MINERS AND COAL OWNERS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 302, 15 September 1921, Page 6

MINERS AND COAL OWNERS

FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE _i THE SITUATION UNCHANGED No new development, so far as can be ascertained, has taken place in the industrial dispute between the coal mine owners and the miners of New Zealand. Correspondence has recently passed between . Mr. P. O’Rourke (the new secretary of the Miners’ Federation), and Sir. AV. Pryor (secretary of the Coal Mine Owners’ Assoiation), but it amounts to little more; than reiteration on the one hand of the miners’ request for a conference to discuss a national agreement in the industry, and on the other hand of the mine owners’ refusal to discuss any but local agreements. The minora’ unions have been cited to appear before tho Court of Arbitration, and tho Conciliation Council sittings have not been attended by miners’ representatives. Tho owners now offer, if the unions desire it, to ask the Conciliation Commissioner to arrange for further meetings of the councils before the appointed sittings of the Cgurt. The first mining- case was to have come before the Court on October 5 in Du’nedin, but the hold-up f'hat has occurred through Mr. M'Cullough’s resignation has made it probable that tho case will be heard much later. Mr. O’Rourke’s Letter. Mr. O’Rourke’s letter to the Coal Mine Owners' Association reads as follows:— "I must confess I am rather surprised at tho arbitrary tone of your letter. You state: ‘I have again to inform you that the several coal mining companies belonging to this association are not prepared to consider the making of a new national agreement with your federation.’ To me, and I think to every fairminded member of the New Zealand public, this declaration is surprising, especially in view of your previous attitude. I might ask whether tho several coal mining companies imagine they have discovered some sinister motiye behind the action of the Miners’ Federatipn since tho conference In April. May I remind you that on that occasion the only objection the mining - companies raised to a national agreement for winters was based on the following points: (1) Abolition of the ccatract system; (2) a six-hour working day; (3) the five-day week, and three others which I need not mention here—you will remember them very well. If you will turn up the correspondence received by "you from Mr. Arbuckle date/i July 15, you will see that your objections on these points have been almost w’holly met. "Another point I would like to draw your attention to is this: In face of the fact that several other industries tho names of which I need not mention they will be familiar to you—have been granted national agreements, wppn*what rational ground do you refuse to concede a similar right to the miners? The Miners’ Federation has put this point to you jmd your association on many occasions’, but aa yet it has never been replied to. Those whom I represent consider they have a Tight to know why you object, and feel that' the public are also interested in the reasons for your refusal. With so much at stake it hardly seems wise from any point of . view for the mine owners to refuse to discuss conditions at a conference and to arrive at a national agreement when the miners have removed practically all the obstacles, and when They most strenuously object to your dragging them before a tribunal in which they have not the slightest confidence. ' "Even the mine owners must admit that the men who have to w<srk in the mines are more capable of judging what are - fair afid reasonable conditions than a Court whose members do not understand the rudiments of the industry, and their representatives, together with yourself, can much more satisfactorily thrash out an agreement than others who arc quite -ignor.ant of tho matters in dispute. In any case, the mine owners may rest assured that the miners do not intend to accept conditions drafted by persons who are incapable of expertly dealing with tho matter, and on this account it is surely advisable for the owners to take the reasonable rather than the dictatorial, attitude. "I repeat our request for another conference to consider the drafting of a national agreement frqm a practical point of view.” MINE OWS REPLY Following is\ the text of Mr. Pryor’s replv:— “I am .in receipt of your letter of the sth inst., again urging that the coal mining companies should agree to . a united conference with your federation with the object of entering into another national agreement for tho Dominion collieries. “In reference’ to the last paragraph but one of your letter, I wish to* say that the coal mine owners quite agree with vou that the mon who have to work in the mines are best qualifier! to discuss the terms of an agreement regarding their own work, and for, this reason an invitation to meet and discuss agreements was recently sent to encl) union by the several companies, but with one or two exceptions tho invitation was ignored at tho instigation of your federation. Moreover, the Arbitration Act provides that before a dispute ■can be heard by the Court a com ciliation council consisting of assessors representing each party to tho dispute shall meet under the chairmanship of a conciliation commissioner, to donsider tho proposals, and endeavour to reach an agreement. The commissioner has no vote on such a council, and the assessors, being practical men representing the parties concerned, are free to discuss every point thoroughly, and to recommend anv settlement upon which they are able "to agree. Such councils, each dealing with a particular district with which all the members are familiar, are far better qualified to deal with the matters before them than is a- conference of the ’Miners’ Federation and the Coal Aline Owners’ Association, and it i? only when such a council fails to arrive at an agreement that the matter can be dealt with bv tho Arbitration. Court. Again, the Court has power to appoint experts (one nominated by each party) to sit with the other members if it is necessary to do so, cn account of the technical nature of the dispute. "The coal owners’ -proposal that local agreements be made between the unions and companies concerned, either by direct negotiation or in accordance with tho provisions of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, therefore amply fulfils vour demand that the dispute "shall be settled by practical men representative of the parties concerned. Although the assessors appointed to net for the unions on the several conciliation councils have so far failed to attend, the owners are prepared to ask tlio Conciliation Commissioner to arrange for further meetings of the councils if you desire it before the appointed 1 sittings of of tho Arbitration Court, but they are not prepared io depart from tho decision already communicated to you on several occasions ■bv Mr. Bishop regarding the making of a national agreement.”

The Masterion Amateur Theatrical Society staged ''The Geisha” last night. Mr R J Young presided over a specially augmented orchestra. The production was considered to be equal to the previous performances of Ihe Geisha by the local society eight years ago.