MINERS’ DISPUTE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17862, 7 August 1918, Page 7

MINERS’ DISPUTE.

A LABOUR APPEAL

STATE CONTROL WANTED

In connection with the Aliners’ Federation dispute with the mino owners, Air H. Hunter, secretary to the Uuited Federation of Labour, has sent the following letter to Sir James Allen, Act-ing-Prime Minister:—

“I desire, on behalf of organised labour in New Zealand, to make an urgent appeal to the Government to immediately take over tho control of tho coal mines in New Zealand- We make this appeal because wo aro of opinion that the coal mine owners should not bo allowed to precipitate an industrial conflict which will cause an immense amount of suffering to innocent people, engender increased bitterness uoewoen •the wage-earners and tho employers, anil, serious losses financially to all classes. Tho coal mine owners have a federation •iiemselves, and yet they deny the coal miners the right to a similar combination. Thus the coal kings have thrown down the gage of battle >to organised Labour generally. “ «i Q contend that it is rather lata in the day for employers to combat the right of working men 'to select whom they please to present their case for them, and, further, that 'the time is inopportune for such a conflict. “The trade unionists of New Zealand do not want any industrial strife, and, as wo aro convinced that such is inevitable if the Government fails to :ict, and act promptly, wo urge you with all tho power we possess to step in and prevent such a possibility by .assuming control of all the mines. “The consumers are under tho painiful necessity of trying to obtain warmth and heat from tho rubbish they are being supplied with, in the name of coal, at a cost of £3 per ton and upwards. Apparently R matters not where the coal is obtained, whether it comes from Newcastle, 1200 miles away, or from the mountains close to Christchurch, whether it is lignite or good household coal, tho price to tho householder is the same. The people aro absolutely full up with this sort of thing, and consider that the time has arrived for the Government to step in and rectify the situation.”

Tho following motion was carried at a meeting of the Canterbury Tailoring Trades Union on Alonday night:— “That this union urges the Government to take over the coal industry of the Dominion as a national service, tho coal-owners having absolutely L..led to meet tho needs of consumer'- during the war period, and are nSo at the present juncture refusing u> meet the Aliners’ Federation to arrange conditions and wages, this action being an infringement of the rights of workers’ combinations and likely to lean to industrial turmoil, in which consumers of coal will suffer even moro than at present. Therefore tho Government should step iu to prevent the catastrophe of a strike.” _ » Tho following motion was passed at a meeting of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers on Monday night“That'we consider that the miners of the Dominion are completely .-justified in tho demands they aro making through their national organisation for an increase in wages, and condemn the arbitrary attitude of the Coal Aline Owners’ Association in refusing to meet the Aliners’ Federation in conference; and in view of the nresent shortage of coal and the abnormal prices obtaining call upon the Government, to put a stop to the exploitation of both the miners and the consuming public by taking over the ecal industry of the Dominion.”

DEMAND FOR CONFERENCE. [Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, August 6. The Dominion Executive Council of the New Zealand Locomotive Engineers, Firemen and Cleaners’ Association, passed a motion that the mine owners should be condemned for refusing to meet the miners in conference, and tho council calls upon the Government to summon a compulsory conference of mine owners’ and miners’ representatives.