LABOUR TROUBLES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9675, 14 December 1909, Page 5

LABOUR TROUBLES.

NEWCASTLE STRIKE. STATEMENT AND DENIAL. AN ULTIMATUM. United Press nßsociation—By Electric Telegraph Copyright. Received December 13, 9.55 a.m. - SYDNEY, December 13. Mr W. M. Hughes, President of the WharfJLabourers' Union, states that he is informed on good authority that the Northern proprietors have decided not to open their mines before February sth, and that every Jproposil for a settlement before that date will be refused. Some of the owners] deny that any Jsuch decision has been come to." Enough coal has been [secured to keep the ,city gas going till the middle of January. The Gas Company has given the employees till noon to-day to decide if they will unload the company'is coal.

Peter Bowling; addressing a meeting at Kurrikurri, said waterside' wdrkers must come out. That ".n ■■.,(•."" •..-,' .., -•• •• ■■ ~- ■ . was.the^qiily...way togetasettlement. The report cf the Director of Labour showed' that at the end of No* vember there were nearly 9,500 persons idle in various trades other than mining. Since then the number has, greatly increased. I Receive:! December 14, 12.5 a.m. SIDNEY, December 13. The whistles were blown for work in the Southern and Western collies - ies not a single miner responded. lhe Northern miners also showed no inclination to go back under the conditions suggested by Mr Wade. The hearing of charges of conspiracy against Bowling, Brennan, Burn, Lewis and Grey commenced afc|Newcastle to-day. A great crowd of strikers was inside and outside the court, but therewas no demonstration. The five accused were charged with being persons of evil minds and dispositions, -who unlawfully and wickedly conspired, combined, and confederated to instigate employees of the coal miners, wharf labourers, coal lumpers, and coal trimmers' onions to do an act in the nature of a strike.