MINERS' STRIKE

Taranaki Daily News, 24 April 1917, Page 4

MINERS' STRIKE

STRIKE ENDED. MEN RETURN ON WIiONTSDWV BIG VOTE IN FAVOR. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Greymonth, last- Night. The- strike has ended. All the miners start work on Wednesday, though it U unknown what are the ■lew conditions, '.f there are any. It is understood that the vote taken by the men had satisfactory result*. Runanga veted for the return to worlc by 178 to 80. UNANIMOUS VOTE AT DENNISTOtf, ARE THE STRIKE LEADERS T<X BB RELEASED? :)l ' Westporlv Last Nfigibfc At meetings of miners at Dennttton Millcrton and Stockton to-day It decided to resume work on Monday, It is understood this is the result of the conference between Ministers and the miners' delegates. It ii stated that tho imprisoned men are to be released but there is no definite information aa to this available. The decision to return to work wai unanimous at Denniston and carried by :i large majority at tho other two" tres.. j "GO SHOW'' POLICY TO BE ABAN« BONED. Ohristchurcfy Hat Night'. Tho manager of the Westport and Stockton Coal Co. receiyed a telegram to-night from the mine manager at Stockton stating that tiie men there had held-a, meeting to-day and decided to ttart work on Wednesday and abandon the "go-slow policy." This is a complete reversal of tho .ineifs attitude, for in Itho ballot taken recently iney decided unanimously in favor of striking. This decision of the Stockton men leads the coal company officials here to believe that the miners at MiUerton and Denniston, in view of their latest ballot figures, iwill also decide to resume work.; CHARGES OF SEDITION. PRISONERS BEFORE THE COURT, Auckland, Last Night. The coal miners arrestod at Huntly and the West Coast in connection with the "go-slow policy" were brought before the police court to-day. Mr. Meredith, Crown solicitor, conducted the prosecution and Mr. Singer represented all ol the accused. The first charge taken was that against John Jones, president of the New. Zealand Federated Cjottl Workers' Union, the other defendants being remanded till Thursday. .Tones was charged that he did at Huntly and elsewhere in the Dominion conspire with Joseph O'Brien, John Arbuekle, Thomas Fmscr, John Cuminiug, and John Winnior to encourage a continuance of a seditions strika at Huntly. Mr. Meredith in an opening speech covering the whole of the prosecutions, said that for a considerable time there had been a restriction on the coal output at various 'Dominion coal mines. The court would have to be satisfied there was a seditious strike, and then that defendants were partners to the strike. The first part of the' charge would be proved by the evidence or the managers of tho Huntly, Waipa, Fukemiro, Den« n.iston, State, Stockton, Paparoa and Blackball mines, showing that'the "go* slow- policy" engineered cn the part of the miners for a reduction in the output was so definite that there was obsolntely no aniuver but that of an engineered strike. The actions of the men also established an admission -of"-"go-clow." Correspondence seized disclosed the whole plot, the names of the parties by whom it was engineered and the object of the conspiracy., Mr. Singer interposed- that there was nothing to show that the men. were anti-conscriptionists up till then. He wished it known that these men, up to their arrest, had strenuously endeavored to prevent a strike against conscription, Mr. Meredith replied that he was not prepared to admit this. Telegrams would be showing that when the Australian coal strike was on the New Zealand Federation was prepared to hang up the coal industry of the Dominion it It would oblige the men in Australia. One cablegram read: "We have granted the New Zealand Government permission to load the Kaiapoi with coal for Albany for a hospital shin and New Jfealand troopships only. Wire immediately whether this will affect the Australian position and whether we are at liberty to agree to further supplied for such •hips." To tho credit of the Australian miners their reply was that New Zealand •-■hould load coal for troop and hospital ships, but the fact remained that the Coal Miners' Federation was prepared W sacrifice hospital ships and troopships, or anything else, if it was advisable for their own purposes. MERCHANT SERVICE GUILD. CONDEMNS THE STRIKE.. Wellington, Lust Night. At a meeting of th-i Merchant Servic* Guild to-day it was resolved: "That this representative meeting of mastpt* and officers expresses its condemnation nf the action of coal miners who ara striking at the present timq, when the life of tho nation is at and will heartily support the Government in whatever action it may take in the mattor." Some of tho steamers trading out of Wellington are using South African coal >i ought here during the 1913* strike. =============