N.S.W. GOAL STRIKE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2692, 23 December 1909, Page 5

N.S.W. GOAL STRIKE.

CABLE NEWS.

MR. HUGHES’ VIEWS.

’Jnitku i’u«BH Abhooiation—(JorvnraiiT

SYDNEY, Dec. 21

Mr. Hughes professes that lie does not know whether the Southern miners intend to return to work. He declares that Mr. Wade’s Bill having come into operation it is Mr. Wade’s business now.

■/, Of charges of inciting, against fifteen members of the Colliery Employees Association, one has been withdrawn, and the others. postponed to the end of December.

THE COMPULSORY BOARD OF INQUIRY.

(Received December 23, 12.5 a.m.) SYDNEY, Dec.’ 22.

The first sitting of the Compulsory Board of Inquiry into the coal dispute was held to-day at Newcastle. Mr. Bowling appeared for the miners, and said he had been instructed to object to Mr. Patterson sitting on the Board, on the ground that the latter did not represent the Colliery Employees’ Federation at all, but had taken the position without consulting the men, and had betrayed the trust reposed in him. Mr. Bowling asked for an adjournment to enable his Federation to consider the position in regard to the Board’s jurisdiction. Judge Heydon remarked that the question as to Mr. Patterson’s position on the Board was unassailable.

The Board adjourned till January 10th.

HOW THE MINERS LIVE

The answer to the questions of how the strikers are living gives a remarkable indication of the splendid and complete organisation of the federation, and never before has this organisation been brought to such a pitch of perfection. It is shown in many ways. First, there is the absolute obedience obtained from the miners by their leaders to all orders issued, but what strikes one even mote than this is the excellence of the arrangements made by the federation for the relief of all cases of distress that might arise. This matter had evidently been fully considered before the men were called out, for at that time the federation funds were comparatively, low, and would have been altogether inadequate to maintain a large body of men had they been suddenly thrown upon its resources. With the cognisance of the federation, several of the lodges in different centres, therefore, made arrangements with the. local storekeepers to honor lodge orders for food. These orders are issued by the lodge officers to applicants from amongst their members who state that they require assistance, and the storekeepers are given a guarantee by the lodge that at the conclusion of the strike the orders will he cashed. In this way the storekeeper is protected from defaulters, and is able in turn to get his supplies from the wholesale warehouses. In order, however, that the lodge funds will not be exhausted, those who are given relief will be levied on after they resume work to the extent of 10 .per cent, per fortnight- until their indebtedness is paid off. “ • . In those districts where, this system has not been adopted relief is distributed in an equally effective way. Central depots have been established for the distribution of food, and applications for relief are dealt with as. they come in. Many of these depots are small warehouses in themselves, and carry large stocks of foodstuffs, including Rour, meat, vegetables, and sugar. Up to the present the general fund of the federation has not been drawn upon. Each depot is in charge of a committee, the members of which canvass their particular districts for donations. All along these have been freely coming in. Many are in the form of goods, whilst others are in money, which is then expended in the .purchase of food. Applications for relief are first inquired into by the committee, and when found to be genuine aid in all cases is granted immediately. Up to the present no strike pay m the ordinary sense of the word has been made, but never during previous strikes has there been so little distress in the district. It is also noticeable that little or no money is being spent by the miners in drink, and in many cases the hotels in the mining* districts might just as well have been closed up? so little trade are they doing. Amongst the workers outside the ranks of the federation the strain is felt a little more keenly, hut .in many cases they are also receiving relief from the depots. The other unions, however, have joined with the federation in managing the relief organisaitons.