COAL DEADLOCK

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 March 1930, Page 5

COAL DEADLOCK

FAILURE OF CONFERENCE

MINERS REFUSE COMPROMISE

(By Cable—Press Assn.—Copyright;) »

SYDNEY, March 10. / There was a breakdown at the coal conference, one. hour < after the commencement to-day. This'leaves peace on the coalfields as far off as ever.

The miners’ ' representatives announced that they were not prepared to accept any terms other 'than the pre-stoppage conditions. ’ . . The colliery proprietors expressed their willingness to. re-open the mines on the basis of the compromise agreement of November 23, which the miners’ representatives again rejected, on the ground that their organisation had given them no mandate to'ac. cept. •'

A deadlock was . thus reached, and the parties dispersed. The 'conference had been opened by the Premier, Mr Bavin, who expressed the ■ hope that a settlement would be effected, pointing out that it would make the Government’s task easier from the stand point of reducing unemployineiiL '

QUESTION OF RELIEF.

SYDNEY, March 10.

The New South Wales State Cabinet to-morrow will consider whether the unemployment relief should be Withdrawn from the coalfields in view ofthe failure of to-day’s conference. A meeting of the miners’ lodge secretaries is being held to-morrow at Newcastle in order to formulate a policy for the future.

SOUTH AFRICAN TRAGEDY.

CAGE DROPS 1600 FEET.

(Recd. March 11, 10 a.m.) CAPE TOWN, March 10. A cage descending the Crown Mine ran, away and fell 1600 feet. Twentyeight natives were killed. The rope violently swayed and wrenched open the door of the ascending cage and a European was pitched out. His mutilated body was found at the bottom of the shaft. .The accident is inexplicable. DENNISTON SETTLEMENT PROTEST BY DEPUTIES With reference to the settlement of the Denniston mine dispute on the basis of the reinstatement of the enginedriver, Richards, the “Westport News” to-day published the following message from its Denniston correspondent:— “Although a settlement was reached between the representatives of the coal owners and the National Council officials at Greymouth on the dispute at Denniston, and following the ratification of the agreement made by the Denniston Miners* Union, at a large gathering yesterday (Sunday), the outside staff and deputies held meetings the same day and decided to cease work on Monday as a protest against the surrender of the Coal Owners’ Association representatives to the National Council of Miners. On this account the Denniston mine was idled to-day (Monday). The deputies and the heads of the outside staff recognise in the arrangement arrived at a complete surrender of authority, which at once places the onus of control of tlie men engaged in the company’s employ in the hands of the Miners’ Union. Their protest is also intended as a mark of disapproval of the owners surrendering the authority of those appointed to conduct the | working and responsibility of the mines, meaning thereby, the several managers, whose decision was not questioned for a period of three weeks.” In a later message, the .correspondent stated that, as the result of a conference between the heads of departments and the management, a settlement was effected, with the result that work was resumed to-day.