MINING DISPUTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18157, 31 January 1921, Page 6

MINING DISPUTES

THE kaitangata trouble.

MINES STILL IDLE.

(Fbom Ode Own Cobbespondent.)

KAITANGATA, January 29. The position at Kaitangata is unchanged, and the mines are stall idle. The “ Keep Together ” Committee is very active in arranging entertainments, all of which ore free, though a collection is made at the door. It is intended to send the concert party to Stirling, Balclutha, and Milton at an early date, to hold concerts at those places in aid of the Distress miners ore patently and confidently awaiting action by the federation, and are showing no aigns»of weakening. The Taratu miners’ picnic is being held to-day at Goal Point Beach, under gloomy weather conditions, with heavy rain showers.

THE BLACKBALL DISPUTE.

A BRIGHTER OUTLOOK

Ode Own Cobbespondent.)

b. i WELLINGTON, January 30. The’ Prime Minister has persuaded those ,who have been representing the mine owners and the coal miners that the Blackball dispute shall be referred to a tribunal of one representative from each side and a chairman appointed by the Prime Minister. It remains now for the representatives, Messrs Pryor and Arbuckle respectively, to get their executives to consent to this arrangement. As the members of the two executives are in different parts of the country they will have to be communicated with by means of the telegraph, so that the final decision regarding the willingness or otherwise to agree to the appointment of the suggested tribunal may not be known for a day or two. If an agreement is reached on this point the inquiry will take several days more, but in the meantime the miners, as a guarantee of their good faith, must drop the “go-slow” policy. Until the result of the tribunal’s inquiry is known it will be impossible to say whether there is to be peace not, but at present there is hope tnat all will be well.

THE KAITANGATA TROUBLE. TO THE EDITOR.

: Sie, —Tour correspondent “Unionist” seems to have missed the point as to the cause of the Kaitangata trouble. The business of the “stop-work” meeting and the number who refused to. attend have nothing to do with the matter. The trouble _ arose, let me repeat for the sake of “Unionist,” owing to the demand made by the union that the company should compel men to attend a meeting during working hours. I am. etc., ' J. C. Allan. Kaitangata, January 28.