COALMINERS' DEMANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17229, 4 August 1919, Page 6

COALMINERS' DEMANDS.

PEOPOSALS BY EMPLOYERS. •■■.:. ■' !-'■;'■•• "iy::r.-.' . ; '.■'•:;■•..:''*:-■•; ■'.-j- ; V,-.. :r-i[- .' IMPROVING CONDITIONS. • >; SUPERANNUATION : SCHEME. OPERATION OF STATE .MINES. ••; MEN OFFERED SHARE IN CONTROL. " ; ' WELLINGTON, Saturday. ■ ' ' When the" conference between the.' mine- ■ -owners arid the federation delegates was • ;resumed : this meriting the Hon; E. W. i- Alison referred to the concluding portion of the statement read v on the- previous day dealing- with- the meh'sMemands, ahd-ah>- :'- jnotnicifig theowners' determination not to proceed with the discussion, in conference -unless certain of the more drastic demands -were withdrawn. He' then made; til state*' ;meht, in which he said: "We have considered with the utmost care the demands | of ,tho; Miners' Federations, andalso the serious, even .solemn, Warning" given us ' j yesterday by the Minister for Mine*. ; We y-.toe, convinced that, the demands are im- ; pra&ihle. to he granted under the: present conditions of the Dominion. Our estimates of &ho additional,cost to the consumer are. j unshaken, and have further confirmation ■jinr. those of .expert attached to the 'Ministry of Mines. No figures have been adduced to rebu£%heso Calculations ■5 " The tonnage system is one which prethtoughout the world*-, and still prevails' iri England. It* is recognised that | the piecework ; system is absolutely essential to the coal-mining . industry; 'Its ahdUtiori artist result' in a great "reduction 6i output, thus largely increasing* the cost . of coal to the community, and substantially diminishing the supplies so necessary ' at present in every industryi Even among *•' I the idlest of us middle , age brings ilia pro* 1 ; portion of physical failures. Statistics do 1 not show that the;: proportion -is unduly t high in the mining inauafcry. f '"[ : Umit to Concessions. , ! "We are prepared;, however, to confer with the Governmujt and the federationa% to >ahy improvehients in, the :working sand home life of the ; miner, and as to provision for his decrepitude from age or ; accJdeiite- We cannot, however, agree to imooso upon, the community the excessive , ;burden entailed by the presehlt proposals ;of We snail* ho.wever,ibe glad to submit our calculations as to the • increased ! cost to be investigated by ■ the .1 Board of Tradej or any experts, to bo *P- ■; pointed) by. the Government, in. order to ' satisfy.the federation and the* general pub- : ' lie" as to their authenticity* We must ; therefore adhere: to ; but ■ decision that we -; cannot even discuss the principal demands : as enumerated yesterday. At this crisis i ' our national life- we , trust that the federUr ; tion will be sufficiently patriotic to' advise ■ : ' fthe unions to continue the present agree- ' ! ments at any irate- until normal conditions' I return.-* ,-. . ~-.'.. . ;.";. 1 ''" The Minister for Mines, while rejecting' on behalf of the State mines the aboliition ; of fefie contract system and. reduction' of,; . f hours as impractiuble, in view of n the- re- \ \ jolting increase ? in * the, cost of coal, has : : " S suggested the 'institution of a. board of 1 \ '• J control; for the State mines, on Which a- ; I representativeOf -fehcr employees should j . ;havo a voice, This is entirely a new pro- : : 'position, which -wo should, .wish to be more ; i J definitely Refined.• It will bo necessary j ■■ for ; the ; directors bi each company to. con- j * iider how suchv • innovation would accord i 1 vwifch itat articles of association, and con- ] I? j suft its shareholders thereon. We feei, I i; i however, that-iho: saggestion should. ve» 3 • deive most^ caeefuFattentiotei .and "We < ; are willing to adjourn this conference to I > ; afford*time all, parties to" cbrae-to a-| •:|eondueion ; , | . Positfoa at the State Kane*. * ..We. T. 6: Bishop, ! ( :tasy foi Mines, said the proposal meant ; . tthat,, so far as the mines were con- I } eerhed,^ the demands of the federation: -• could not r bo a#sdM to, especially thtt l abofitidn of T the contract system, as the ■! " I State Could? not feel justified in .-passing \ I on,; thar necessary increajßed cost' to; th« i i public. ' What the State waa .