N.S.W. COAL STRIKE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2698, 31 December 1909, Page 6

N.S.W. COAL STRIKE.

CABLE NEWS.

THE JUDGE’S FINDING, United Press Association —Copyright. SYDNEY., Dec. 30. Judge Heydon, in fining the delegate officials, said the men possessed the confidence of their felloAvs, and their position AA'as anJionorable one, but .in cases of this kind that was an aggravation of the offence, rather than a mitigation. They Avere accused of influencing their fellows against the IaAV. They could not have done so if they AA r ere not men Avhom their felloAA's had trusted. They had used 'their qualities to fight the community, and to bring aboiit calamity to the country, and could not now make a poor mouth when the facts AArere brought home to them. He could not see his AA T ay to reduce the fine, but Avould alloAV a month in which to pay. A number of men refused the concession, preferring to go to gaol, but after consulting with their counsel, they agreed to accept time in Avhich to pay. ...

THE SECESSIONISTS AND THE SOUTHERN MINERS.

Mr. BoAvling and other secession leaders are addressing meetings of the southern miners, v

A UNIONIST VIEW

f Per Piiess Association.l WELLINGTON, Dec. 30. Matters affecting the present mining strike at Newcastle Avere interestingly dealt Avith yesterday by Mr. James McWilliams, vice-president of the New South Wales Colliery Employees’ Federation in an intervieAV Avith a “NeAv ’Zeaand Times” representative. Questioned as to hoAV the public generally regarded the neAV drastic industrial legislation recently passed, he said the public took it in a very bad Avay.~ “‘There has been great opposition to it,” he said, “and it has not been confined to the working classes. Men. in. all positions of life have viewed with great disfavor the enactment of such drastic legislation The amendments are all objectionable, all highly unplatable,” was the i-eply. “For instance, they have given to any police magistrate the power, upon conviction, to send a man to gaol for tAvelve months AA'ithout the option of a fine. The idea of a jury is knocked on the head altogether.” Some doubt, he thought, existed in the minds of the people here, judging from what he had seen and heard, that in consequence of the strike and the enactment of this new legislation it woulc) have a detrimental effect in . the ranks of the labor politicians in NeAV South Wales. It Avas generally contemplated that it 1 Avould have the opposite tendency, as the Avorkers from one of Australia to the other were highly, indignant. They looked oir' the action of the Government as a blow deliv’ered expressly at the annihilation of unionism. Instead of being detrimenjtal it Avould liaA r e a beneficial effectfroiiji the standpoint of union .. About 13,0j00 miners were actual ly/nF ted by the / strike. ■ ' ,4-'But, of course,” conti. .. the / x .-^ker,"' “there is a corresponding, number of other classes of labor affected : Avharf laborers, coal lumpers, crane hands, etc. We can tell Avhere the) business commenced, but it is hard to say Avhere its ramifications do not reach’.” • * And lioav long do you think the miners will be able to stand the finanjdial strain*and drain?” “Stand the strain? There is no knoAving how long they can stand it. For instance, in the locality from which I came the workmen only AA'Orked 534 days for the twelve months just prior to the strike ;|yet I am free 40 confess that, judging.-by external appearances, they are just as staunch as any of the men who might haA'c been in a more fortunate position. It is really Avonderful.” Asked for an explanation of the position Avith regard to the mines, the output of AA'hich the Government seized, Mr. McWilliams explained that there were two mines oAvned and controlled by Kathen and Company.. These Srietors had suffered something very > short of crucifixion at the. hands of the Vena". When the strike took l>lacQ they made overtures to the Colliery Employees’ Federation, stipulating that if the Federation desired it, they Avould run their' collieries driring the currency of the strike on the folloAving lines: The selling price of the coal of these collieries had- previous to the strike been for all practical purposes 9s. per ton. Hr consequence of the strike the price Avas increased. The proprietors entered into a compact with the Federation that if they Avere allows ed to work the collieries at F-bbAV Main and Young Wallsend, 'they would equally share Avith the Federation the amount beyond 9s per ton obtained for the coal in "the market. Contrary to the contemplations of everyone, the Government, stepped in, and commandeered the AA'liole-of the output of the tAvo mines. This it had a perfect right to do, in the interests of the Avhole of the community, continued the speaker, “but wbat we say is that rf it thought fit to commandeer the coal, it Avas up to,-them to r>a,y the full value of the commodity. Up to the time of my leaving Sydney it bad not paid. The men Avorking these collieries Avere called upon to nay a levy of 10 per cent, to support and maintain their idle fellow unionists. , It occurred to the majority of the Delegate Board when it met that it Avas reasonable these men should nay 25 per cent, of their earnings. When this information av?.s conveyed to them they immediately, without resolution, Avent and took ,the tools out' of the. mines.” They were still idle when Mr. McWilliams left, although the men in the Avestern district had gone back to work. The supply of coal reaching the market Avas not by any means in excess of what had reached it when the tAvo collieries; avere going in the north. ;

AN ADDRESS BY THE MINERS’ ENVOY.

Mr. .Tas. McWilliams, vice-president of the New South Wales Colliery Employees’ Federation, addressed a meeting to-night under the auspices of the Trades and Labor Council. There was not a large attendance. After setting out the case from the miners’ point.of view. Ivlr. McWilliams appealed for funds to help carry on the struggle. r rii-> chairman, Mr. D. McLaren, M.P., said that an. appeal for funds would be made; throughout the Dominion by Mr. Manning, secretary of the New Zealand Mines’ Federation. At the same time the, Wellington Trades and Labor Council intended to take independent action in' this connection. ' ' ’' - '