BIG COAL STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 December 1916, Page 5

BIG COAL STRIKE.

EXPECTED IN NEW YEAR - GRAVE CONDITION OF AFFAIRS, , Advice has reached Pal 111 erst on '/. i the biggest coal strike experienced, ifc' t'jd the history, of Now Zealand is likely tpf'ij takf place early in the New Year (sayn ,'J the Standard). Tlje men usually fatoH ;4j fortnight's holiday at Christmas; bttb '''? I hoy make no pecret of their intention j to make it a lengthy one this year, reasons given for their extraordinary «C« is tion are (1)) their opposition to the CojW i-cription Act and (2) the imprisonment t'ij of lioiiert Semple at Christchurch fOS tedition. \ ;y A strike would have a paralysing ef< la feet ujion the industries of the OouimiOßj ay since trade and commerce would be •}« «| fceted in every direction. If is-hard to how the intelligent WOrkM* s"< of the community can advocate' suah A course, but judging by information whidl ' } : has reached Palmerston North th§re are many seemingly well-balanced working men who are not averse to the «tritofc Shipping wopld feel the blow, and buai- " j ness must come to a stand-still it th(tj | men put their threats into execution. Stocks of coal are reported to be few everywhere. Xo Newcastle coal has ."'j come to New Zealand since the strike, v in Australia, and as the. Commonwealth . Government lifts commandeered the Aui* r i tralian output supplies from that quar- . ; ter are not expected until next March, .jj and when they are obtained the price JJ will probably show an advance of abonfe- ■: Is per ton. n* Enquiries made from the State Cohl .Mines authorities in Wellington elicited, «, tiie information that a strike is very ' probable, and that the. present condition / of attain was exceedingly grave. ;"j The Uovcrnnwnt is under no dclueloA -JJ in regard to the seriousness of the pOH» tion. f . \ \l Keport.9 from (he West Coast go to j show that the prospect of a big strike le » openly spoken of there. People in a; position to know tho trend of events ani ' in toutdi with the industry, state that jj a crisis}, is undoubtedly pending. The, '* miners State freely that they do not in* ; ti'nd to resume work after the holiday*. X The agreements between tho Coalminers* < federation, which embraces every mine in New Zealand from the North Cape to * the Bluff, and the mine-owners expiree-r'§ this month. The men cease work short*, % ' ly before the Christmas and New Year at, holidays. In the ordinary course, would resume, about January 8, and the fear that they will not do so is caueing \ grave concern to the public generally,;' t owing to the inconvenience and disloeav t ion of industry such a cessation of worlq' ■, would entail.. ,5