COAL TROUBLES.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16945, 21 September 1920, Page 9

COAL TROUBLES.

THE WAIKATO DISPUTE. BAILWAY DEPARTMENT'S STATEMENT. (Srr.CIAL (TO "THE rHES>.") "WELLINGTON, September 20. The following statement covering the position in regard to the demands of tlio, minor:, at Pukemiro and Rotowaru, bus been furnished to the Prime Minister by the General Manager of Railways UJr R. W. McYiily): As the s-Utcmcnt made by the representatives of the Iluntly Miners' Union and the Rotowarn branch respectively jcgardin" the difficulty that has occurred at the Pukemiro and Rotowaru mines is likely to create a misunderstanding in t .ho public mind a3 to tho position, I consider it desirable to j>laco the actual fsicts on record. Up to tho time the •aatemcnt of Messrs Lyndwall and Smith was in ado tho sole reason assigned by the miners lor ceasing work was that their demand that suburban rates should bo granted to miners travelling between Pukemiro and Rotowaru had been declined. Various other sideissues have now been imported Into the matter. These are train services, the noccssitv for paying freight on parcels, and the' absence of houses, stores, and school at Pukemiro and Rotowaru. As regards tho first, it is only necessnrv to° point out that train services have been provided between Huntly and Pukemiro daily for tho express purpose of conveying miners to and from their work, and tho departure and arrival of the trains havo been iixed to suit tho convenience of the miners {.nd tho work of the mines. With re„ard to tho charges for parcels or goods convrved bv rail, tho miners pay no jrore 'than "other sections of the comiminitv for a similar service. "With respect "to the demand mado by the miners for suburban rates on tho Hunt-lv-Pukemiro line, it has been repeatedly pointed out to them that the issue of suburban tickets is limited to tho four chief centres of tho Dominion and their suburbs. Workers' weekly tickets on suburban lines were inaugurated for the express purpose of inducing workers to forsake the congested city areas ahd make their homes in the healthier surroundings of the suburbs. Tho ISBUC of these tickets is to suburban lines, and they are available only for use by suburban trains which reach their "destination before 8 a.m. tickets are issued fTom the city to tho suburbs, and from tho suburbs to the citv. On lines other than suburban, twelve trip tickets are .issued at a (heap rate, and are available tor use liv any train. This latter ticket has hitherto hem purchased by miners and other workers similarly situated, ihe distance from Huntly _to llotowaru is six miles, and from Huntly to Pukemiro eight miles. The charges for a twelve-trip ticket from Huntly to Rotowaru is 3s £>d a week, or 3jd tor » iournev of six miles. Tho charge from Huntly to Pukemiro is 4s 9d a week, or 4 : ; d for 8 miles -of travel. It cannot reasonably bo contended that the pavment of tlieso rates is a hardship to the miners, and there aro no grounds) on which tho demands of tho miners to be given preferential treatment over other workers of tho community similarly situated can be justified. Quito recently the Coalminers Federation demanded that tickets at I urban rates should bo issued to tlio minors employed in the State coal mine at Rewanui. After explaining the matter to tho deputation from tho aimers Federation, the General Manager or Railways declined tho request, pointing out tho impossibility of granting tho coalrainers preferential treatment over ""other soetiona of tfoo "workers. In the course of tho discussion, it was ascsrtained that the demand made on behalf of the State coal miners would-be followed by sinfllar demands from all the other coal miners throughout tho Dominion, and later in the discussion the Becrctarv of tlhe Coalminers' federation stated that tho ultimate aim of tho Federation was to obtain free travel fori all coal miners boiveen their homes and the coal mines. Subsequently, an arrangement was made between the_ Mines Department and the railways with, re-

spoort to workers' tickets issued between Grcymouth and the Rewanui State coal mine, but no concession whatever 13 made by tlio Railway Department m respect 'of tiekots issued to miners on the Rewanui line. The Klines Department, a3 representing the State, tho owner of the mine, is paying to tho railways the tariff rates for miners carried between Grey mouth and Rewanui. The next development was a stoppage of work at the Rotowaru and Pukemiro mines, and a renewal of the demand For tho issue of suburban tickets. This demand, for reasons given above, cannot be acceded to. Ihe issue of suburban tickets must continue to be restricted to suburban lines. The Henderson line, to wihicli reference is made by Messrs Lyndwall and Smith, has foiJ years been a suburban line, and the workers of that line are entitled to suburban tickets, subject to the conditions laid down in the railway regulations Tho housing, of the miners at Pukemiro and Itotowaru is entirely a matter for the mine owners. T havo no knowledge of the number of houses tjhat are available at Rotowaru and PuKemiro, but it would appear from the statements made that the miners prefer to reside at Hnntly. The statement of Messrs Lyndwall and Smith that the miners are simply asking for the same workers' rates as are granted in every other part of the Dominion is not borne out by the facts. The miners have always had the same workers' rates as are granted to other workers similarly situated in all parts of tho. Dominion, and tho stoppage of the Pukemiro and Rotowarn mines is a deliberate attempt to foroe their demands for preferential treatment over other sections of the workers of the Dominion, irrespective of the consequences of their action on tho industries and commerce of the. country. HOUSING CONDITIONS AT THE MIXES. The following statement shows the housing conditions at both Pukemiro and Rotowaru. Pukemiro: 27 owned and occupied by •workers, 16 company's houses, 17 privately owned and rented (11 of which arc on land the company leases), three in course of erection by company, sis comfortable bach huts; total 69. Twentyseven per cent, of the workers live atl Hnntly. Rotowarn : 15, all occupied; 12 in course of erection, 9 of which arc nearly finished ; 12 to be erected on completion of above.