THE REEFTON TROUBLE

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 16048, 1 October 1912, Page 8

THE REEFTON TROUBLE

[Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, September 30. The matter of tho appointment of an arbitrator to deal with the Reofton dispute came before Mr Justice Sim toxfav. The question was before tho Court on Friday, and was then adjourned in order that a conference might he held to ascertain if the Union would abide by the decision of an arbitrator if he wore appointed. Mr P. J. O’Regan appeared for the Inangaluia Miners' Industrial Union, and Mr W. Pryor for the company. When the Court sat to-day. Mr Pryor said that a conference had been held between, Messrs O’Regan, Dowgray. Fagan and himself, but they had not .been able to arrive at an agreement. On behalf of the company, lie desired, to say that they were prepared •to submit the matter to real arbitration. where both parties were bound to submit to the decision of the arbitrator. Air O’Rogan had informed him that morning that the Union was not prepared to agree to tho appointment of an arbitrator or to pay half the expenses, neither would it agree to abide by .his decision. Under these circumstances, they left it to his Honor to say whether it was fair that an arbitrator should be appointed. Ho was prepared to submit the names of two or three desirable persons. His, Honor: It is your application, and I cannot appoint un arbitrator unless you are prepared to submit names. Mr O’Regttn said that the Union would not object to the matter being adjourned. The present application was made on the suggestion of the companies themselves. Under Section 11 • of the agreement, his Honor had jurisdiction to appoint an arbitrator only if the parties could not- agree. The Union did not consider it was a matter • for arbitration, and could not honestly say that .it would abide by the decision if an arbitrator were appointed. Mr Pryor asked for an adjournment till alter the Walden next sits at Roefton.

'Lite matter was*adjourned till November 1.

ONE MAN ONE DRILL.

r WHY ARBITRATION WAS REFUSED. [Fhom Ocit Correspondent.] ' WELLINGTON, September 80.

Mr Fagan, secretary of the Inancriliua Miners’ Union, before leaving tonight for Greymouth, explained more fully than was done to Air Justice- Sim to-day the reasons actuating the Federation of Lalxmr executive in declining, to accept the arbitration proposed hv the goldmining companies. “ The Reefton miners,” he said, “were locked out immediately alter the Waihi strike. They were locked out, according to the mine manager’s statement, because they refused to work on a certain drill single-handed.) The manager has stated to the newspaper Press of ’the country that this is the cause of tho trouble, and ho has had open-air ‘demonstrations to prove that it was a very simple contrivance to cause so much trouble, and yet when the matter is raised in the Arbitration Court Mr Pryor suggests on behalf of tho employers. that stuping by contract is the.cause of the dispute. The Federation of labour takes up the attitude that the question of one-man-oue-drill caused the lockout, and that it should bo the only question to submit to :\r Miration. 1 ’