ESTABLISHED 1875. Manawatu Daily Times. The Oldest Manawatu Journal. Conducted by E. D. HOBEN, Editor & Proprietor. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1908. SETTLING THE GOAL STRIKE.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 324, 28 January 1908, Page 4

ESTABLISHED 1875. Manawatu Daily Times. The Oldest Manawatu Journal. Conducted by E. D. HOBEN, Editor & Proprietor. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1908. SETTLING THE GOAL STRIKE.

What might have developed into a very serious trouble in the West tfoast coal trade has been settled by the dramatio swoop of the Premier on Westport, and the meeting at Denniston of Sir Joseph, the Minister for Labor and the miners. A coal strike would be a very serious thing for New Zealand—it is a very serious thing for any country. It seems impossible to live otherwise than "from hand to mouth" with coal. The mines are always just on the heels of demand, and coal, even if it could be accumulated in depreciates in quality when exposed to the elements, as well as being always liable to destruction or damage by fire. So though in theory we hear of large coal reserves, in practise they are never really large, and a coal strike means paralysis of industry. In this case the trouble was over the "bank to bank" clause, the time it takes the men to get from the mouth of the pit to the working face, and vice versa. Seven years ago Parliament affirmed the principle of eight hours "from bank to bank," but the owners desired eight hours at the face, so that work on the surface and at the face should be co-incident and co-terminous. After many viscissifcudes the Denniston men, who had never got their eight hours "bank to bank" affected a compromise which was made an award of the Arbitration Court in November last. The j men, however, repented of their bargain and desired the full privilege the law allows, and so tiiey disregarded the award and went for the eight hours bank to bank on their own "responsibility." The owners appealed for the enforcement of the

award, and the Labor Department proposed enforcing it when tho recent critical situation, with the possibilities of a stoppage in tho whole coal trade came about. It is that position which the Premier and the Minister have happily brought to an end.