AUSTRALIAN COAL MINERS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18925, 14 February 1927, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN COAL MINERS.

APPEAL TO REASON. TRADE LOST THROUGH STOPPAGES. (By CASLI—P2ESS ASSOCIATION—COPYTUG3T..i AITD K.s cable ISSOCIATION..' SYDNEY, February 12. Ihci Federal Government official enquiry into the coal dispute conferred with Mr Kibble, chairman of the coal tnhunal. Ho then returned to Melbourne. after telegraphing the result of hi* inquiries to the Rt. Hon. Stanley Bruc^ l'.,n!v Federal action is expoued. It is unotticinl!y stated that there are (jjod prospect* of a settlement.

Iho Northern Colliery Owners' As-*-ociitti'Hi has issued a statement that the oh tier.-, desire peace. It adds: "For years thero ha> been such instability, dislocation, and continual interruption of production, the result of sectional stoppages, thai to-day Australian foreign trade in coal, which once spread all over the Southern Hemisphere and even to remote countries, is now practically non-existent, and even in the Australian market tho cost of production has been so forced up that consumers are already replacing coal by oilier means of power." The statement concludes by appealing to minors to retrain from n strike which would be as foolish as it would be calamitou".

MELBOURNE COLLIERIES IDLE. (AUSTRALIAN- AND K.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) (Received February 13th, 5.5 p.m.) MELBOURNE, February 13. Owing to the coal strike, three collieries are already laid up, and the crews have been paid oil. Unless the troubln ends soon, the number will be largely increased.