COAL MINERS' DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 262, 29 July 1908, Page 6

COAL MINERS' DISPUTE.

CONFERENCE If AILS TO ACREE. CASE TO GO BEFORE ARBITRATION v •' court. v. . {Br XELEGRAFII—PiIESS; ASSOCIATION.) j . Dunedin, July 28. \ Tlio Conference between tho coal minerl and employers■ continued at Green Island, today.' The. clauses of. the ; men's reference to the 'Arbitration Court : were further considered,and'ail agreement .'obtained on all sraallorand less important points, but on tho main ;points •in dispute both; sides are obdurate. When at 8 o'clock thisoyening, tho Conference. ended practically ;no ' settlement had been arrived at. , A mass meeting of the Green Island miners was then held in camera, and, after two • hours' \deliberation, a motion was' unanimously carried that the men approve of nothing done at .the Conference, and that .the employers'; offers ';bo not entertained. "'This resolution : was;;.communicated 'to «the 'em-> .ploydrs by' the men's representatives,' who stated that the employees l would not give way' on any s'ihglq point. l They. wer,e. : prepared: to" take the . dispute beforo tho Arbitration Court, and should they .not o'btnin satisfactioii thero thoy wero prepared to cease work, in a body and leave for, some other country or district where they could obtain, a living and not mero existence. • • , ■ •' : The employers,, speaking to r the men,-re-• gretted that an aniieable settlement had not been arrived at by the Conference,' but they hoped'the Arbitration Court'would .yet'prove the means of satisfactorily adjusting matters. The Allandale employers and omployces confer to-morrow. Z' l In the 1 Green Island case an applicatioi ■ will bo made to the Court to-morrow for heap , iug tho disputo. , . PREPARING FOR AN EMERGENCY. Christchuroh, July 28. In order to be prepared for 1 contingencies it is understood that considerable extra sup. plies of coal are being laid in at the; Addington Railway Workshops: . : .'. (DT I'ELEGBArn.— COREESrOKDEST.J * ' 1 . Christchurch, July 28. ' The question whetlipr there will bo a strike among the coal miners' of ■ New Zealand is yet unsettled,' but in the rioantime Christ-, ehurch householders are taking; no' chances, of having to pay high prices for their fuel, and local coal, dealers report that numbers of customers have doubled their .usual, .orderi during the llast. few. days in,order to b< ready for the emci'goncy. if it arises. ■