THE WAIHI STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1460, 7 June 1912, Page 6

THE WAIHI STRIKE.

* :— negotiations proceeding*, NO CONFERENCE ARRANGED, ' WHAT WILL BE DISCUSSED, It seems that the Press Association telegram from Auckland concerning tho alleged arrangement of a conference between the Goldminers' Association and tile Federation of Labour, relative to the troubles which caused the "Waihi and lieeftou strikes, is wrong in The only essential fact that it contained. The telegram stated that a conference had been arranged, and the fact- is that a conference has not' been arranged.

The following statement from Ml'. \\\ Prvor, who is acting as agent for tho Gotdniiners' Association in tho negotiations, is interesting as showing exactly what has beea done.

"Tho information contained ill tiie Prijss Association telegram from AucSland this morning is incorrect," said Sir. Prj'or. "No. arrangement has yet been made about a conference. I have to-day icceivod a telegram from Mr. Rhodes, who is president of the Goldminers' Association, and attorney ill New Zealand for' tho Waihi Company, that he has been'wrongly reported. He did not intimate to the press that a conference had •been arranged, ; but that, tho owners were agreeable to ,'mc'et (he federation under the-conditions-laid down.

"The position is as shown by tho following correspondence. The secretary of tho Federation of Labour communicated with Mr. Rhodes on May 22, asking whether a conference could bo arranged for :tho-following Wednesday, May 20. MY. 'iEliodes replied, saying that a conference could be'arranged if the Eeefton trouble, as well as the Waihi trouble would be dealt with at the conference, and he stated particularly that he awaited the agreement to those terms by the federation before summoning the members of the Goldminers' Association to the confer-ence,"'-which'-'was to have been held at .Waihi. .Those negotiations fell through, and the secretary of the federation was referred to me (Mr. : Pryor) for any fur-ther-negotiations lie desired to open about a conference. "On May 22 I wrote this -lofcter to tlio secretary of the Federation of Labour:— "■'l am instructed to advise you in reply to your request to Mr. _C. Rhodes (president of this association) that a conference will be arranged to bo'.hcldVa't Waihi if your Federation will agree-'to discuss Resfton as well as'-Waihi';',differences, and if you will be good' enough to let me have an outline of tlio,proposals your federation intends toijsiibmit to the conference. Upon receipt-of. your written , communication to the above effect I' will immediately, coinmunicato with my members and arrange «■ mutually convenient date for the conference.' "Messrs. .Webb, Semple, and I'aTry waited on me on Friday evening last, and agreed to give the written undertaking asked for. On June 1 I received tho following letter from Air. Glover, secretary of the jFedoration " 'In reply to yours of 28th and in conformity-with your request, wo beg to state that tne proposals to bo placed before your association are as follow• " '(1) That all matters in dispute be discussed.. "'(2) Tile advisability of arranging a new agreement between tho Waihi Companies and Workers.' "Upon receipt of that letter - I communicated with Mr. Winter Evans, of Ilccftou, and ascertained that lie could not reach Waihi until June 11. I rang up Mr,_ Semplo on Tuesday last, and gave luni that information, and communicated with Mr. Rhodes asking him if that date would bo suitable. Mr. Rhodes replied stating that the date would be suitable, but tliatf the Federation should be informed' that; it would-be useless to hold tho tohfereuce until the dispute between the Waihi Miners' 'Union and tho Engine-drivers' Union was settled. I gave this information to Mr. Semplo by telephone and followed it up -with this letter:— f 'Confirming my telephone communication to Mr. Semple yesterday,'' I have to advises you that'my association will agi'co, to a conference being held at Waihi 'on 11th inst., as suggested, but I am 'instructed to say that the mineowners are not prepared to interfero in, or to discuss tho dispute-, at. present resisting between, the two unions at.Waihi. That being tho.ease, unless your federation can arrange ii settlement of that dispute, or is prepared to give a satisfactory undertaking that ill tho event of agreement being reached in Con-. •: nection with, tho 'matters in dispute between tho mineowners and the Miners' Union, the members of that un- I ion will work amicably with the mem- - bers of the Engine-drivers' Union, the oonferencoi must , necessarily prove -abortive. It will'be obvious to yoiic federation that if settlement of tho matters in dispute as to working conditions in the mines is arrived ■ at, thc.re must bo a definite guarantee that mining operations will bo proceeded with without interruption. It is desired'that your federation should clearly understand (he attitude of employcvs in the matter before committins itself to the expenditure wh'ich . will ho entailed bv sondins its delegates to Waihi. I shall be glad to kuow • at your earliest convenience if your federation agrees to the conference being held on the date suggested, and on the .terms stated herein, and in your letter o£ Ist iust.'

• "'-That 1 ' letter was sent yesterday, mornV?"' of? I' ".'i , I lvas informed by jilr. hemple that the executive was conPidcrnig the matter, and that a roplv would be sent to mo during tho evening. .1 told him that I could bo gof on mv private telephone any time in the evening, but since then T luivo received no communication from the federation whatever. . So that nq conference lias been arranged, and.if one »hould be arranged it will not disc-uss the quarrel among unionists which brought about the strike. CROV/N LEASES. <, — . (By.'Telegrapli—Press Association.) . Christchurch, Juno 6. The prevention ot trafficking in Crown leases was discussed briefly by members ot the Canterbury Land Board at its meetinjr to-day. . The 'following letter from the Department, nddre-sed to tho e-jinmissioner, was Tead: -'It has been reported that a large ((mount of trafficking in leases in Crown lands is being carried on for speculation purposes lin different parts of the Dominion, end if is therefore desicd that both yourself..and the I.und Board should exercise tl-.e strictest vigilance in respect of such matters." The chairman (Mr. J. Sealey) said that tho beard always did endeavour- to prevent the trafficking complained';6f. Mr. J. Gibson said that ho did not see that any good would come from making such sweeping statements. ■Would the Department point out anything of the kind in Canterbury? Tf they could, they stwuld waste no time in bringing it up. Mr. J. Stevenson said that he certainly knew of cases where such trafficking had occurred. It might, however, be a difficult matter to prove them.

Mr. T?; M'Catile.v then moved: That the Department should be written to suggest- ■ injr that a conference of members of land hoards in the Dominion should be i held in Wellington at an early date for the pnrpose of discussing this 'letter and other important matters. : The motion was carried.