MINERS STILL IDLE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3065, 28 April 1917, Page 10

MINERS STILL IDLE

THE TICKET 'TROUBLE ON THEr COAS

NO CONCESSION TO BE MADE

By Telegraph.—Press Association, ..,. ■■'■■'_•' Groymouth, April 27, '.■..,A'meeting of Ruuanga miners last night decided to discontinue work ponding a definite settlement with regard' to ■workers' tiokots "on i'the, Eowamii line: The State mines nre : idlo to-day. .".-■ ;Tho new conditions regarding tho ■; tickets''aroin accord with -Elie general : curtailment, of 'ih'e'period of .tho availability of. worlcmon's, tickets from two to one .week .for twelve .trips if the mines worked daily, as there is every indication at prosent of their doing. Twelve trips could be made except in ■:' pay, wcokj'.as thero is no work at the mines, on alternate Saturdays. Tho ticket rate is per trip.

,:/..■// THE FARES;TROUBLE, W)'. CONCESSIONS TO BE MADE. The attitude of the Governmont t0... ... wards the State mines strike remains indefinite, or at any: rate undeclared. It is clear, however, 5 that the Railway "Department is not at all likely to make any special concession to tho miners in. '-. the matter of fares, and that they will have to pay the same fares as aro charged to other workers. Sir James Allen'made this observation on tho situation last night: "Tho coal-miners in tho State mines have ■ : j gone out on strike because of sonio al- ,/ terationin fares undor the new rail- .■'■•■. .way regulations. , On ; this point tho ; Government cannot make any conces- • :■■ sibus. 'Che men are being treated like everybody else." ,' The Minister of Mines (tho Hon. W. ;D. S. MacDouald) when asked whether ;he had any''statement,to mako\on the matter said that .he was making inquiries, into the ticket trouble. "But," .: he said, "suroly. theso'men, if they have a grievance, have other ways, of making their ioguest for redress, [f every little trouble of this sort is to be made the reason for a strike, it .will be very difficult for' work to ho .- carried on." .' ; :