N.S.W. GOAL STRIKE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2694, 27 December 1909, Page 5

N.S.W. GOAL STRIKE.

CABLE NEWS.

STRIKE LEGISEATIOtT CONDEMNED; BY LABOR COUNCIL. •' United Fhisa Association-t-Copyright SYDNEY, Dec. 24. .. The Labor Council adopted ■ a resolution condemning the'new strike legisla-t tion. One of the speakers, Mr McKinnon, said the new law; sounded, the death-knell of strikes. A meeting of the Seamen’s Federat- i ion ~ decided that all members should continue work without interruption. This mean s that they will remain at work so long as the boats are not laid 1 up, or until further notice. The Waterside Workers Council recommended the strikers on the German steamers to resume work. The Ebbw Main and Young Wallsend mines are idle, the miners objecting to pay the 25 per centum levy proposed by the Colliery Employees’ Federation. They previously paid 10 per centum. Mr P. Bowling has been re-elected president of the Miners’ Federation. BUSINESS INirHE COUNTRY. AN UNEXPECTED BRISKNESS. SYDNEY, Dec. 11. It is curious how the strike has effected the business in sime country centres, and it is viewed bv some storekeepers as not altogether an unmixed evil. In some parts of the country, at this season many people leave on holiday for Sydney, but this year, in view of the reduced facilities for transit, they prefer* to. stay at home. One prominent business man in a western town, said, the other day; “This Christmas will be one of the best on record for country people. Anticipating the trouble extending over a month, many of us have laid in large stocks to meet the demand of those who otherwise would be away in Sydney.” As it is, commercial travellers, in many instances, report excellent 1 business for November, many orders being double their usual size, because business people are afraid of the reduced train service becoming still less if the trouble continues. As to the probable results of these heavy bookings, 7 ' they expect no aftermath in the shape of reduced orders, as large numbers of people staying at home will make the business all the more brisk. Of course, these apply more generally to the agricultural centres; and not to places like Lithgow and Cobar, where conditions at present are very depressed.

PRODUCE TRADE GENERALLY RESTRICTED. The strike has practically paralysed the produce trade. Every department is meeting a limited demand. Retailers are refraining from pushing business. One merchant speaks of the present position thus:—“The continuance of the coal miners’ strike is causing a serious restriction in business generally, and most of the lines produced are affected, notably maize, wheat, and oats, and it seems unlikely that there will be any activity, now before New Year even if the trouble is terminated speedily, which does not seem likely to-day. The Railway Department was supplying trucks very sparingly, and. if it were not for large quantities of chaff loaded a few weeks back, which they could not bring in for want of room, and are now bringing it down from; Clyde at the rate of 50 to 60 trucks per day, we should have the prices from 10s to 20s .a ton higher than would have been the case it normal conditions conditions existed.

RACE-TRAIN IN DOUBT-OFFER TO COAL THE ENGINE,

BALLARAT, Dec. 10. The officials of the Bungaree Race Club' are afraid that the continuance or the coal strike will interfere wim-the running of the special tram which tiiey charter for their annual fixture on Boxing Day. In order to obtain some information on this point, the. Rev. Father Devine to-day saw the railway officials at Ballarat. He stated that the cluh was desirous of selling the rights for the various privileges in connection with the races, and it was desirable to know whether the special tram would run, as that would appreciably affect the prices which they would receive. The; officials told him that they could give no assurance on the point. Father Devine said that he would see that the club supplied the coal which would be consumed on the trip if the Department would guarantee the tram on that occasion. He was informed that no definite promise could be given but that the matter with his offer would be' referred to Melbourne for consideration.

FEELING THE PINCH. Mr. Edden asked the acting-Premier in the Legislative Assembly, on Decern, her 9, whether, in view of the fact that it.had beeniasserted—and;not without truth—that innocent women and children had been made to suffer through the strike, .the Government would have a sum of money placed in the hands of'the Mayors of the various districts for the relief of this distress. Mr. Hollis asked the Minister to include places like St. Peters in any con. templated relief. A . large number of men were out of work at St. Peters owing to the shutting down of the brickworks. , ' , ... The acting-Premier: The proposition is a very wide one. To.start out to assist all who have been reduced to penurv and want through the strike would necessitate going through the whole State, for there was scarcely a district where the pinch lias not been felt. Ihe obvious reply to lioni members is: yJ by punish these innocent women and children ” when the whole position of affairs can be changed within 24 hours. However. the Government will never be unmindful of .its duty .to the weak and jiolpless.

THE CO-OPERATIVE MINES. . " NEWCASTLE; Nor. 11... Notwithstanding the statement. byMr. Hughes, M.H.R.; that the Ebbw Main and. Young Wallsend mines, which n re- worked by -the' strikers, wore-to be closed down, the' mines .were still at work to-day; a'nd th'e'outputr-amount-ecV to 1600'tons: -Two shifts are .work-: in or at Ebbw Main, and three at Young Wallsend. The third shift at the latter mine started on Saturday, but'there _is not a full complement of miners. No instructions have vet been received to discontinue operations, and everything is running smoothly. The men are quite ; satisfied, .aud ; apnear to he anxious to continue work-"'finding the ‘wages they - arc receiving very acceptable. The Gov-

, V- .'•! i- : CABLE NEWS:

ernment is taking the. whole of the-.out-, put, which is being loaded into both, the companies and the Government hop piers. [The mines have since closed down.] A } . ' The steamer • Navarino, 'which came here some time ago to load coal from these mines for Messrs. Kethel and Co., js still in port, though, owing to the Railway Department taking all the coal, she has been -unable to obtain a cargo. The vessel is now lying in the inner basin, with her fires banked, though it was first intended that she should return to Sydney, and some speculation is being caused by the cancellation of this order.