PRIVATE MINES IN INANGAHUA

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26398, 17 April 1951, Page 6

PRIVATE MINES IN INANGAHUA

Most Resume Work NO DECISION BY GREY OWNERS From Our Own Reporter GREYMOUTH, April 16. Although co-operative mine-owners in the Grey district have not agreed to return to work, most of the private mines in the Inangahua (Reefton) district were reported to-day to have resumed normal production. It is believed that co-operative miners in the Grey district will again consider their policy at a meeting later this week. The collier Rata is scheduled to arrive at Greymouth on Thursday to load coal for Wellington. She will be the fourth collier to take coal from Greymouth since the strike began. A denial that any intimidation or threats had been used in the canvass of businesses in Greymouth and the district to raise relief funds for the wives and families of men involved in the present strike was given by representatives of the Wallsend and Dobson Miners’ Unions, Messrs R. Hall and W. Purdy, in a statement issued to-day. They also endorsed the statement made on Saturday by Mr R. H. Mitchell; on behalf of the miners’ relief committee, that the canvass was not illegal. Soldiers cleaning out the Dobson State Mine bins of all available coal stored there will to-morrow begin a similar operation with some 450 tons stored in Paparoa State Mine bins at Roa, near Blackball. A newspaper advertisement to-night calls a special meeting of miners’ wives, indicated as being authorised by the Grey Miners’ Central Committee, for to-morrow afternoon at Greymouth. The Runanga State Miners' Union has also called by advertisement a meeting of members who live at Rapahoe or Nine Mile for to-morrow morning. The business is said to be to form a relief committee. The executive of this union met to-night.