SETTLEMENT PROBABLE

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 26, 31 January 1921, Page 5

SETTLEMENT PROBABLE

IN COLLIERIES DISPUTE. "GO SLOW •' TO CEASE. REFERRED TO TRIBUNAL. .By Telegraph-Press Association.'. \V__JNT_yTOX, Saturday. Hopes of a settlement in the coalmine j dispute are revived as the result of an j important statement made by the Prime | ! .Minister to-day. I Mr. Massey said: —"Another conference was held this inornin,, between myself and representatives of the mineowners and miners respectively. It was arranged that, subject Ur the approval or the executive of the Coalmine « Owners' Association on the one side and the executive of the Miners' Federation on the other, the question in dispute should be referred 10 a tribunal consisting of one representative of the mineowners and one representative of the miners and a chairman, to be recommended by the Prime Minister. All three mem'&prs of the proposed tribunal have been tentatively agreed upon, their decision to be final, but in the meantime their names will not be made public. On the setting up of the tribunal the go-slow polity is to cease and normal operations are to be resumed." AWAITING WORD OK THE CHANOE AT THE M:\ES 1 p • ~ ; 1 rospects ot a settlement of ;.iie 1 Bin.-I-:,:•■alLmine dispute are "brighter today ?iiu-e the Prime Minist.-r has been |a:.v- to complete tiie personnel of the j proposed tribunal which is to consider jan 1 report upon the dismissal of an employee. Mr. .Massey since his return from Auckland to Wellington has been able to induce both mine owners and men to a,crree upon the three members to constitute the proposed tribunal, and meanwhile the "go-slow"' policy in the mines which has threatened the coun-l try with a coal shortage and stoppage of its essential industries, will be aban-j doned. j The arrangement brought about by the Premier came none too soon, as bothparties to the dispute were talking at! the week-end of drastic measures—mi the one case of shutting down the 1 mines altogether and in the other of, ceasing work. Whether abandonment of "go-slow" 1 work will rake place immediately fs not clear. Xone of the coal corrcpan : es in) the city when seen by the "Star** t-hisi morning had received definite word: front the mines. It was understood that! until the otitput for the day was] mea-sured it could not be definitely said j that normal operations were resumed. Pleasure was expressed at the possi-! bilitv of an amicable agreement heinjj reached in view of the impending coal 1 famine which already threatened.) Although storfcs have necessarily been, depleted during the past fortnight, it is, hoped that if the "go-slow'" pol'cy is, promptly abandoned, industries, by| careful allotment of supplies, will be, I able to carry on without interruption. — I