MINING TROUBLE

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 291, 4 September 1931, Page 5

MINING TROUBLE

Hikurangi Dispute s CONFERENCE ARRANGED Two Labour members of Parliament, Mr. R. Semple and Mr. W. h. Parry, with Mr. H. M. Rushworth (Bay of Islands) left for the north by train last evening to take part in a conference designed to effect a settlement of the Hikurangi coal m The* 1 Leader of the Labour Party, Mr. H. E. Holland, yesterday received a telegram from Mr. J. Latham, secretary ot the Hikurangi Miners’ Union, asking that he should endeavour to arrange a contereuce between the Hikurangi directors, the Wilson Colliery directors, the Government, and the miners’ representatives with a view to effecting a settlement ol the trouble. Similar telegrams were received by the Minister of. Mmes, Hon. A J. Murdoch, and the member for tne district, Mr. H..M. Rushworth, who interviewed the Minister of Mines, aud arranged to leave for Hikurangi last evenln\t Mr. Holland’s request Messrs. Semple and Parry, both practical miners, agreed to go to Hikuranki with Mr. Kushworth for the purpose ot endeavouring to get the parties together with a view , to bringing about a settlement.. At Auckland, together with. Mr. Rushworth, they will approach the directors of both nun ej; after which they will go on to Hikurangi by x\tter ia receiving Mr. Latham’s message Mr. Holland communicated with the Prune Minister aud the Minister of Mines, who agreed that the MI. Barmay, should co-operate with, the three members. Mr. Murdoch also communicated with the directors at Auckland with a view to facilitating a meeting between the directors and the members, with the result that Mr. S. Reid, managing director of Wilson’s Portland Cement Company, and Mr. L. J. Stevens, director of the Hikurangi Coal Company, agreed to meet the three members this morning.