it will pay the propi ietors better to get it away at present 1 rates 1 than even to work the mines. At present thetc i& not much lear ot any oetiouo dirhculty at the mines, but there is no knowing when something may occur. The Greta mine is situated about 30 mile& ! j from Newcastle.