BRIGHTER OUTLOOK

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 84, 6 October 1920, Page 8

BRIGHTER OUTLOOK

PUKEMIRO MINE TROUBLE

WORK MAT BE RESUMED

TO-MORROW.

There is every indication that work will be resumed under normal conditions at the Puk«miro mine, pending a sitting of the National Disputes Committee, to decide to which union tho engine-drivers shall belong. Mr. W. Pryor, secretary of the Coal Mine-owners' Association, today forwarded to Mr. J. Arbuckle, secretary of the Miners' Federation, the following letter :—"Dear Sir,—ln confirmation of our conversation by telephone this morning, I have to advise that, subject to operations being % returned in the mine to-morrow (Thursday) morning in the visual way, a_ meeting, of the National Disputes Committee can be held that afternoon at 2.30 o'clock. I have wired the Pukemiro Company to this effect, and await your confirmation of th.6 agreement of the Pukemirc Union before making final arrangements for the masting of the Disputes Committee."

In connection with the Pukemiro trouble, Mr. Arbuckle denies that the men struck over the engineer issue. He states definitely that they were locked out. The men turned up for work, but were informed that until they forced the engineers out of the union operations would not be resumed.

For the other side it is contended that the men struck over the railway difficulty. During the strike the enginedrivers left work and endangered the mine. The company decided that there must be some guarantee for the safety of the mine in the future. It was felt that no such guarantee existed so long as the engineers remained members of the Miners' Union. Further, it is asserted that when the meji strike the employer has a perfect right to say upon which terms work shall be resumed. The men certainly struck over the railway fare issue.