THE FOOLISH MINERS

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10672, 29 June 1912, Page 5

THE FOOLISH MINERS

AND THE LABOUR FEDERATION MOVEMENT TO. BREAK AWA^. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) • WAIKI k Last Night. Mr, Joseph Foster addressed a public, meeting itth'is evening; his sijbjeot < 'being the trouibl© in Waibi, aid the; 'Statements made iby the leader of the ! Labour Federation, and pointing' to ' a waiy % ; for • ifche solution, of tihe disI pufe.. There ■ was: an attendance 'of about.Boo. ,1 '• '"r.; j At \ the outset it was evident that pre-<waioerted action had been deter- , mined uporo by a very large section ' of the foeetiuig (to break up 'the pfoceedings. v■■ > The appearance on the platform <xf Mr WaJilnutt (chairman.), and ' Mir Foster, was .greeted .wi'th an otuibur sfc ', of "iboo-hoos." ' ' j 1 Some mimites elapsed before the J chairman „ could ''make himself "heard. . Alter several attempts, th© dhair- ; man : (briefly [ introduced Mr I Foster, and stated the o'bject of the tmeet- ■ ing. i The Vice-President of the Union, asked .if > Union .member could take j tli©"plaihform mi .'reply Ito Mr Fos- ' ter,-' ■ :V \ I ' Ills ohattffll&tt: iiittfitiated that .ques'j tion-s could'be asked, 'but the platform I oould not ;be occupied *■ iby . aneanbers from tJiei aaidienj;e. Vv - , , '

llhe .reply acted! almost onagicaily, and •imm.ediaJteily a great exodus op-? eurred. In a few minutes the large building .was more than Mf; emptied, fa; number .of women-.- making their exit with tho men. "... . Tin's gave .the impression .Hint' the majority of the amners are mot.-, .y©t. seeking a settlement of the dispute. Mr Foster then (proceeded with his -address. He pointed out that he and 1 'many others ,had suffered as a'result of the ill-adyisedaeHcii of one mail l'n causing a ' cessation, cif mining operations. The Laboitr Fcde-raticb. galbes had : visited the >1! strict, a:,& ; informed the - thcv jr 01 <!d bring il&tlt :9l'Satisfactory solution, but .their attempt todo so had provsd outers' repiM&sntafcives in conference, but could point out no way to a binding agTee;mCT : tj and had then left tjie district. and people to face the position, leading, behiuid a finsy assurance that; till would lb© well in the end if ths dispute was left an the ihaindis of the'Federatioai: Executive;; It : had been) cleaaiy .shown that tli3 Federatioai could not solve (the pro Mem, and at was for members ol- .to. ins&ji on steps* towards a settlement,by a ballot: ; of meiiab ers on the • question of , (kitting 1 (from ~the Federation and adopting flegal methods with .a- view to a solution. 'This could bo done by appointing, say, four' or five of their members to! confer with the mineowiiiars, and drawing up an agreement which coiuld then be ratified by the Arbitration Court. Tlie Federation, in. its dying Strugigle, had falle'n bade oil that iniquitous organisation know n as tho "1.W.W.", which advocated destructive (methods in coping with disputes. ■ -v