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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXIV, Issue 195, 19 August 1890, Page 4

The Post of Thursday says :— Messrs Lomas and Newton, the delegates of the West Coast Miners' Association, were Intro duced to the Minister for Public Works this morning by Mr Guinness, member for Greymouth. They pointed out to the Minister that about 500 miners in the Grey Valley Jiave been thrown oufc of employment, and that the examination of the company's books has proved that the company had been losing at the rate of £250 per ■week before operations we*e suspended, while the mere pumping out of the workings alone is now costing £100 per week, an outlay from which thero h no leturn. The miners are willing to make a concession of 2d per ton in the rates of hewing (which will then be Gd per ton less than those paid at Denniston for the same class of work), while the Union Steam .Ship Co. have lowered the rate of freight by Gd •per ton. This being so, the deputation asked the Government to take Gd per ton off the charges for railage aud royalty, which to gether, amount to 2s Gd per ton. If that were done, the company would be prepared to resume operations, though even then, the deputation assured the Minister, they would make no profit, but simply be able to pay working expenses. It was explained that the reason for the loss in working waa the occurrence of so many " faults '.' in the coal measures. Mrs Meinders, widow of the late Captain Meinders, master of the sohooncr Johanna, who with numbers of his ; crew succumbed to fever contracted near Mauritius on the voyage to Melbourne, and Mr Heyon, the chief officer, have been each the recipient of presents in recognition of the bravery and devotion exhibited during the illness of the orew. Mrs Meinders was presented with a gold watch and £50, and Mr Heyon with £25, the insurers of. the cargo being the

The Auckland correspondent of the Otago Daily Times writes :— Union forming still progresses merrily, and we are now pretty well piotected all round. The master bakers have met the demand of their men for increased pay by meeting them half way, and raising the price ofbreid. Now the master butchers are pursuing the same tao^ios, and contemplate raising the price of meat ii per lb as Boon as the union is thoroughly o;gan iscd. The Slaughtermen's Union have moderated thtir demands which, if conceded, as propounded, would bave meant the o'osing of the Freezing Company's works, and the Messrs Hellaby Bros, putting up their shut'era. Thnso eptablr-hmerita are placed on the Wellington taiifl: for freezing and meat ptcseiving which will enahe them to go ,0-i. The local union, not con'ent with its pre e*t triumphs iv Auckland, is Bending delepatcs to Taranaki to establish branches there. This s;tp was explained at the meeting of the society in somewhat magniloquent terms :— " The Wellington Butobers' Union inform us that they have marched northward as far as Wanganui and planted the flag of unionism there. They aßk us to advance southward and give them the band half way. A month hence, gentlemen, should see this done; and in another month our noble flag — the marrow bones and cleaver — should float over the whole North Island 1" Almost every branch of industry is now protected, with the exception of the unfortunate farmers. They are still complaining that the rates for produce and stock are still stationary, while they are confronted with increased rates everywhere. If they come to town and take their produce down the wharf to a vessel they are met by the Carters' Union, On the other hand, sbould they desire to take delivery of goods, they'Vhave to settle with the Lumpers. Hodge is getting increasingly restive over this Irish reciprocity, and to add to his troubles, the Dairying Association is notifying him, in some agricultural districts, that he will not get last season's price for his milk owing to serious losses in the export of butter, and as he looks at the nimble 2£d he is offered per gallon, he looks almost as blue as his own milk. Leaving out the farmers, the only remaining union, it has been pointed out, that requires forming is a mortgagors' union (which would have a large membership), with a view of enforcing a reduction of interest, and boyootting mortgagees.