COMMENT BY MINISTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20967, 2 September 1931, Page 10

COMMENT BY MINISTER.

APPEAL FDR SETTLEMENT. SAVING EXISTENCE OF TOWN; CAUSES OF THE DISPUTE. [BY telegraph:.—-special reporter.] "WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The dispute of Hikurangi was referred to by the Hon. A. J. Murdoch, Minister of Mines, in the He use of Representatives this overling. 3 The working of Wilsons mine had been very unsatisfactory f.o the management for 1 some time past, owing to the costs of * hewing being too high, said the Minister. r For some months the company had had j under consideration .-i proposal for the purchase of coal from the West Coast, j The dispute was a matter of 26s lid, representing a shortage in the minimum earnings ol three men. The company had paid out as much as £750 to make up shortages. It had urged the men to give better results and the amount had been reduced to £5. The amount of the shortages, however, had commenced to increase again and tho company had inI formed the men it would not make them up as had been done in the past. The 5 men, in his opinion, should have continued work and referred the matter to the disputes committee. When the directors of Wilsons mine > ordered 50(1 tons ol: coal from the Hiku--1 rangi Company's mire, the men in the latter mine threatened to go out if the » coal were supplied. Tho Minister utrged Mr. H. E. Holland, 5 Leader of ths Labour Party, to use his influence to get the men at the Hikurangi mine back to work,. If they went back the dispute with Wilsons could be settled . in its own way. If the two mines were to close up it would mean that Hikurangi as a town would go out of existence.