COLLIERY TROUBLES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 74, 20 December 1907, Page 7

COLLIERY TROUBLES.

;,i.. . +..V:.. '■> SERIOUS POSITION AT : WESTPORT. ' ' possible cessation of work. ■ (BI TEtEOBAPH—IHESS ASSOCIATION.)'" : Westport, December 19. i- Matters are at a very acute stage at Den--1 liistou in 'connection with tho, hours, of labour in the Westport; Coal collieries. Negotiations 'between [ tlio" management and tho Union' have been proceeding since the 'sitting" of" tho Courts ■but no . amicablp. arrangements have'been come .to. [ /Mit:'' Dixon','; the. Companyjs district lnaniager, informs tli6i"Press Association .• agent , ;'tliafc}:;gbhig»l)6yoiid-'tho ( : award : of the (Court .a®' o*ertii)ib,' ho has : offered 1 tios arrange, definite.. Sectional travel- ! 'liij| lias'''refused ' these .-terms'. "'' : "'V *,■ MrT Foster,"prasidenf'of the~lliiion, states i.that'the! men rely, upon their legal right, to :work "bank to bank.'* : A deadlock- : h'as "ndw been reached.Mr. Dix On. states that, unless a co'iiipromise, is :arrived" at 1 -, l(simil,ai': to '/that' ; ! ftif anged Vat | Granity) within tho\next I 'few days, he be compelled.to .advise tho-directors to cease -operations pending" s'oiiiS Satisfactory settlement.-- - - : A ....... " Mr. Joachim, geiieraljnanager of theiCompany,.has arrived from I)une"din.'lt is"jinderi • stbocl that ■ co ri'espo rule tier, on the dispute is proceeding between the"'Minister of Labour aiid the committee of the \!niori;\ The men ;afe diSsarisfied'witir th¥ decision ! b'f th'e 'Afbi"trafibii Coiirt' dri'the •"bank to bank" qucs-'' tiom" • ri A'W::':.;;;;. iv* 'OHrv'.i"! -'iv; '.pijiariii DUnsdtn, " IS); '".'Cblisidej'alili Uhrost'Vpi'eva.ili? ambng-'Soal: •lriinefs 'thrOn'ifhOutolhV! -Drtini'iiihW;.- <iwVl.'.i/>'*> a 'interesting- developments ma'yi be dooked 'for shortly. ■ ■ ' - I : I .. .. ■' ■' u "'.■ 'fj.'V ~ A CRITICAL JUNCTURE. ' (B\ TLLEGHAIUt—PKESS ASSOCIATION.) ' - ..DUnedln, December 19. Nullum Scott, phy has taken pait in all coufer^ n c(!s::hiid;dispi(tcs; between: ,thc Den- * uiston (.pal-miners . (jmon and tlie Westport G„al Company Tooks upon the position aB the most..serious. that the Arbitration .Court- lib S : l^ea ' W 'M'> a| 'd is of opinion. that if tlip;,Cpurt; cji}i trot' en force t its -itf'this thp.brpakiliy donTii.of Arpitrafion Act". ,'is regarded. locally: .ia- therii is" also jtioublti bi'ewuig in connection with the coal " mines throughout Otago,'anil in Auckland, but, So far_ are , apting jntlpixiiljlently of one Mother so far. i' tr.Otago bmployorsiniVe met tho Unions in. conference on-several , occasions, but without '.satisfactory: results. .'lt was'-a'nticipated'tliafc': "tlicnitottaT^^l^tlto:xv6UM*Wteßtightrli6.'. .fbro the 'Arbitrntibii 'Cotirt in', February, licit, aiulj that; both.- partieswonldi ;iUi tho ipourt'S idcoisioni. vis-stated,ihowover,''thai, /circumstances to the employers have arisen; aiid the presbnt' -stateiof- affairs;. : >agos : has, .it is stated, t been r-iinsisted Vpnj; by J the jem. •'plDycrs, a loss tO",understand theattitude Of. the^TTiiioris.*The oWniad is : held ,tbj»t s v an^ , Alit*jMv9' , .^p^. •, liv ■ the -Westjiort ,ininora > ;w^l s _.bev'«^;larl^." > fp}low«cl' elsewhcro; S^\teSlENT. ; n MIMSTER Tho'.Minister, for '.Labour (tho :Hon.: J, A. -Millar) '.states, tl)o;troubli?: : iB Uiat-tlre'-mincra, think' the • bank'-tb-bankj; ; .clause' ; .iii. tho. Act ishbuld tirnik of an i'waVd issued" before tho Act eaino into force/: but the Arbitration dr.bidnd.' against that view. , Hp ■ nndorstootl i the, Coinpaily vhad qfForocl.'.'to allon;. fo"rty ; 'miiiutps' 1 Nviilkiiig'timo, ,fint ,tlie" D6huißto'ii\ miners- ifif itot Seem iliclfhed to accept 'the pffo'r, ! ;tsough'.,theGranity, -workers .had dono'so'.- lf:'th'o,men-'insisted on, •tliei _bank^to ; bauk;. then,'. £ho Arbitration Ooiirt's- awanl, they -would bo guilty of a brcacli. of; .thaf award, aiid tho (Jovcrnmont Would ■ bo" compelled to tako-ac-tion against .them,. ,Ho,;was : ,in communication mt.li tho miniirs with,.the object of •riving at an-agreement, - file hoped seriouai trouble'.,could ,be avertedi- i', - . ! : ' RESOi.UTION. BY WELLINGTON .TRADES AND LABOUR COUxN T CIL. v At ■ the "meeting'.'oj-'' tile".Wolliiigtbn, Trades and Labour. Council last, night, tho " Bank ..to Bank "' at the. Den.nistoii .'coalihiiies. was . di^ussed:.' Thd fpllpwitigy'i'esohltipii',"'"copies of'w'hich Were^onlorod !to 'sent, to tho ■Minister for>l<abour and ,the' Secretary of tho -D^inist'qii''iMirierSUnionJ was Mrried dnahi-m'piisly;;-^';.lliat;,'this, .Couiicjl applauds 'tho _c!fo|ts' of tho ■ Denliistoii' ■ Atiners- Union to Tsebiirc .the: maxiirium .eight hours' shift .below : :^^'^%'aji^pW^*H^lf?-to'rmorally,'.and l^nciat|yPiau^pbiit^tKati:v>l['^i l those efforts; and, further, that tiiis.CouiicU'.iiiges - for Labour 'to•' adhere ' to'- tho '.tdS'BankV 'pnficiplo"! s"o : "recently-ap-.'prored of .by : ; Eai'liame)itf''against all Arbitration Court f awards:to j- tho : contrary^-/and declares that advises the Miners'. Union to accept an. agrpement in contrareu-" tion of the ' Bailk'to'.jKarik ' eight' hours' > prijicjiple is'-uhTCorthyibf/.tho support of- orga' nisi'd lab.qpr,v;';\'- iC-'JX-':', <