NORTHERN MINERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 June 1932, Page 7

NORTHERN MINERS

WORK TO BE RESUMED CONFERENCE NEXT WEEK [SPECIAL TO “STAR.”] ' AUCKLAND, June 25. The following printed announcement was posted in the main street of Huntly, at seven o’clock last evening, where it was read with every sign of satisfaction by large crowds. “There will be a wages conference in Auckland, on Tuesday, between the employees and employers’ representatives, without resumption of work, otherwise unconditional.— (Signed. W. Davison, secretary.” Mr Davison earlier in the day had received a telegram from ’Mr A. McLagan, secretary of the Federation, stating: “Conference without resumption of work, otherwise unconditional.”

Mr Davison said that meant that the owners were not insisting on the men resuming work before the conference, and no stipulation was being made that the men should agree to the clause of the owners’ proposals regarding the unrestricted right to engage and dismiss men before the owners would agree to a conference. No explanation could be given in Huntly of the denial by Mr T. 0. Bishop, secretary of the New Zealand Coal Mine Owners’ Association, that the owners? had agreed to unconditional conference.

The officials of the Union say that they are at a loss to interpret his denial. Mr McLagan’s latest telegram at any rate is regarded as final.

Mr. BISHOP’S STATEMENT WELLINGTON,’ June 25. The following statement was issued to-day, by Mr. Bishop, Secretary of the New Zealand Coal Mine-Owners’ Federation: — “With the object of terminating the deadlock which occurred in the North, and in the hope of finding a mutually satisfactory way out, a conference has now been arranged to be held in Auckland on Tuesday next. The whole of the matters in dispute will be discussed. The only condition attached to the conference is that the Hikurangi union will accept and abide by any decision of the Conference, and this condition has been accepted.”

THOSE IN NEED. [TO THE EDITOR.] Sir, —As a reader of your paper for well over twenty years, I could not let this occasion go by without a reply to Mr J. O’Brien. -In the first place he says Mr Webb did a great deed. There are hundreds would do the same if they could be in the same station of life as P. Webb. I will give him and all the other Labour leaders credit for getting there, but if they had labour at heart why did they not use their brains for the benefit of the movement they took up instead of bettering themselves and leaving us? We have, and are trying to follow suit, and get into a co-op. mine, but it is hard, so we have to remain a handful of unionists. Until we get into one we must be loyal because we cannot be otherwise. Now, Mr O’Brien says if it comes to helping the workers, not three or four of the co-op. miners, but all come out. I would like to ask Mr O’Brien what

have they to come out for. No one is in distress. The miners have only been out a fortnight and as they get a fortnight at Christmas you may as well say they neec[ help then. No, Mr Editor, you want to come to the pictures and dances and you will see no distress there and a good many of them own cars. The people that are in need sit back. It is them we want to find, and will find them too, not the ones that stand round corners and libraries waiting for help. Let him go home and tidy up his garden also his street and we will see what he is made of, then he will be making a name for himself, not waiting for the dole man to come along while he looks on. No, they think the co-op. men will work for them when they have asked them to pay £2/10/- a man a month. Some of them won’t want to work then. I would suggest our storekeepers or butchers put a list up for anyone that is willing to give; they can keep it private and then we will know who we are helping.—I am etc., PLAIN FACTS.