DOMINION MINERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19328, 15 May 1926, Page 10

DOMINION MINERS.

THE NEW AGREEMENT. PARTIES IN CONFERENCE. - , "PROCEEDINGS MOST AMICABLE." [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] REEFTON, Friday. The mine owners' delegates, and representatives of the miners have been sitting in conference to consider the question of • a new agreement. The discussion o! proposals from both sides ended to-day. The owners then submitted their offer and the miners' representatives have now retired to consider it. The proceedings have been most amicable and are expected to finish to-morrow. UNIONS FORSAKE THE ACT. REGRET AT CANCELLATION. TAUPIRI COMPANY'S VIEWS. The fact that most of t|ie Coal > Unions in New Zealand have cancelled their registration under the Industrial Conciliation and -Arbitration Act was referred to with regret at the meeting yesterday of shareholders of Taupiri Coal Mines, Ltd. The chairman, the Hon. E. W. Alison, said the agreement with the mine workers expired on April 30, but under the Act tho agreement remained in force until a new agreement was made. Prior to that date practically all the unions in New Zealand had cancelled their registrations. "The Coal Miners' Federation has made demands upon the coalmine owners of the West Coast," he continued, "and these demands are now under consideration between the parties. I do not know to whafe extent the demands of the federation ar« likely to be acceded to by the West Coast mine owners, but if similar demands are made upon the Waikato coalmine owners 1 it will be quite impossible to accede to them." He was pleased to be able to state that; during the currency of the agreement uner the Act there were no disputes or difficulties of any moment and the output of coal per miner per shift had been most satisfactory. In his opinion the cancellation of their registrations by the unions was a matter for regret. The directors had done ail in " their power to make conditions for the men as comfortable as possible. A village had been established at Rotowaro and he could assure those shareholders who had not seen the houses that they would not object to live in them. The village was well laid out and the houses comfortablS and convenient. He expressed the hope that the company would have no stoppage that should not occur. Now that the men had cancelled their registeration the company' would do all it could to assist them consistent with the miner doing his part.