COAL MINERS' DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 263, 30 July 1908, Page 8

COAL MINERS' DISPUTE.

THE ARBITRATION COURT. HEARING FIXED, FOR AUGUST'S..' (BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS* ASSOCIATION.) . ; Dunedin,. July 29.In the Arbitration Court this morning Mr. 'A. Forbes; general secretary; of- tho Otago Coal Minors' Union, mentioned the result ,of the conference held at Green: Island between tho inino owners and mon's representatives,, and expressed regret that t they, had not been able to effect-a satisfactorysettlement,' al- ■ though they had hot givon up hopes of patching 'mitters up. It was the express wish"of the whole of tho Green Island miners to ask tho''Court to fix the dato on which to. hear tho caso cited by tho Green Island branch • of tho Union. Tho : miners would go on with tho other conferences as ordered by the Court and would, use overy effort to effect a sottle- ,.?• ment in' each ease., It was desired, however, ■ that this Court, prior to leaving for Invercargill should fix tho date to hear, the Green Island case. : '■' ' : '' Mr. 'W. 'Scottj' on behalf of the employers, said ho understood the Green Island case depended to some extent on.the result of other .conferences. Tile employers would object to Igo on with tho Green Island caso by; itself, 1 as their' referenco was governed by a um- . form referenco for cases. ' V ' i Mr. Forbes said he did not think tho other conferences would bo over before, Tuesday. . The miners 1 ' delegates .were not going • to rush matters if: there was a possibility of : coming to an amicablo settlement.;' '. ■ "His Honour pointed out that as regarded, tho other conferences there was no reason wliy.thoV'should,not settle somo of tho-mat-ter's in dispute. Even if they fell out on big .•/questions, thero, was. no reason why .they.. •■■j' should not agree, onsmall.ones.'; , ""-'J '■K-fr Mr." Scott said tho employers would prefer to go on with tho whole ,of the cases and make one 'caso of them. His Honour directed tho parties to settlo as much as'they could, and fixed Wednesday, ' ' Augusts, as the dato of hearing of tho Greeii Island case. ■ WORKING EXPENSES. TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAI. CORRESPONDENT.)' ' Dunedin, July 29. In connection ■ with the. trouble *at tho Green 'Island' collieries : tho " Star " says :— : Tho'cost of coal in tho mine and the market is ovide'ntl.v: a-ficltlo basis on which to; build . up tho" estimates of working expenses. of a • colliery, : and the profits of mine owners. . Thero aro many avenues of expenditure whiclv everybody oxcept tho mine-owner fails to' i see. Yesterday .afternoon; at the conference of parties concerned in the Green'lsland coal '! - milling industry, Mr. R..Freeman enumerated soveral -special expenses mine-owners had to • : pay. The niinors sick and accident fu'nd : cost the . mine-owners ■ one farthing on each ton : of coal produced. Iri'l9o6; legislation l was " . passed wiich put'a. tax on ; tho coal interest' . over and above the'land tax. In one mine • this extra' ox'pendituro represented an increase; equal to 3d. on tho ton of coal. In • addition to that rates were imposed by local bodies;, and insurance rates cost 455. per £100 of wages. ' These would be largely ■ increased if the present demands of the work- .■ ers were' granted.' Further, than, theso. ex-. •. penses .tho bank to bank clause, had reduced V ; the working' time' by half, an hour, daily. The locar rates'; paid by ,■ some :of: the ' mines' amounted to nearly £100 a. year.:- He knew ; of jio industry in tho ~Dominion which , had " to bear, so much taxation, 1 so many burdens, worries, and troubles as coal, mining.