THE WAIHI STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 118, 5 October 1912, Page 5

THE WAIHI STRIKE.

SOME SIDE LINES. PATHETIC DETAILS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Waihi, Last Night. Strike matters here to-day are much milder in character. The Waihi Company have intimated that workers will be conveyed to and from their work by the company. Late last night a gang of strikers went to a prominent mining contractor's residence. One man went to the house and knocked at the door, while the others stood back. The contractor, who answered the door in person, noticed that the man wore a ribbon of red, white and blue, worn evidently to disarm any suspicion. The man said, "Constable Skinner is outside and wantß to.speak to you." The contractor replied: "If the constable wants to see me, let 'him come in." The man then asked if he could take any message to the constable. The reply was, "Tell him I'm all right. Good night!" and then he closed the door. The intention of the plotters can he imagined. A pathetic appeal was made hy a little girl of very tender years to her mother yesterday afternoon. The latter was wheeling a perambulator in the wake of a crowd following some workers, and was hurrying to get closer to the front, and seeing her tiny offspring lagging behind urged the child to hasten. "Hurry up! hurry up!" she cried to the child, as she pushed the pram along. The child, in !' plaintiff, weary tones, replied.. "Oh, mother, don't go looking for any more • 'scabs'; I'm so very tired." Instructions have been issued by the Strike Committee to suppress the display of red flags and red ribbons. It is surmised that the instruction) is the 1 result of the display of white and blue which has been so prevalent in town lately, and which, in the opinion of the cwnmittee, suggests that a flag of war instead of one of an industrial dispute is being waged. THE FORFEITED CONTRACTS. Waihi, Yesterday. Respecting certain recently cancelled contracts in the Waihi Company's mine, the executive has made the following Statement:— . "Where contractors have left quantities ,of ore ready broken in the stopes, passes or shrinkage blocks, the '>inpany will have the same carofully tallied, as it is required, and is got out. Credit will be given the different parties for all such ore. There is no idea of forfeiting any more than the deposits and percentages under the provisions o! the contracts. It will take time to ascertain exactly what quantities hare been left, and payments can only be made at future periods, after the ore has actually been delivered at the surface and the stopes properly hilled where necessary. The whole cost of carrying out such work will be debited against the contractors before a settlement is finally made.—(Signed) Charles Rhodes, iocal director." '

A GENERAL STRIKE. NOT UNTIL OPPORTUNE. Christchurch, Last Night. Mr. E. J. Howard, a member of the Executive of the Federation of Labor, in an interview, stated that some difficulty had been experienced in keeping some of the affiliated unions from striking in sympathy with Waihi. The men on the executive, however, knew a few things that made it not worth while to call a general strike at present. Industrial concerns had stocks of coal, and onlyhouseholders would suffer if a general strike was called just now. If a general strike were ealled it would be in the wool and grain season in the Dominion. It was alleged, h# said, that only four of the Waihi strikers had returned to work, the others being from Waikino; also, that the Federation yias In a position to keep the strike going till Christmas. Men and women in all parts of the Dominion were offering to take the places of the men in gaol. 1