OWNERS' VIEWPOINT

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 51, 28 August 1920, Page 6

OWNERS' VIEWPOINT

.WILL ACCEPT ANY INDEPEND-

ENT DECISION,

A statement covering the coal xmiue owners' point of view -was made this afternoon by Mr. W. Pryor,: secretaryof the federation. "The' Mataura Company is not in the federation," he added, "and as fir as it ia concerned, I can. say nothing. The disputes connected with the other mines have been considered, Jir6t by the District Disputes Committees, second by the National Disputes Committee, and third by, a conference presided over by the Prime" Minister. Notwithstanding all these meetings and conferences no • settlement was arrived at. The have repeatedly offered to accept the decision - of any independent chairman, from the Prime Minister, down, .while^.tbe.MinelsV Federation has stated that it wll not. accept the decision of any body on the ■ points in dispute. Eventually Mr. Masseyi arranged- that Mr. Hally should; in-'----quire into the various disputes, and Mr. Hally is at present engaged in. that work. "So far as the Taratu mins is concerned, the question of pillars waa "never mentioned at the: different conferences,., and I do not 1 understand this reference in* ths federation statement- of the points in dispute. Apart from that, however, the Taratu and Green Island employers assert that they are already paying more" than js required by the provisions of the national agreement. In any case,-Mr. Hally is still making investigations, and it seems somewhat out'of place'for'theY federation to order the 1 operation' of the - go-slow .while-Mr.-• Hally is continuing his investigations. "On. behalf of the employers concerned, I will guarantee that if the parties cannot arrive, at an agreement, the employ-, ers. will accept the decision of, Mfc Hally 1 on all the points in dispute./ ,",/," "The casa of alleged -victimisation, - that of the ,man Manderson,! is ma.difr-; ferent category. . It is asserted that Man--derson met/.;with' an accident in the' mine, but there is ground for solid suspicion that the injury to his knee from which, he was suffering was the result of a fall from a bicycle. Some compensation was paid to Manderson, but the insurance companies notified the employers that they would not cover Manderson unless he signed an indemnity freeing the employers from any liability for further compensation in regard to the injured knee. The man was offered work in connection with the mine, but acting on the advice of the federation refused- to sign the indemnity. Under the circumstances the mining company coald nol [ risk tha payment of' a claim which might run to £1000 to £2000 if tho insurance companies refused the necessary cover." ',