TIRED OF STRIKES.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 June 1921, Page 3

TIRED OF STRIKES.

AUSTRALIAN MINERS. RESOLUTIONS BY MODERATES. Sydney, May 11. The slackness in the coal trade has resulted in an effort Lw the older and more moderate miners to limit the excessive number of strikes. Eighteen on the northern fields, all for trivial reasons, during the past week, illustrates the need for such action. A temporary boom has passed, and orders from abroad have greatly diminished. There are vessels lying at Newcastle which have been without cargoes for two n onths There is still a shortage of coal in Australia which has been accentuated by incessant hanasring strikes caused generally by the younger members of the Colliery Employees’ Federation —boys from 14 to 21. To reduce the frequency of these disturbances mass meetings on both the northern and southern fields last Monday—which was observed as a May Day holiday—carried resolutions that before striking it should be obligatory for a member to lay his grievance before the executive, failing which he should be fined £l, and that in the event of continuing the offence he should be expelled from the union. Unfortunately those connected with the industry do not expect much improvement from this as the Federation itself is controlled by extremists, and it is only by drastic changes in that organisation that the more moderate men can hope to bring the counsels of reason to prevail.