TROUBLE LOOMING. BANK TO BANK.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 148, 19 December 1907, Page 8

TROUBLE LOOMING. BANK TO BANK.

ACUTE POSITION AT WESTPOP.T; [BT TKLEGIUI'n.— PItESS &C3OCUTIOX.] I WESTPORT, This Day. •Mattel's aro at a very acute stage at Denniston in connection with tho question of hours of labour in the Westport Coal Company's collieries. Negotiations between the management and the union have been proceeding since the sitting of the Arbitration Court, but no amicable arrangements have- been como to. Mr. Dixon, the company's district manager, informs the Prc^s Association agent, that, going beyond the award of tho comt as to payment of nominal overtime, he has ottered to arrange definite sectional travelling time. The uuion has refused these terms. Mr. Foster, president of tho union, slates that- the men rely upon their legal light to work ' bank to bank." A deadlock has now been leached. Mr. Dixon states that unless a' compromise is arrived at (similar to that arranged at Granity) within the next few days, he will be compelled to advise tho directors to cease operations pending some satisfactory settlement. Mr. Joachim, general manager cf the company, has arrived from Dunedin. It is understood that correspondence on the dispute is proceeding between the Minister of Labour and the committee of the union. The men aro dissatisfied with the decision of the Arbitration Court on the "bank to bank" question. [Tho decision is published in another column in this issue.] CONSIDERABLE UNREST. DUNEDIN, This Day. Considerable unrest prevails among coal miners throughout tho Dominion, and some interesting developments may be looked for shortly. 'EXPLANATIONS. INTERVIEW WITH THE MINISTER. OF LABOUR. The bank-to-bank clause in the Act makes provision for a working day of eight hours, counled from the time when the men leave the surface till they return. This period thus includes walking ar, well as working time. Under tho old conditions, the men worked seven and a haS hours at the face, and half an hour Avas allowed for food. This afternoon the Minister for Labour (tho Hon. J. A. Millar) informed a Post ■reporter that he had Mr. Lomas at the scone of tho dispute. The trouble was that the mineis thought that the bank-to-bank clause of the. Act should ove;ride tho terms of an award issued before the Act came into iorce; but tho Arbitration Court recently decided against that view. Tho Minister understood that the company had offered to allow forty minutes' walking time, but the Denniston minors did not eeem inclined! to accept this offer, though the Granity workers had agieed to the company's terms in this matter. The general manager of the company is due to arrive at Westport to-day, and' there, to-morrow, Mr. Lomas will confer with the manager and the men. "It just depends on the way the men take it," replied I\lr. Millar, when asked whether he anticipated any serious trouble.^. If they insist on the bank-to-bank clause of the Act, then, according to (he Arbitration Court's decision, they will be guilty of a breach of the awnvd, and wo shall bo bound to take action -"ugainst. them. 1 am in communication with tho miners, trying to get them to come to an agreement to prevent friction. I am in hopes that serious trouble will be averted." It is understood that the company's allowance of forty minutes would cover tho actual walking time iv the case concerned, but the men are demanding the Act, the whole Act, and nothin>r but the Act. ° Ifc is a peculiar position. The* men, by insisting on an observance of the law, will be breaking the- law. However, the award was arranged before the law came into force. When the term of tne award expires tne bank-to-bank clause of the Act will become opc-iative.