THE WEST COAST COLLIERY TROUBLE.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13007, 8 January 1908, Page 5

THE WEST COAST COLLIERY TROUBLE.

THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SITUATION.

MINERS' REPRESENTATIVE INTERVIEWED.

I (special to "the i-mss.") j -WELLINGTON. January 7. i Mr P. J. O'Regan, Chairman of the j AWinugton Conciliation Hoard, who has j ju«t- ret:i-icil from a visit to the West I Coast, sax*, the trouble* in regard to tho working oi the 'bank to bank" clause jat the Deuaiiton mino is still acute, j and that the timely appearance of Mr I Lomas. Chiet Inspector of Factories, on the scene, prevented the matter from aestirumg a much more serious phase. Ho questiono if tho public realises how serious the situation has been and is. If the Denniston miuo& nau closed down, he says, miners unions in other parts of the Dominion were prepared to act in unison with the TVestr*>rt men, and seeing how many indue- | tries are dependent on coal, their action would have meant a general paralysing of industries throuchout Now Zealand. Mr Fost-er, the representative of th© Dcnnistou Miners' Union is in Wellington, aud this morning he gave to a "Post' reporter the miners' side of the case. "The men's view is this," he said, "that eight hours from "bank to bank' is law at the present moment, and they wish to work according to the law. The company wishes to iix stated times for going into and out of the mine, but the miners refuse to concede this point. The miners' time for walking in and out of the mine is 36 minutes. The company is in favour oi givinu 40 minutes, but still that apparent concession of four nunntcs would keep some men in the. mine longer than if they_ were working on the 'bank to bank' svKtem. Perhaps I can illustrate what I ruoan thus: In the Coalbrookdale mine (dip sectiou) the men's time for travelling is 30 minutes, and the company's 40 minutes—a gain of 10 minutes to the men. In the Glasco-w section tho men's time is 28 minutes nnd tho company's 40 minutes—a gain of 12 minutes for the men. Iv Bradloy's section tho men claim 4«S minutes and the company concede 40 minutes— a loss of 2 minutes to the men. In Peacock's section the men ask for 12 Tuinutox and the company concedes 40 ' —a gain of 34 minutes, to tho men. Averaged, this means that tho men's time is 30 minutes and the company's 40 — a pain *>f 10 minutes. At the Iron Bridge section the men claim 28 minutes, and the company gives 40; gain 12; Krnger eection—men 32 minutes, company 40 minutes, gain 8 minutes; No. 7—mon 50 minutee* company 40 minutes, loss 10 minutes; dip section— men 50 minutes, company 40 minutee; loss 10 minutes; No. 4—men 60 minutes, company 40 minutes, low 20 minutes; No. I—.men 48 minutes, company 40 minutes, loss 8 minutes; new dip—men 36 minutes, company 40 minutes, gain o minutes; Khvi section —men 70 min-utes, company 40 minutes, loss 30 minutes; •wooden bridge—men 14 minutes, company 40 minutes, gain 26 minutes. Now, if this is averaged it will be found that at Coalhrookdale the men ask for 150 minutes, end the company ie prepared to give 200. At the Iron Bridge, however, the men ask for 388 minutes.(everything counted), and tho convpjinjr concedes only 360 minutes." ''But if the men do not work u-nder stated times," Mr Foster was asked, "what guarantee is there that they will not loiter by the way? , '" "No possibility of that," he replied. "They aro working on piecework. As a matter of fact, the output to-daj (it must He re-raornbered that the men are working on t>be 'bank to bank syste.m), is as good as it erej- wae before." ; "Then you are working on the 'bank to bank' system under protest so far as the Company is concerned ?•" '"That is so. We maintain that the law overrides the decision of the Arbitration Court." "And what is tlio position?" "Well, 1 suppose we are liable to be taken up beforo the Arbitration Court for a breach of its ruling." "'And you are here to get a ruling from the highest Court in tho land— the Appeal Court—on the validity of your action ?" "Tcs, that is tho case." Mr Foster added that he was here to do \l\& best to have the difference l>ofcween the miners and their employers amicably settled, and he had hopes of accomplishing this end. In the meantime he preferred to sny ac little ac possible about the matter.