DEADLOCK REACHED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17113, 19 March 1919, Page 8

DEADLOCK REACHED.

THE WAIHI DISPUTE. DECISION OP NON-MEMBERS. DECLINE TO JOIN UNION. MB. GILES'S EFFORTS FAIL. [BY TISUSORArH.—OWN CORBKBPOKDENT.] WAIHI, Monday. The efforts of the conciliation commissioner, Mr. T. Harle Giles, to bring about a settlement of tho dispute between the members of tho Ohinemuri Mines and Batteries Employees' Union and tho eight men exempted from membership in terms of the industrial agreement reached between the mine owners' representatives and tho delegates of the union in November last have proved futile. Mr. Giles, after acquainting himself with the facte relating to the exemption of the men in question, has been conferring with both parties. He succeeded in obtaining from the exempted men tho promise that if the union delegated would place before thoir members tho true position, which necessitated an admission that they had agreed to the exemptions, and had failed to advise them of the fact that they had done so, then they— exempted men— be prepared to earnestly consider the question of joining tho union. At Sunday afternoon's meetin;,', which was attended by some 400 members of the union, Messrs. H. A. Pine (president) and J. Jude (secretary), who represented the union at the conference, both admitted that they had failed to disclose to the members of the union tho fact that they, on behalf of tho union, had agreed to the exemptions at the conference with the employers' representative:', and that they had acted wrongly in so doing. Mr. Jude stated that ho was prepared to accept tho full responsibility for the courso pursued by tho delegates. The commissioner accordingly arranged to meet tho exempted men on Monday afternoon, but as some of them were attending the Ohinemuri Jockey Club's race meeting at Paeroa those who met Mr. Giles declined to make any definite statement as to the attitude they proposed to adopt in the absence of the others. Consequently the meeting was adjourned until four o'clock this afternoon, when Mr. Giles met tho eight men, but the conference was of comparatively short duration. Whon the men were asked if they proposed joining the union, seven answered in the negative, and the eighth intimated that he had decided to join. Pressed by tho commissioner for a reason for their refusal to join, the seven men declined to make any explanation. The commissioner, when interviewed,

expressed disappointment at the refusal of tho men to give reasons for their decision in view of their assurance that they would givis the question of joining tho union their earnest consideration if tho union delegates placed the whole circumstances relating to the exemptions before their members.

" The attitude adopted," concluded the i Commissioner, '' closes the door to further negotiations on my part, and thus the matter stands. I had hoped that th» exempted men would have seen their way clear to join the union when the delegates had told their members exactly how matters stood, and the officers who had admitted that they had acted wrongly in withholding the fact that the exemptions had been agreed to had intimated that they were prepared to resign office.' 1 It now rests with the Federation of Labour and the Gold Miners' Federation either to endorse or reject tho decision reached by the raeml)ers of the union at the recent ballot, to cease work until all non-members should join the un ; on. Mr. Giles will convey the decision of the exempted men to a* meeting of union I members to-night.