PUKEMIRO DEADLOCK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17596, 8 October 1920, Page 4

PUKEMIRO DEADLOCK.

NO WORK-YESTERDAY.

OWNERS LOSE PATIENCE.

LATEST OFFER WITHDRAWN.

ONLY TRIFLING- WITH MATTER." [BY TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Thursday. The executive of the Mineowners' Association met to-day to consider the Pukemiro dispute, but as there was no guarantee that' the men would resume forthwith the Disputes Committee did pot meet. Mr. Piyor, for the Coalmine Owners' Association, sent a letter to Mr. ; Arbuclde stating that, in view of the arrangement made on Tuesday, that if the I men resumed work to-day the Disputes Committee would meet, arrangements were made to carry this out. The directors of the' mine made special arrangements to get their manager, who lives in Auckland, to the mine, only to learn when he arrived that the men "had not resumed, and were calling a meeting for to-day. The Pukemiro Union alone, Mr. Pryor contends, is preventing the meeting of the committee, but if he is informed that the men have decided to resume at once he will endeavour to get the members of the executive together again before they leave Wellington.

The executive of the Coalmine Owners' Association rpet again this afternoon when advice was received from Mr. Arbuclde that no decision would be arrived at at Pukemiro until after 2 p.m. to-morrow. As, in the opinion of the executive, the Pukemiro Union had not taken proper steps to have the matter dealt with in time for to-day's meeting in Wellington, it was decided to send another letter to Mr. Arbuclde, in which the following passages occur: — 5 " My executive is of opinion that the j Pukemiro Union has ..only been trifling with the matter and that no real effort has been made to have operations resumed this morning in accordance with the arrangement made between you and myself for the meeting of the National Disputes Committee, or even that work should be started to-morrow morning. In view of the fact that the Pukemiro I 7 ?!ion has had since Tuesday last, whirfi offered ample time to arrive at a decision before this date, arid that the resumption of work this morning was a condition precedent to a meeting of the National Disputes Committee, my executive has decided that the only condition on _ which work can now be resumed at the mine is in accordance with the very reasonable proposals made to you on Saturday last as - under ' That the federation and local union should give an undertaking in writing, to be embodied in a- supplementary agreement, that in the event of any dispute or stoppage of work in the mine, the enginedrivers will not on any pretext whatever refuse to perform any duties necessary in connection with pumping operations op the ventilation of the mine.'

The letter Is signed by Mr. Pryor.

UNION DISCUSSES TERMS. SECRET BALLOT TAKEN. PAPERS TO BE COUNTED TO-DAY. The Pukemiro miners did not resume work yesterday. A/ meeting of the union was held during the 'day. about 70 members out of a total of 170 being present. A secret ballot was taken on the pro? posal to resume work immediately, and to leave the matter in dispute to be settled by the Labour Disputes Committee. The Huntly Union is to consider this matter at a meeting this morning, and a secret ballot is to be taken. The voting papers of each union <tre to be counted this afternoon. It is stated that there is a strong feeling among the miners that the Pukemiro men should resume work. The miners at the Huntly Extended mine and the Rotowaro mine worked full time yesterday. The output was well up to the average of the last week, but a normal supply of coal from either mine has not yet been reached.