^prepared to ' do by way of alternative was 'to give imi proved living conditions, to gives- the men h i a voiee- in the management, and to arrange ' : for soraßiormof superannuation andineur- ; - ance. In, regard to- the; miners represen- ■ '. tath*o on the proposed* board; Of. control, i he could be nominated by all lhe ! men ?. Jivorking in op about the mine; but must iha a fesft himself: working ittfoihabcfut the. |jpft|ifri|,«.;."_;■; ,\._. ... ' .;.-.'.;"'.■'..',• ■■-' -.' r ; So far .at housing'conditfbits Wero'-'<kki-cerned, , Mr. Bishop said he could 'lay that ifho -State was prepared to make Runang* ;or any hew mihji^-.tciwliship/ a , model . township so far as it was. able to do"so. , Eeliability of Tigures. , : A long discussion then took place as to the reliability of thefigutes quoted by each ■ eide, and th» basis upon which they : were ■ calculated. ; Jlr. Jk. Hoberta V (Alliance of (Labour) said the federation should have an ? Opportunity: to; investigate and' reply Jo | the owners statements. The day when ' I the worker was simply told to move and i' be moved; w»a past. The federatibn wished ,to prove, to the; public '.that j the aboliiioa fof the contract system would neither in. crease prices :-hoi reduce'-output. \ Mr. Alison said the: owners -knew that the abolition of the contract system and reduced hours would v reducef the output. ["If you talk six months you'll not convince us otherwise," ho said. "It had ; that: effect in ' England." ! : p Mr. Roberts said that as to the -figures ; in the Board of Trade report— eis parte 'statement—ithe federation could; not say they were wrong nor could they say they [were right. They did not know anything I about them, or who had compiled them. The i real test would be. to hand a normal: Workiing mine over to the miners for, say, a few ! months and see whether the output of coal : would be reduced. ; " Mr. Elavell: You own them- all now. ; Mr. Roberts i Very well, then* hand ua i over-the title deeds? v ThAS is all; we would want, ©and this discugsiOii. cah end- right how. ■ '•■"•' System of Management. ■ '■ t Continuing, Ms. Roberts went oft to I reefer to the need for an efficient system of i management in the mines to increase the i output. The said,-could i ,not afford to pass over so lightly as they < proposed to do the great coal question/ If ( the owners were "trot prepared to face the i i question, somebody would' have to do it i ; One thing: was clear, New Zealand coiild i not do without coal. The miners were i ; quite prepared and cjuite anxious to assist « [in increasing the output, but they desired 1 to do so; under decent forking conditions. 1 : Mr. ■■O'Brien (Northern District), re- i femn* to the figures a B quoted in the ,■ i Board of Trade's reporV*aid he did not I challenge their accuracy, but the basis on '..-' which they had been arrived at was incor- ( rect. As one instance of this' he spoke j 6 t a ,;B»' 6 P a y ticket showing that he was 4 worki%.in a mine when he had been dead i for; over three weeks. In another instance a man had .been away from a mine-for' a i couple of. weeks and was still shown. oh * the.' pay-sheet. Such discrepancies in the J keeping of time had a tremendous effect ort the figures. *-~- • . ..■'-..., -< "Extraordinary Statements." Mi". Alison said that Mr. O'Brien had ' made extraordinary statements. Evi- ' dently there was 'something wrong in the < manner in which the business-of the'com- . panies was- conducted. In fairhfiss ' to Vitk' > corhpanleß Mr". O'Brien i r of the cases referred to to the raanagemeat. In opposing the chairman's suggestion ''* that the rival;, figures Jshbuldt be submitted i to Government authority x tb report to the i conference in a week or a fortnight Mr. "5 P. ORourke said that if the owners i wanted to- evade discussion they should say i so straight out. Tho miners weuld not: 1 stand for anadjourament. The federation 1 could refute the figures by Monday. morn- : i

