NEW MINERS’ ARGUMENT.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLII, Issue 1765, 17 March 1921, Page 5

NEW MINERS’ ARGUMENT.

OWNERS REFUSE CONFERENCE. (Per Press WELLINGTON, Last Night. Claims for a new agreement covering the raining industry in New Zealand were recently received by the Mine Owners' Association from the Miners' Federation, which sought a conference for their consideration. The employers resolved that they could not agree to meet the Federation’s representatives until certain demands had been withdrawn. This decision was communicated to the Federation, which discussed it at a meeting of the executive some days ago. Mr Arbuckle to-day forwarded a letter to Mr Pryor, secretary of the Coal Mine Owners’ Association. Mr Arbuckle contends that the agreement having expired, the Federation is justified in submitting fresh proposals for a new one.* He says if the Owners’ Association insists on the withdrawal of the proposals there must certainly be a fight for the right of a conference to discuss proposals which had been adopted by the whole of the Miners’ unions. ‘‘Seeing that your organisation is delaying the bringing about of a new agreement by refusing a conference, I must insist that any agreement arrived at must date back to the end of [February, 1921,” ho concludes. -» i 1