£7112 OWING.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18923, 11 February 1927, Page 8

£7112 OWING.

KAITANGATA MINERS' WAGES. GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE SOUGHT. [THE FBS3B 0Fecl»l Service.] WELLINGTON, February 10. A large deputation, representing every section of the Labour movement, made a request to the Acting-Prime Minister, and the Minister for Labour, to-dav, that the Government should pay the wages due to miners at Kaitangatn, who have been affected by the closing of the New Zealand Coal and Oil Company's mines. The chief spokesman was Mr W. Nash, secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party, who stated that the mines had been slack for some time. On December 10th last, three weeks' wages were due to the miners, and the men were informed that the wages were not available, but that they would be paid the next day. On the same day the company's manager, Mr Lee, stated that if,the men would continue working until December 23rd, it would help the company in the financial arrangements it was making; whereupon tiie men agreed. Up to the present no payment had been made, and the position on February 3rd was that a total of £7112 was owing to about 270 men. The legal aspects of the case had been investigated by the Miners' Union, and the union had been advised that as the company consisted of English shareholders there was a possibility of a claim under an English statute,! but that it was limited to wages earned within two months of the issue of the winding-up order. To prosecute the claim the union paid over its funds to the solicitors, and left itself practically penniless. The result of the action was not yet available. Breach of Award. Mr Nash referred to previous representations to the Ministers, and particularly called attention to the following submissions: That the non-payment of the wages was a breach of the award; that if the facta were known to the Labour Department? it should have taken .action; that the men did all they could to assist the company, even to the extent of working another week although three weeks' wages were overdue; that the safety men were still working without wages, and by so doing they. were saving not only a company asset, but a Dominion asset; that wages to tho amount of £7112 had been earned and wore due; that the coal obtained by the miners, for which wages had not been paid, had been sold, and someone had taken the proceeds; that the company was protected because of its foreign registration, and that the miners would have better recourse if tho company was registered In New Zealand, and subject to action in the New Zealand Court; that they could apparently take the assets without meeting the liabilities, and the remedy was not within the province of the laws of the Dominion, but had to be exercised under an English statute. Government Asked to Pay. The deputation, therefore, urged that the Government should pay the wages "already earned, and take over the claims of the men against the company. This* Mr Nash submitted, would not* fcreatte any dangerous precedent, in that the Minister for Mines had decided to introduce legislation during the next session of Parliament, which would prevent a future happening of a like natpre. It was further asked that employment should be provided for the unemployed workers until the mine 'riraa reopened. In conclusion, Mr Nash urged immediate action. The Acting-Prime Minister (the Hon. Mr Downie Stewart) pointed out that the proposals would open up quite a new departure in Government tesponsibilities and render the Government open to similar claims from other workers in a similar position. The Government had already secured work for the married miners, and it would endeavour to find reasonable work for the others. The Minister for Labour (the Hon. Mr Andersen) said he would do his level best to recover the men's money for them.