The daily Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1916-1917, 1916-12-27

1
carry on the sugar industry without
loss. Though this is the time fol
planting, work has been stopped in
many of the fields, and the industry is
threatened with ruin unless settle
ment is reached. Many efforts have
been made to effect an adjustment
but without avail The Federal Gov
ernment took a hand and tried to get
the State to enact law that would
have put the sugar industry under
the control of the Commonwealth au-
thOrities. The State upper House re-
fused to pass the measure, and there
the matter stands at present.
The Queensland trouble is serious,
but it is not nearly so fraught with
grave possibilities as the coal strike,
which has been in progress since the
end of October. No coal is being
mined now in any part of Australia.
The trouble began in New South
Wales, where the principal coal fields
are situated, and quickly spread to
Victoria. In the latter State are the
Wonthaggi mines, owned by the State
and operated by it to furnish sup
plies to the Government-owned rail-
ways
The Wonthaggi miners, though State
employees, are members of the same
union as the New South Wales work.
ers-the Australian Coal and Shale
Employees Federation. Though the
State miners had already received the
concession for which the others are
contending, they walked out in SYM
pathy.
Consequently the State is now get
ting no coal with which to operate its
extensive lines.
Electric Light Shut OH.
Luckily. when the strike was de-
clared, it had supply on hand suf-
ficient for several months. AS this
becomes depleted, train service will
have to be curtailed unless there is an
early settlement. Already a revised
time card has been issued to be ef-
fective if the present attempt to end
the strike proves fruitless.
The strike threatens to paralyze
the whole industrial life of the Com
monwealth. Within a few days after
its beginning the Federal Government
cOmmandeered all the coal in sight,
to guarantee supplies for troop ships
and the maintenance of industries
connected with the war Scores of
factories throughout the country, un-
able to get fuel, have been closed, and
others will follow suit, as their pres
ent supplies are exhausted. 1t is es-
timated that $4,000 workingmen are
now idle as direct result of the strike,
and this number will be greatly aug
mented if the trouble continues.
Train Service Curtailed.
In Melbourne. the electric light and
power department of the city has OBJ
tanned a sufficient allowance from the
government to keep running, but in
Sydney the current has been shut off
off from all private houses
Train service in New South Wales
has also been cut down, with the re-
suit country race meetings had to be
deferred. To most Australians, this
postponement is the best possible evil
dence of the seriousness of the situa-
tion of the situatian, for hardly any
thing short of cahaclysm is allowed
to interfere with a race program.
Sydney and its suburbs are suffer-
ing severe inconvenience from the cur
tailment of the ferry service; inter-
state shipping has been disorganized,
affected and a beer famine and other
minor ills are threatened.
Some, factories counted on using
coke, but the Government has now
taken over the available supplies of
that fuel. Restaurants and house
holders are laying in stocks of wood,
and few of the factories will prob
ably be able to keep going at least
part time with this fuel.
A strong effort is now being made by
a section Of the coal miners to have all
coal declared black by the union.
This means that no unionist in any
trade would be permitted to handle the
coal that is now available. Such ac-
ton would be the final blow needed to
demoralize the whole industrial struc-
ture.
The coal strike was called while the
case of the men was pending before
the Commonwealth Court of Concilia-
ton and Arbitration. The chief de-
mand is for what is known as an eight
hour bank-to-bank-work daylight
hours, that is, from the time the first