THE REEFTON DISPUTE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8180, 23 July 1912, Page 1

THE REEFTON DISPUTE

PROPOSED ARBITRATION. FEDERATION EXECUTIVE MEETS on Thursday. , PEESS ASSOCIATION. AUCKLAND, July 22. In connection with the efforts that have been made by the Prime Minister (Hon. W. F. Massey) to effect some arrangement whereby settlement of the Beeftdn mining dispute may be possible, Mr Charles Rhodes (president of the Gold Mine-owners’ Association) explained to a reporter this morning that clans© 11 in the existing agreement between the mine-owners and the Inangahua Miners’ Union provided for the appointment of an independent arbitrator to adjudicate upon any difference that should arise between the parties to the agreement. The - union, however, would not carry out the terms of agreement in this respect. The mine- j owners could not seo ■ upon what grounds the'warden at Reefton . could reasonably or legally, impose, as a con-; dition of granting protection,-,that the mine-owners , should apply for an arbi-1 trator in terms of clause 11. They j had done so, pf course, although tho i, union would have nothing to -do with this action. . When Mr Massey approached the Mine-owners’ Association the latter body had met him by undertaking to forego the appeal against tho warden’s decision if the union would accept the suggestion to have an inde- , pendent arbitrator. At the same time, . the association had mad© it perfectly ; clear to -Mr Massey that they quite realised they 'were not even reasonably obliged to give in to so many "Heads . I win. tails you lose” sort of advances ■ that were being made for the other : side.

The position now is that the next move must come from the miners, or from tho federation for them. It is understood that there will be a meeting, of the executive committee of the federation in Wellington in a day or two, and it may be that the point will again come up for consideration then.

REFERRED TO FEDERATION EXECUTIVE.

REEPTQN, July 22. . i The “Tnangahua Times” reports that at Saturday’s meeting of - the minefs it was resolved to refer the question of arbitration, offered hy the Mine-owners’ Association to the executive of the Federation of 'Labor, which is to sit in Wellington on Thursday. '