Great Coal Strike

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4498, 2 December 1909, Page 1

Great Coal Strike

HALVES OF COAL Sydney, November 30 It is understood that the Hailway Commissioner demands half the output of each colliery working before he will undertake the haulage of «oal ACTION BY THE GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE THE WHOLE OUTPUT OE MINES AT WORK INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES ACT TO PE ENFORCED PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY When the Assembly met, Mr Lee, Acting Premier, made a statement of the Government’s intentions as regards the strike. With the view of possible general paralysis of business, there was a serious possibility of large interests in the State being so crippled that it would tako many years to restore them to normal condition. All the Government's efforts to bring the parties together having failed, and realising the community had been tried to the point of patience and exhaustion, the Government was determined to intervene directly. Action would be taken to command the whole output of the mines now at work with which to supply the community. The Government would assert its right and take as much coal as it wanted, and care would be taken to protect the public in the matter of values. While the Government was loth to interfere, unless those acting for the miners and owners did not in the immediate future meet and offir a solution of the trouble the Industrial Disputes Act would be enforced involving penal clauses and the appointment of a Conciliation Board. While relying on the good sense of the miners and owners, it must be clearly understood that if efforts were made to protract the situation the Government was determined to expend every means allowed to bring about a settlement. The statement had the concurrence of Mr Wade and the whole Cabinet. After some desultory debate, Mr McGowan moved that the methods proposed by the Government to deal with the industrial troubles were „absolutely insufficient to meet public requirements. At Mr Lee’s request, owing to the acuteness of the situation, Mr McGowan agreed to proceed with tho motion without any adjournment.