THE AUSTRALIAN COAL STRIKE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 266, 17 December 1909, Page 2

THE AUSTRALIAN COAL STRIKE

THE MEN'S TERMS. DECLINED ByThß PREMIER. FORCING AN AMENDING BILL THROUGH THE HOUSE. By Cable—Press Association—Oopyright Received December 16, 8.45 p.m. Sydney, December 18. In the, Assembly, in reply to a question, Mr. Wade stated that Mr. Hughes sought an interview yesterday and made a proposal that the southern miners would go back to work if the Government would sacrifice its member now Bitting on the Miners' Wages Board and remove him. His answer to Mr. Hughes was that if that was the price of work being resumed, then absolutely " No." Mr. Wade moved the suspension oi the standing orders to permit the passage at one sitting of a Bill to amend the Industrial Disputes Act by prohibiting certain monopolies and certain contracts, agreement and combination in restraint of trade.

A BRIGHTER OUTLOOK. PROSPECT OF MEN RETURNING 10 WORK. Received 17, 1 a.m. Sydney, December 16. Mr. Hughes conferred with represents. Uvea of the Newcastle miners and wharf laborers, and subsequently Mr. Hughes, with several northern delegates to the Strike Congress, returned to Sydney. The Congress is now sitting and discussing their report. A Newcastle message states that the meeting was stormy, and that Mr. Hughes argued that the cause of the northern miners would be best servrd by the southern and western men returning to work, and urged the necessity for giving the Strike Congress supreme power. The miners' delegates afterwards discussed the question and there is ground to believe that it fell in with Mi. Hughes' views. ' Mr. Mitchell (secretary of the Federated Colliery and Engine-drivers' Association) told an interviewer that he in' tended to take the responsibility of aivising the southern and western win to return to worE

From the other delegates was gatherered that they intended to visit the southern and western districts during the next few days, but did not disclose for what purpose.

STANDING ORDERS SUSPENDS!!

OPPOSITION PROTESTS.

llcecived December 17, I a.m. Sydney, Last Night. Mr. .Wade regretted that at such a late stage of the session the Government had to seek the power asked in the motion to deal with the industrial crisis. The present continued turmoil, discomfort, and suffering, and the prospect of similar occurrences in the future were the reasons for the Government asking for power to interfere. Oppositionists protested against rushing such an important measure. There was no need for panic legislation. The closure was applied and the motion carried.

Mr. Wflde moved the introduction ol the Bill.

STRIKE LEADERS PALL OUT.

GREAT DISORDER AT A MEETING.

Sydney, December 10.

Great disorder followed the a<ldress ot Mr. Hughes to the large meeting of miners' last night. Mr. Bowling accused Mr. Hughes of not taking his colleagues into his confidence in reference to his intention to address the meeting, Mr. Hughes, he said, had tried to draw a red herring across 1 the trail, He did not want a general strike because his own men would be called out, and " he would be a criminal like Peter Bowling." He believed a certain course would minimise the struggle, but the present course was prolonging it. If the leaders would not call them out they sliould come out themselves and tell the leaders what to do.

Mr. Hughes again came, forward amid a scene of disorder caused by the rival parties. He declared-he had been invited to come by the acting-president of the Miners' Federation, He had attacked no man, but nevertheless he had been obliged to listen to a tirade ol personal abuso and tittle-tattle that

would disgrace an antediluvian washerwoman. The miners' delegates at the strike congress had k«pt tliem in the dark as to the true state of things. He moved for u general strike on the first day of the conference, unles9 there was' an open conference granted, because he believed Mr. Bowling had seized the psychological moment. When he looked into the matter he found that the miners at Mr. Bowling's bidding had played the master's game. The statement that Mr. Bowling was always anxious for a general strike was untrue. He moved that the congress should give, fourteen days' notice.

I Mr. Bowling and Mr. Hughes, amid disorder, gave one another the lie direct, J but Mr. Paterson, president of the Miners' Federation, testified to the accuracy of Mr. Hughes' statement. Mr. Hughes declared that Mr. Bowling aaid if he (Mr. Hoghes) would agree to work the, Roung Wallsend and Ebbw mines there-would be no general strike. That was the bargain he wanted to make.

There was a tremendous uproar, and the meeting broke up in contusion. OUTSIDE HELP SOUGHT. Sydney, December Id. During the hearing of the cases against the strike leaders at Newcastle it was stated that the following cable had been seut to Mr. Edwards, a Labor M.P. in London, and to the miners' secretaries in Canada and Germany:— Thirteen thousand coal miners are on strike, ihe employers refuse all overtures of the conference to redress giievonces. They mean to starve the men into submission. Thirty thousand unionists are striking in support of the miners. Heavy financial assistance is urgently required. AN INTOLERABLE POSITION. BROUGHT.ABOUT BY EMPLOYERS. MR. HUGHES ADDRESSES A LARGE MEETING OK MINERS. I

Sydney, December 10.

Mr. Hughes addressed a large meeting of miners last night. He said lie believed a condition of things had been created in the Newcastle district which liad become intolerable. He believed those conditions were deliberately created by employers, and believed the owners had. wanted, these many months past, just 6iich a struggle as the present one; and although they may have Wn caught so far us a day or a week wag concerned, they had been deliberately bringing about such n state of affairs. It was to their financial interest to precipitate s'ueh a crisis. He said he knew from reliable sources that it was the intention of the employera not to bring about a settlement till February, although they denied it. He had not advocated a general strike, and never would. They were face to fa« with a Government that would do noth in'g for them. He was for the cause o] labor on a constitutional basis. The\ were waging an unequal fight, becausi there was not a majority of the Labo: party in Parliament. Continuing, he said: "There is noth ing wrong with the gun of the law. Vo centuries you have had it turned agains you and learned to despise it; turn i round against the vend and elsewhere land you will find nothing so effectiv J as this gun of Oho Jaw." Pressure, be said, would be brought t bear on the vend, but he would not sa' how, as that was part of the campaigi