OPINIONS FROM PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 258, 24 July 1908, Page 7

OPINIONS FROM PARLIAMENT.

' LITTLE KNOWN. I DISSATISFACTION EXISTS. NO ALARM FELT. In reference to tho rumours of acoalminers'' strike on a. largo scale, Ministers and members of Parliament who were seen last night had. no definito information to give, though some of them admitted that thero had been discontent amongst the ipiners for some time past."The Premier stated that tho Railway Department was in a strong position in regard Ito coal. They had on hand stocks to last four months. The Hon. W. Hall-Jones said lie had heard uothing of any intended coal strike. The Railway Department always held a large supply of coal, and he did not think there was a larger quantity in stock at present than there was this timo last year. Mr. Colvin, M.P. for Buller, in which distnct the Westport and Denniston mines are situated, statedthat in his opinion the miners of that district had no intention of going out on strike. Another member, who is interested in' tho ooal trade, said that trouble had been brewing for some tinio past, and if tho Arbitration Court did not take up the consideration of the miners' grievances at its present sitting, ho would not bo surprised to see a strike in operation. A r Southern Labour .member, on being ieen on the subjcct stated that the trouble had been _ brewing for a long time. Tho moil were asking for an improvement in wages, and conditions. The Court had just sent them back to the for a conference. If tho result of the conference was not satisfactory the men desired that the case should be heard by tho Court at the present sitting, as othorwiso it could not' bo heard perhaps for months. If they did notget satisfaction in -this respect it was not improbable that they would resort to a strike.