COAL MINES TROUBLE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 234, 28 June 1920, Page 4

COAL MINES TROUBLE

MB. MASSEY SUGGESTS AN UMPIRE. In an endeavour to loose the deadlock ■in negotiations between the coal mineowners and the coal-miners' leprcsenta-. tives, tho Prime Minister has addressed the following letter to the secretary of tho Coal Mine Owners' Association, and to tho secretary of tho New Zealand Miners' Federation:— "With reference' to the matters in dispute between the New Zealand Coal Mine Owners' Association and the New Zealand Coal Miners' Federation in respect of certain mines, I'desire to suggest as a further means to a settlement that the following course of action should be adopted, namely, that I, as Prime Minister and as chairman of tho conference through which the national agreement; was arrived at, should appoint an arbitrator or umpire whose decision should be binding, to hear the matters in dispute between both sides. If this course is agreeable to your executive, I propose to appoint Mr. F. V. Ffazer, formerly a Stipendiary Magistrate., and in whoso impartial judgment I believe both, sides can have implicit confidence. Mr. Frazer is willing to accept this duty, and in the event of your executive agreeing to the proposed course of action, arrangements .can bo mado for him to meet both 6i*Jcs at an early date. I commend this suggestion to the favourable consideration of your executive."