THE COAL DISPUTE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 July 1918, Page 3

THE COAL DISPUTE.

EMPLO YEPS DENOUNCE FEDERATION.

ALLEGATIONS OF MISCHIEFALA KING. LENGTHY REPLY TO MEN'S STATEMENT. [By Eleotrio Telegraph—Special to "Star."! WELLINGTON, This Day. The coal mine owners' reasons for refusing- to meet the Miners' Federation to discuss increased wages are' contained in a statement of nearly 5000 words traversing- the detailed points made by the Federation, and declaiming in effect that as the Federation as shown more disposition to create trouble than to maintain industrial peace, the owners wish to deal direct with the unions as was the case when the present agreements were effected. GO-SLOW POLICY.

Th statement reminds the public that when the Federation was endeavouring to secure the last advances there came a prosecution in Auckland arising out of the Federation's "go-slow" policy referred to in the Federation's official statement. The Miners' Federation admits the reliability of the Crown Prosecutor's evidence, part of which was to the effect that the Federation officials deliberately set themselves out to disturb the industrial conditions.

DISTURBERS OF THE PEACE.

The attempt of the Federation to disturb the existing binding agreements, and awards under which the unions have been amicably working, indicates, says the employers, that the same policy is still being- adopted. That being the case, it is believed that the general public will support the coal mine owners in their refusal to meet the Federation represenlativs. The New Zealand Coal Mine Owners' Association is the national organisation representative of practically the whole coal mining companies in New Zealand, and will be prepared at any time to meet the representatives of the workers' national organisation when it is demonstrated beyond doubt that its officials have abandoned the policy of creating industrial strife.

The Association is further justified in its attitude by the fact that the agreements above referred to have still a long period of currency and that the employers are entitled to insist that they should be carried out in their entirety by the unions as the Federation would,' undoubtedly insist that they should be carried out by the companies.

Up to the time when the Miners' Federation put forward their present demands, the miners were working well and giving- good output, there was every indication that the}' were satisfied with their conditions. The mine owners feel confident that up to that date no general request from the miners had been made to the Federation officials to make a demand for a further increase in wages, and it would be interesting to learn on what authority it was made. In other words, the mine owners are strongly of opinion that the present dispute was not originated by the and this furnishes a further strong reason for refusing to meet the Federation.

THE EMPLOYEES' OFFER. The offer that the mine owners have made to the miners' unions throughout the Dominion is to pay an additional bonus of 5 per cent, to the men and 2h per cent, to contract workers and pieceworkers, to all such workers who attend and work full available time during l any fortnight. The bonus, however, does not apply to any special contract or contracts for which tenders have "been called. In addition to the above there

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was an offer to institute trucking on contract in place of the present day-wage system. immediately on the Federation's representatives being made aware of the offer of a bonus for full time worked, they issued instructions to the unions not to accept the mine owners' offer- They were evidently so afraid that the unions might ,as before, agree to the proposal made by the employers, and thus secure peace throughout the coal mines of the Dominion, and that they look upon themselves as preventing any chance of a settlement being reached. HOW TO INCREASE THE OUTPUT.-,

The statement of the time lost by the miners in eight mines is quoted, showing that the percentage ranged from 10 to 20, so that, after allowing for unavoidable cases ,there is ample justificatio\n, says the statement, for the suggestion that on an average 10 per cent, more time could be worked if the miners desire. The employers absolutely disclaim any suggestion of speeding, but urge that apart from the humanitarian considerations it would be of no advantage, but on the contrary a decided loss to the companies to advocate conditions which would be likely to cause increased accidents. The claim that the miners are i producing more coal per man than in any other time in the. history of the Dominion is evidently made with the intention of misleading the public. The real position is shown in the statement of the Mines Department in 1916 that the increase in tonnage may be attributed to more regular work at the collieries. The details of the output per man in two large collieries show a reduction of 75 tons per man since 1913-14. Indeed, continues the statement, the experience of the mine owners in New Zealand generally is that an increase in the rate of pay is frequently followed by a. reduction in the output, which is another strong reason for basing payment of any further bonus on the full time worked. It is Admitted that the output of the New Zealand miner is higher than in many other countries, but t Liit is accounted for by better conditions of work and the fact that the seams of coal in New Zealand mines are thicker and the coal softer than in most other countries, and therefore much easier to work. The miners obtain more holidays than any other class of workers. As against the increase in the cost of living, the Federation knows that the mine worker has already had his wages increased above all other workers. At

least, the rates have been in-

creased by from 17i per cent, to 20 per cent-, and then by reason of more steady employment in the mines than ever before, many

miners are earning 25 per cent

to 30 per bent., even in some cases up to 50 per cent more than in pre-war, times. RETAIL PRICES—NO RESPONSIBILITY. The Association "has no control over the retail prices of coal, which is sold usually on steamer or truck. Every increase charg-

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ed by the coal mine owners dur- : ing- the war period can be fully justified. Certainly t,he increases • made are not nearly so high as ! might be supposed from the re- ' turn published by the Federation. The Association is not in •a positio nto comment on the' re- ' tail prices, except to say that from ! the southern mines at any rate the 1 proportion of householders' coal • to coal used and sold for other • purposes is comparatively small, ! that while the State can and does ; retail household coal at a loss, it ' is quite impossible for the retail ' dealers to do so, and the State charges at least as much as the private companies for the coal it sells for industrial, Government, and other purposes.

The Miners' Federation is ad- ', vised to complain to the Board of ' Trade if it considers the retail , prices are too high. If the coal- . mining companies were making huge profits, as the Federation desires to suggest are being made, the results would be shown in the balance-sheets, and dividends paid and interest or. capital earned. A return was recently prepared for the confidential information of the Government, which for obvious reasons cannot be published. It shows conclusively that the coal mining operations on the whole have been distinctly unprofitable. A return from nine 'u-eipresentative companies shows amongst other things that during the past three years four companies paid no dividends on each of the three years, that while the average dividend paid by the five companies was about 6 per cent, the average spread over the whole nine companies was less than 4 per cent. The statement shows that capital invested in nine companies was £1,501,786, while the average interest earned on capital invested was 3 to 7 per cent- If further burdens are thown upon the industry they must be carried by the general public. The Association concludes by declaring the opinion that in justice to its own members and in the interests of the general public it should not submit to demands which are not justified, and which in fairness to the general body of mine workers it should be said do not come from them, as it is certain that the result of doing so must oe, as already indicated, to raise the price of coal and thus further increase the cost of living, the Association is also of opinion that there is no duty cast upon the Government to force a consultation between the Coal Mine Owners' Association and the Miners' Federation, when the c ; "- cumstances are su»h as are set forth.