" '"'■'-- UK ." . Tf-iijn. „„.-.--• ing, and would then be quite prepared to IP mto the Chief planks in the: federation's platform—the abolition of the contract system and thj reduction of ; hours. If the mineowners did not want those fundamsntal clauses discussed. they should say so. The federation would ; . then know exactly where it, stood. Mr. Roberts added that it was absolutely necessary, from the .federation's point of view,- to- deal : with the figures . presented '" by Mr. ' Alison. V The federation had to; place its.ca&e before the public. As a point of honour it was imperative that the coal owners should allow the federation an opportunity of doing so. ? He '-#9l suggested that the Minister should be ttpked by the; conference to put all" his cards on. the table. . In regard to the proposal, for the control of , mines. Mr; Alison Said that all the figures which might be put forward ■Sx:,Mr'.- Roberts, or the federation on the basis Mir. , Boberts bad outlined would Mtbtbe; worth a snap? of the fingers. They would, be;: bogus figuresj meant to ' mislead the- public. ;*:■--, •■■:■•■? S Mr. Roberts protested, and stated that My figures v which the federation might present would be based upon actual fact, and would stand by men were accustomed 'all their lives to work at the mines. :.••--> p... ■ ... ... ' .. Owners' Final Decision, f lit: answer to Mrfc- J. Aibuchle, Mt. Alison said definitely that the owners were not, prepared to discuss the five points which be had already outlined. : Mr. Afbuckle: Are' yoh' prepared to make us any other, offer ? :^ Mr. Alison : We ; prepared to discuss the other .clauses of your proposals^. Wjb consider that the wages now paid to miners are ; highly satisfactory, and will be so . for aiiother sot months at least, ; : _,Mr. Atbubkle: We disagree with that, He again asked the owners whether they were prepared -to offer anything- eKe in place of the points which oWnlrs-werrnot prepared to discus*; .'.,, :j ; ?Mri, ipryor {Taupiriypteaded for an ad» joumment until Monday morning to enable Vtheifeder'atibii to produce figures. ]yMr."Rbbeita:: Are : We- to- undetatand that after we have gone to the trouble' to, produce figures, no matter what those figures may tie, yOu 1 will still"" refuse to discuss the abolition of the -contract system? ~ I Mr. Alison : Yes. I Mr? Boberts: Then I ask you is it any iufie for us to produce those figures? |. Sir. Alison: That is for you,to say. ; Mr. Roberts: It is for you to promise that yon will 'dißcuse the abolition, of the 'contract system if we produce the /That is : only fair; i Mr. Elavell said the owners had no objection to the''" preparation* of counter;figures,. for they would open the eyes .of tteminers.\ "We say that We cannot discuss three five points, because of the pbsltibhV revealed in. bur figures,'* he said. '""Four' figures cannot be, very different from ours if they are calculated on the same basis." :. ': No Power to Withdraw Claims. : Mr. Arbuckle said the federation dele* gates had- absolutely no power' to with« {draw the five, points teferred to. They (must not go back unless these were discussed. Refusal from the; owners to discobs the matters would be a red flag to the rank and file. If the owners had no other offer to make, then "the fight is son." :v '■'■ -■■ ■'■; ; .-.■■-; v ,j '.' ; .. .''■,i- 1 •'•" ; Mr. Alison said the owners offered no objection to the federation presenting 'their figures, but must be figures prepared ,on the right basis. The owners |were prepared to' adjourn * : until Monday :morning, -provided the federation was then .prepared: to discuss the demands with the elimination' of the five points already referred to. > -'■." I ' c Mr. O'Brien pointed oat that in refusing even to discuss the" men's demands the coal owners must accept responsibility or their action. ''•! ] Mr. A. Moseland (Buller) . said that if Jspmethihg was not'idbnb at "the conference 'sbraething would be done by the men on jthoT job* -: The 3 oWnerßy wculd have Iplehty of time: to consider before Monday smorning . what they" had. to offer in the-IWay.-of - All heSpergdhi ally wanted wast -an? *■■ answer " Yea*' ■or * , JSo* n ; J Ktrouble .arose, in > the. indußtoial ifieid In .New Zealand would nos he the fault of the miners,- bat, of the; coal i t Sir George Clifford-said 'he had nothing (toudo with the threafe ; to t^as*' work or the refusal of the, ownerß to discuss the Ifive; points. ; However,\, was essential thatithey, should have . a set of figures ; which would be' acceptable to both;aides. He adjourned the conference until Monday ?niorniflgt .'»-..>.-;. v■■''' -\ '■ /-'f