WEST COAST MINERS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 105, 27 January 1908, Page 6

WEST COAST MINERS.

' A CONFERENCE ' , w MINISTERS' PEACp MISSION. (BT TBLEGEAM—PEESS association.)/ '' Westport,' January 26. - Sir Joseph Ward and tho Minister t, for ' Labour (tho Hon J ,A Millar), accompanied by Mr Loraas (Labour Department), arrived " by from Groymouth. at.' 11 ( o'clook this , morning. Immediately after- v ' wards tho Ministers wont into private con« , ferenco with Messrs. Foster, Bishop, Little, ' ' v&nd,v_M 'Donald ;(solicitor) representing '{.ho • ' Donmston Co&lminers' Union Ono of tlio: visitors mentioned to tho Press • Association agertt that l tho Ministers' mis* sion hero is to make, peace. .Tho Press not •-> • '• - admitted; to., the. conference,■..■;".■. 1 i - ■■ ■■' -■ ... Tho President of the .Union. says.' the mea will .proceed, \vith- their ease. from'tho War- v ' den's Court .up to tho Appeal Court, if neccs-: ■-1 sary j A CHRISTCHURCH VIEW. LABOUR AND THE COURT. Christchurch,'January 25. _ Mr. 1 Henry. Broadhead,' Secretary .■ of '- ( the : , Employers' Association, discussing tho matter, jyitli j a reporter this.- morning, said' that : In his opinion .ajstrike would have the sym- '. i . -v pathy, of fiho Unii)ns !of the Dominion. Their' -. policy during the| time of .the slaughtermen's r : ' " strike showed -that they did nothing to in- ' •■ terfere nith the men's method of settling the dispute. Tho feeing which tho Trades Council confcronces hid manifested, towards the -' ; Arbitration. Couk . and its ; decisions'ishowod " : ' that they wore, prepared, for a struggle; and, x i' that they, would ■not . hefeitate to sot: the Act' • ■ at, dofiaiico-. if .they tliought that such action- . would Berra thou; purpose. :. Care would be ' taken that tho action would not bo started ' ' by the workers', unions, so that thoy would Iv. ', , not render tliemEelvos 'liablo; to como' under' the j jurisdiction .of the ; Court for- interfer- v - : ' • ■ ence. : ; : j -j■■ -Vv-'-v;-If there, was .'a 'strike,. Mr. '-Bmdhcad 0 1 • added; it would ccrtainly: bring. the Arbitra-; i '. tiou Act , into disrepute, but ho did not think • * that, as a rosult; the Act would-be ' V ■The unions did not! want to dispense-with it ■- ; just yet, or 36 long as. it would servo their purposes. Aftor. that, or. asj soon- as n thoy found that it would-be to their advantage to v ignore the Act; they would ■ not 1 hesitate 1 to v ignore it 1 _ •• Mr. Broadhead: said- ttmt in, his opimon' a ■ strike would not eventuate yet. .Apparently , .a strong effort wtis to be made by tlio Pre-' v 1 -v •mier' and' the Minister- for-'Labour to settle ■ ' the. difficu|tyj andlthe Goveniment would no ■: doubt bo anxiousf to avoid 'anbthcr active; collision between 4he "workers' and tho Arbi- , ■ tration Court. f \' LATEST.. A CONFERENCE-HOPES FOR EARLY . SETTLEMENT. ■ 1 Westport, January 26 ■ The Premier had a conference with tln . , : Miners' 1 Union at; Denn|ston 'to-day; ;indsul> . nutted certain proposals in connection l with. v the dispute there.: : It was arranged to hold a further coiiferenco txj-morrow. morinng at ■Westport, between.'the, Westport Coal.Com< 1 pany's : district, manager, the miners', dolot gates, and Ministfirs. . The Press aud tho general public were not' admitted |to the meeting. ■ ' It is understood that: the parties are hopeful of an early t and favourable', settlement.-. ;; v : , '-y. ;| V-