COALMINES DEADLOCK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18566, 26 November 1923, Page 8

COALMINES DEADLOCK.

SUGGESTED SETTLEMENT.

EISE IN LOWEST WAGES.

OVERTURES BY MINISTER.

[BY TELEGRAM.— OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. Sunday.

Overtures have been made by the Minister for Mines, Hon. G. J. Anderson, to the coalowners and miners, with the view of effecting an early settlement of the trouble on the West Coast. The Minister's proposals are as follows:— 1. That the coalowners should undertake not to oppose the application of the miners to the Court of Arbitration for an increase of 5 per cent, in the wages of the lowest paid workers in the mines. 2 That all other matters in dispute, such as trucking pillawates, wet places, etc., shall be referred firstly to conciliation, and finally to the Court of Arbitration to . decide any points not settled by agreement. 3 That the conciliation proceedings take the form firstly, of a preliminary conference, consisting of five members representing the miners and five representing the coalowners, a conciliation commissioner to preside. 4. That a sitting of an ordinary conciliation council should deal further with the matter preparatory to submitting the terms agreed upon to the Court for ratification and any points undecided by adjudication.

DISCUSSION BY MINERS' COUNCIL.

MATTER REFERRED TO UNIONS.

[bx TELEGRAPH. ASSOCIATION.] WESTPORT. Sunday.

A meeting of the District Council of the Coalminers' Federation was held at West-port yesterday, when a suggestion from the Minister "to the coalowners that they should not oppose a five per cent, increase in wages to the lowest paid classes of workers was considered. It was decided to refer the matter to the unions, meetings of which are expected to be held next Tuesday or Wednesday.