CO-OPERATIVE WORK AT WAIHI.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3701, 10 December 1912, Page 5

CO-OPERATIVE WORK AT WAIHI.

TO BE ABOLISHED. WHAT FEDERATIONISTS THINK

[BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT] AUCKLAND, Dec. 0. The decision of the AVaihi Gold Mining Company to abolish the system of co-operative (“all in the job") contracts and to re-introduce the proprietary contract eyas the suojeer o criticism this morning by Mr It. feem- ;>!, (organiser of the 'Federation m Labor). Mr Semple. said that the great principle behind the aspect of the YVaihi struggle that was kept prominently to the front in the squabbm between the unions was the proprietary contract system, which he regarded as the worst form of “speeding-up. For several years it had been worked in Wailii, but it was done away with and replaced by the co-operative system under pressure from the Federation .

Now, Air Semple went on to say, after a six months’ struggle, when the organisation was compelled in the teeth of tremendous odds, to declare the strike off, the first thing the Company had done is to establish the old system of competitive contracts and to allow no such thing as the co-ope-rative contract. It was perfectly certain, Air Semple said, that the best AVaihi miners and the majority ol them would not submit to this loim of what they considered to be tyranny. Although tim Federation had used no effort to compel them to come away they had voluntarily declared that they' would; not accept the terms imposed by the Company. The mine officials would fail when the time came for them to get the mine fully manned to take away from the men the principles they held. . .