The Press Tuesday, July 13, 1920. The Coal-mlners Again.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16885, 13 July 1920, Page 6

The Press Tuesday, July 13, 1920. The Coal-mlners Again.

When the coal-mines trouble was settled some time ago, most' people believed that a spell of peace could be looked forward to with confidence. The machinery seemed to have been provided for j the settlement of any dispute likely to arise, and we all thought that only good faith was necessary to give us the peace so generally desired. It. now appears that the machinery is not perfect: the National Disputes Committee can fail to agree upon questions submitted to it; and it also appears that oven when that committee doe 9 agree, there is no certainty that tho Miners' Federation will accept its decision. Tho Mine Owners' Association has made various proposals for a settlement of the outstanding disagreements, proposing a conference subject to the condition that tho chairman's dtv.ision should be final. This proposal is in keeping with the terms of the national agreement. After a joint meeting with the Prime Minister, the employers offered to agree to a chairman who should be: (a) Mr Massey, or (b) one appointed by Mr Massey, or (c) one of four nominated by Mr Massey and approved, by the parties. The men's representatives rejected all these proposals.. Mr Massey then suggested that Mr F. V. Frazer should act as chairman. The Federation rejected this proposal also, and submitted the name of Mr P. Hally. The employers agreed to this, and the Federation promptly objected to Mr Hally, too! It is quite obvious that tho employers could not have acted more fairly than they have done. Tho men's representatives have made no fair counterproposal for the securing of a final and binding settlement. They will, obviously accept no settlement which, is not exactly what they desire. The spirit in which the Federation is handling the matter is illustrated by its demand that tho settlement in regard to the Taratu mine should apply to the whole seam and to. Barclay's mine. The Taratu dispute was settled by the National • Disputes Committee, which unanimously decided that tho extra payment per ton should apply only to tho dip section by reason of the special conditions operating there. Now • the Federation proposes to upset this, although under the national agreement the decision of the National Disputes Committee is to be binding. The Fedoration is adopting a belligerent tone, and seems to believe that in a trial of strength it would bo victorious. This is very doubtful, but if, by exerting to the utmost its power to inflict grievous loss and injury on the whole publie, it were to force its terms upon the mine-owners, tho public would long remember it to tho great disadvantage not only of tho miners, but of organised labour as a whole.