PUKEMIRO STRIKE.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 1661, 14 October 1920, Page 5

PUKEMIRO STRIKE.

SIGNS OF SETTLEMENT.

Mr J. Arbuckle, secretary of the New Zealand Miners' Federation, informed a reporter in Wellington that negotiations had taken place between Mr P. Hally and representatives of the Federation and the Pukemiro Miners Union, with the result that the miners had been recommended to resume work with a view to the matters at issue being referred to the National Disputes Committee for final adjustment. Mr Arbuckle also stated that at the suggestion of the Prime Minister a circular had been sent out to f the various unions in the Dominion, urging that the "stop-wjork" meetings which were to have been held yesterday should be postponed pending a further discussion on the situation between the parties. NO ARRANGEMENT YET. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Last Night. No announcement was made to-day .as to whether the coal miners are prepared to agree to a sitting of the Disputes Committee, but the stopwork meetings were not held. MINERS DISAPPOINTED. (Per P*-esF Association.) AUCKLAND, Last Night. The dispute between the Pukemiro ■Company and the miners was discussed at a meeting of the Union to,(lav Mr P. Hally, acting chairman of "the National Disputes Committe, attended, and at his suggestion certain proposals were made to the companv A further meeting of the Union will be held to-morrow, when it is anticipated that the owners' reply will have been received. Interviewed by a "Herald" representative, Mr Hallv said, in his opinion, the parties would be well advised to accept the proposal made by him. The only substantial point in the dispute was the question of the engine drivers and this required most careful handling. When asked whether the miners, as a matter of policy, were endeavouring to humbug the mine owners, inasmuch as they had failed to attend the meeting of the National Disputes Committee called for last week, Mr Hallv said emphatically, "No! I hen he said they were anxious to meet the employers, but a number of circumstances had arisen which made then attendance at the meeting impossible at the date fixed. No one could been more disappointed than the Pukemiro miners when negotiations were broken off. Mr Hallos Proposal has been referred by the Company to the Coal Mine Owners' Association.