MINERS WANT A SETTLEMENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 312, 11 February 1910, Page 5

MINERS WANT A SETTLEMENT

THE AUSTRALIAN STRIKE.

WAGES BOARD PROCEEDINGS.

By Cable.—Press Association.— Copyright

Received February 10, 9.5 p.m.

Sydney, February 10. The sitting of the Newcastle Wages Board continued to-day. Mr. Charlton, M.P., renewed his application for an adjournment till Wednesday. He stated that the miners' delegates bad authorised him to prepare tbeir ease for presentation to the Board. In answer to the proprietors' delegates present he claimed he wanted the adjournment hi order to prepare tlie miners' case. He added that to show their strong desire for a satisfactory settlement) the Delegate Board (had taken the advice yesterday and appointed five of its number, along with the executive officers, to confer with the proprietors'. They were prepared .to meet during the afternoon, with a viewto reducing the claims and paving the way for an early settlement. The men wanted to reach a solution of the trouble, and fix a day for the resumption of work. Mr. Charlton believed that if the parties once got together a settlement would be reached in a short time, and work would probably Ue resumed next week.

The president of the Wages Board declined the application, on the ground that no assurance was given that the men were going to submit their claims on Wednesday. Mr. Charlton thereupon announced that he must retire from the case, and ■walked out of the court. Later in the day, after hearing evidence in support of the proprietors' claims, the president reversed his decisioft and granted an adjournment till

Wednesday. NECESSITY OF AN EARLY SETTLEMENT.

Received February 10, 10 p.m. Sydney, February 10. At the Newcastle Wages Board Mr. Charlton later returned to court, and stated that the Delegate Board had met and resolved that he again renew his application for an adjournment. They realised the necessity of an early settlement, though they could give no guarantee. He was fully prepared to

nay that if the request were granted it would bring about a resumption of work at a very early date. The Delegate Board also desired him to ask Judge Scholes (president of the Wages Board) whether he could see his way, in his capacity of a citizen, to meet the miners' representatives. It was their desire to bring about a settlement. Judge Scholes considered Mr. Charlton must have strong reasons' for pressing the adjournment. He therefore granted it for two reasons—firstly, in the hope of the men submitting their case to the Board, and secondly the prospects of a settlement as soon as poseible. He also agreed to the request to meet the miners' representatives. The Board accordingly adjourned till Wednesday. Judge Scholes proceeded to the Trades Hall to confer with the miners' Advisory Board. THE CONSPIRACY CHARGES. LEADERS FOUND GUILTY. STIFF SENTENCES. Received February 10, 9.5 p.m. Sydney, February 10. The hearing of the conspiracy charges against Bowling, Brennan, Bums, Lewis and Gray was concluded to-day. They were found guilty and each sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment, Bowling's gentence to be cumulative on the previous sentence of 12 months'. ACCUSED'S DEFENCE. THE OPERATION OF |THE LAW. UNION WORK IMPOSSIBLE. JUDGE'S SCATHING STATEMENT. Received February 11, 1 a.m. Sydney, February 10. The Judge, in summing up, said it was no defence for accused to say they •were in the service of the Miners' federation, and as servants were carrying out the Federation's orders. The jury recommended, all to mercy, on the ground of their. previous good characters. '

Each made a statement claiming that ■he was innocent, being unaware that lie was committing breaches of the law. Bowling declared that, the law as it fitojjtt made the carrying out of the duties of an offieer a untOn imposefflbe and unsafe. Very few unionists knew what the law meant. He did not. If this was what was done ra a free country, he wished to, go back to Siberia or some other oonntry where they did not talk about freedom.

Brennan doubted if any men in future would be willing t» pay the price of maintaining the position of working men in . the country. Unionists would be like sheep without shepherds. Burns declared that he had always advised the non-acceptance of the Industrial Disputes Act, and would do so as long as he lived, because the Act was incapable of governing the work of miners.

Lewis said this was the end of the men who had interested themselves on behalf of unions in th<> State. The unions would become secret societies.

The Judge, in passing sentence, said each knew lie was' breaking the law, and did it deliberately. As to no one accepting office in unions in future, all that such men had to do was to obey the lav and then they would be perfect!}' safe He could not understand how accused could make the claim that the throwing out of many thousands of workers was acting for the benefit of humanity. He had taken the recommendation of mercy into consideration in awarding the sentences. NEW ZEALAND SYMPATHY. Timanij Last Night. McWilliams, the delegate of the New South Wales miners, addressed a meetin<» liwc to-night, and received a sympathetic hearing. At the close of the meeting a motion was passed denouncing the Wade Government, and agreein" to give all the financial help possible to the miners on strike.