COAL STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 April 1917, Page 5

COAL STRIKE.

AX ANTI-CONSCRIPTION 'ISSUE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Westport, April !). There ie 110 development concerning the strike at the mines. The Faster holidays are usually taken on Monday and Tuesday, so it may not he known until Wednesday whether the miners, or a section of them, intend to resume work. It is understood that a meeting will lie held at Denn'mton to-mor-row morning. hut its purpose has not been disclosed. It is siiggefled that it may he to review the decision, peviously arrived at, to cease work. The miners wish it to he understood that their decision is purely anti-eon-aeription. the resolution being 1 as follows:—"We, the members fif the T)enliiston, Millertnn and Stockton Collieries Industrial Union of Workers, enter our protest against j;he Conscription Aet by a cessation of .work, and demand the immediate repeal of the Act. We wish to state that we have 110 quarrel with the companies whatever. In the present instances the issue is conscription alone, and notlhing else, hut the conscription strike has nothing to do with the recent arrests, the adverse decision of the appeal eases, nor is i't the result of the failure of recent negotiations with' the mine-owners." The voting was:—'Dennis-ton: For, 20S; against, 20. Stockton: 'Unanimous, Millerton: For, 204; against, 30. The watcrsiders at Westport held a meeting this morning but they have not made the decision public, but it is understood tfhat they decided to continue working pending the decision of the Federation.

f GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE. . Wellington, April 10. Asked to-day if he had any statement to make in regard to the coal strike on the West Coast, Sir James Allen replied: "I havo nothing to say more than that I hope the men will go back to work. At a time like this, when every ounce of coal is required for Admiralty purposes, for transports, and to keep the country going, it does not surely need an appeal to the patriotism of the men to continue their output, and their normal output. They say that they have gone out because of conscription and the Military Service Act, but it. is difficult to see why they should select this particular time for that, when they have had an opportunity to do so for so many months past, and I find it difficult to accept that as the reason. They have apparently adopted a go-slow policy, nnd that appears to me to be unwise in their own interests, as it certainly is unwise so far as the interests of the country and hringing the war to an end aro concerned. To stop when they are urgently needed doesn't seem to me to be very loyal" "Has the time come yet when you can say what steps are to be taken in regard to the matter?" asked the reporter. "The only steps to be taken, I hope," l eplied Sir James, "will be that the men will go back. Tiie Government does not want to do anything harsh. We are only too anxious to see the men back." , POSITION AT WESTPORT. Westport, Last Night. It is not anticipated that there will be any work at the coal mines in the Buller district to-morrow, as even should tho miners bo willing to turn to it Willi take at least a day to make the necessary preliminary preparations for the resumption of work. The discharging' of cargo proceeded as usual at the waterside.