FURTHER REQUEST

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 223, 16 June 1932, Page 8

FURTHER REQUEST

Conference Wanted in Coal Dispute MINISTER’S REPLY The Government was pressed to britlg about a conference between the parties to the coal mine dispute, in a telegram received yesterday by the Minister of Mines, Hon. C. E. Macmillan, from Mr. Randle, of the Westport Chamber of Commerce. In discussing a previous telegram from the Minister, Mr. Randle said, the chamber had an assurance that the men were prepared to return to work immediately if a definite date was fixed for an early conference with the mineowners, and he urged the Minister to do everything in his power to bring about a conference. The Minister replied as follows:—

“Re your telegram, I have the following advice from Mine Owners' Association: ‘The coal owners on the West Coast have never refused a conference. They also agreed that there should be no alteration of the working terms and conditions on the West Coast until after the conference had been held. This assurance was repeated more than once to Messrs. Purdy and McLagan. The miners on the West Coast declined to wait for a conference and ceased work Since they ceased work I have had no communication of any kind from them.’ Obviously your desire for a conference should be submitted to the miners’ unions, who have the matter entirely in their own hands.”

The same reply has been telegraphed by the Minister to Mr. Purdy, secretary of the West Coast Miners’ District Council.