WAIHI MINERS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 135, 7 June 1912, Page 8

WAIHI MINERS

THE PROPOSED CONFERENCE ' POINTS FOR DISCUSSION. The statement in a Press Association message from Auckland that a conference had ' been arranged • between the Gold .Mine Owners' Association and the Federation of Labour to discuss the position of the Waihi and Reefton miners' dispute was scarcely accurate. There has been no such arrangement made. The Federation has asked for a conference, but the Gold Mine Owners' Association would agree to this only on condition that the Reefton and Waihi disputes could be considered at such a conference. Moreover, the dispute between the two opposing Waihi unions — Miners' and Enginodrivers* — would have to be settled between themselves first. Mr. W. Pryor, secretary of the Gold Mine Owners' Association has communicated with th« Federation of Labour stating that unless the federation can arrange a, settlement of the dispute, or is prepared to give a satisfactory undertaking that in the event of agreement being reached in connection with, the matters in dispute between the niiueowners and the Miners' Union, the members of that union will work amicably with the members of the Enginedrivers' Union, the conference .must necessarily prove abortive. "It will be obvious to your federation," Mr. Pryor added, "that if settle-, ment of the matters in dispute as tpy working conditions in the mines is arrived at, there must be a definite guarantee that mining operatione will be proceeded with without interruption. It is desired that your federation should clearly understand the attitude of employers in the matter before committing itself to the expenditure which will be entailed by sending its delegates to Waihi. I shall be glad to know at your earliest convenience if your federation agrees to the conference being held on the date suggested, and on the terms stated herein, and in your letter of ,Ist inst. At 2.30 p.m. to-day Mr. Pryor received from Mr. T. Glover, secretary of the Federation of Labour, a letter in which the writer stated that he was instructed by his executive to inform Mr. Pryor that the federation was prepared to meet the Employers' Federation (? Goldminers* Association), as stated in his letter of the Ist inst., in conference on the understanding that all matters in dispute should be discussed. But the federation was not prepared to guarantee that the Miners' Union will work amicably with tho "alleged" Engraedrivers' Union. "We beg to point out," the letter goes on, "that we consider that the Waihi ' goldmining companies have broken the spirit of the agreement with the Waihi miners by acknowledging another union whilst the agreement with the aaid union was in force, and which provided for the enginedrivere. " LEVY ON WATERSIDE* WORKERS . The levy" of 2s 6d per week on members of tho Wellington Waterside Workers' Union for the Waihi miners is coming in very satisfactorily, it is understood. To-day being pay-day was the first occasion in whicji the levy was collected. Each man paying was given a pink ticket indicating tho fact, as well as answering the purpose of a receipt.