All ACUTE SITUATION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 253, 1 December 1909, Page 2

All ACUTE SITUATION

THE AUi/TKAIJAN COAL STRIKE. GOVERN JLIJNT INTERV EN ING TO BRING AIIOUT A SETTLEMENT. COMMANDING THE WHOLE 01'' 'iliJ'. COAL AND SUTI'LYING THE COMMUNITY. ENFORCING THE I'ENAL CLAI SES OF THE LAW. Bj Cable- Press Association—Copyright Received November 30, 'J p.m. Sydney, November 30. When tlie Assembly met, Mr John See, Acting-Premier, made ii statement of the Government's intentions regardin" the strike. Jn view of a possible general paralysis

of business, lie said, there was 11 serious possibility of tlie large interests ol tlie State being so crippled as would take many years to restore them to a normal condition. All the Government efforts to bring the parties together having failed, and realising that the community had been tried to a point of patienre exhaustion, the Government was dc;ei mined 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 -rights to take as much coal as it wanted, anil care would be taken to protect the pu > lie in the matter of values.

He proceeded to any lliut while the Government was loth to interfere, unless those acting for the miners nml owners did not in the immediate fnture meet and 'offer a solution to the trouble, the Industrial Disputes Act would be enforced, involving tlie penal clauses, and the appointment of a conciliation board. While relying on Hie good sense ot the miners and owners, it must he clearly understood that if efforts were made to -protract the situation, the Gove ument was determined to expend every means allowed to bring about a Kittlernent. The statement, ho said, had the concurrence of the Premier (Mr. Wade, who is ill) and the whole Cabinet. After a desultory debate, Mr. MeGowen (Leader of the Opposition) moved that the methods proposed by the Government to deal with tbo industrial trouble were absolutely iijsull'iciont to meet public requirement!. At Mr. Leo's request, owing to the acuteness of the situation, Mr McGowen agreed to proceed with the motion without any adjournment. THE GOVERNMENT CRITICISED. BRINGING PRESSURE TO BEAU ON THE WRONG PARTIES. VIEWS OF THE LEADER OK THE OPPOSITION. Received 1, 1.5 a.m. Sydney, November HO. Mr. Mrtlownu admitted the Govern-1 ment's intervention in the strike wns the i correct attitude, and wns cnilor.-ed by his own party. What he wanted was an explanation of the Government's expre»;c<r Setermination "to exhaust every power it constitutionally possesses to bring about ft settlement." The refmal of this explanation forced him to move a ceiwure motion. Th" ftovenmient declared they would take the whole output nnt of coal, but the railwnv.s alone look 2000 tons daily, so what u-e would b.' the output of the t .fo mines now working! lie complained that pressure '.vns to be brought to hear not upon the mone-owners. who declined th- olivu . branch, but upon the miners, who were . willing to go into conference. THE MINE OWNERS' ATTITUDE. Received 30. 11.35 p.m. Sydney, November 30. Mr. Loin-month, chairman of the Miao Proprietors' Association, stated that the proprietors could not consent to t"le | suggestions of tile Mayor of Newcastle , for a conference unless the miners fn'st consented to return to work. [ RAILWAY AUTHORITIES' Uh-u.uM). Sydney, November '.lO. It is understood the Railway Commissioners demand half the output of each colliery working before they undertake the haulage of coal.