MINING STRIKE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 July 1940, Page 2

MINING STRIKE

PRODUCTION STILL HELD UP ON WEST COAST STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT OF UNION. DISPUTE OVER DISMISSAL OF TRUCKER. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) GREYMOUTH. July 4. By the end of the present week about 6000 tons of coal will have been lost to the country as a result of the strike which has made idle three State mines since Monday last. There is no prospect of the mines resuming tomorrow and it appears likely that the deadlock will continue into the coming week. All bins at the three mines will be empty by tomorrow, which will mean an almost immediate outcry for this particular class of coal, which is used principally for household purposes. As stated yesterday, the strike has not yet had a serious effect on shipping, but should it be prolonged it will have a decided effect on coal cargoes. One vessel in port this week loaded all the available State coal of the class she required and had to make up the balance of her cargo from other classes, while another vessel due to arrive at the end of this week will similarly have to seek part of her quota from other fields.

In the present circumstances, a vessel which is due next week for a coal loading .will probably have to partload at Westport and complete at Greymouth, whereas, if the State mines were working, she would take her full loading from Greymouth. “If Mr Webb would interest himself sufficiently to find out the true fact of the case, instead of flying into the Press when he was not fully cognisant of the situation, he would find himself in a position to settle the whole wretched business in five minutes, stated Mr G. E. English, president of the State Miners’ Union, in a statement on the situation tonight. “Boiled down, if he (Mr Webb) had any desire to be fair at all. ho would have to acknowledge that it was Mr O'Brien’s ‘yes-no’ decision which left us all in the air in the sense of speaking.” said Mr English. "And you can take it from me, this is really the cause of the trouble. “Mr O’Brien's last words in his written decision were, ‘Now arises the question as to whether H —— • the dismissed trucker) should be reinstated or not. I feel safe in recommending that he be reinstated and be separated from the other truckers and kept under surveillance.’

Mr English desired to make the position most emphatically clear by again drawing attention to the statement in Mr O'Brien's written decision. “I feel safe in recommending that H —— be reinstated." He added: “We resent the imputations that we are in any way standing for sabotage in the mines. That is not our ideal or ambition. The union would be the first, to take action and itself would dismiss anyone found clearly guilty of sabotage, but, if Mr O'Brien makes H guilty, why should he say that he considers himself safe in recommending that the management reinstate H— —

DETAILS OF YESTi The following sales v. . on the Dominion Stock xl -s

yesterday:— Sale Price WELLINGTON. £ s. d. Govt. Stock. 4 p.c., 15/4/4649 103 0 0 Bank of N.Z 1 19 0 N.Z. Breweries 1 10 G Bom. Fertiliser 1 4 AUCKLAND. £ s. d. Govt Steck. 31 p.c.. 15/1/5357 '100 0 0 Ditto, 3. : , ! p.c.. 15/11/38-41 ‘100 0 0 Ditto. 4 p.c.. 15'3/40-43 .... 101 2 6 Ditto, 4 p.c.. 15/4/46-49 (2) 102 15 0 Auck Power, 4.’, p.c.. 30/4/43 102 9 6 Auck. Gas. perp deb 98 5 0 Bank of N.S.W ••25 10 o Bank of N.Z 1 19 0 N.Z. Insurance 2 14 6 Westport Coal, odd lot 1 0 6 N.Z. Breweries 1 10 0 Ditto 1 10 3 N.Z. Drug 3 13 0 N.Z. Farm Fertiliser, pref. 1 *Late sale Wednesday. 1 0 CHRISTCHURCH. £ s. d. Auck Gas, perp deb 98 10 0 N.Z. Refrigerating *0 19 6 Ballins Breweries, 15s paid 0 *Late sale Wednesday. ' 10 0 DUNEDIN. £ s. d. Bank of N.Z 1 19 0 M.K. Mfrs 0 5 6 Gillespies Beach (2) 0 0 6