THE MINING INDUSTRY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19136, 2 April 1924, Page 8

THE MINING INDUSTRY.

■MEN DEMAND CONCESSIONS ; ' WEST COAST TERMS SOUGHT. (Pbb United Pbesh Association.) V WELLINGTON, Anril 1. The situation which has arisen in the coal nining industry in New Zealand tlirougii .he granting ot substantial concessions to ihe West Coast miners is likely to keep the representatives of both the mine owners and the employees occupied for some time. The inevitable result of the granting of those concessions was that demands for similar favourable terms were immediately lodged by miners engaged in the industry in other parts of New Zealand. From the Nightcaps district in the south to the Hun/tly mines in the north requests for the annulment of the existing awards have come in. These are now the subject of negotiation between the parties concerned with the Court of Arbitration, with which applications have been filed by the miners. The conference between the owners and the miners in the Nightcans district has been arranged for the middle of the present month, when an endeavour will be made to arrive at a working agreement. The conference will be attended by Mr Bishop, representative of the New Zealand Mine Owners’ Federation, and Mr O’Rourke, representing the miners. The question to be discussed is whether the present award, which does not legally expire until next November, shall he sot aside and a new agreement, embodying substantially the West Coast terms, substituted for it. It is hoped to arrange a similar conference of parties concerned in the industry at Huntly as soon as the business has been completed in the south. The deputation from tho Forestry League ■who waited on the Premier (Mr Massey), urging that further largo sums should bo set aside to purchase more land for afforestation. must have been very disappointed ■with their reception, but it is obvious that, although Mr Massey is very favourable towards the needs of afforestation, and knows full well the enormous benefit it will eventuallv be to the country, both financially and industrially, he is quite unable to supply funds which are more urgently required for immediate purposes. The opportunity is therefore left to Private Enterprise. Messrs N.Z. Perpetual Forests Ltd., whose local office address is P.O. Box 141. Dunedin, a company promoted by Messrs Smith, Wylie, and Co. (Ltd.), tho pioneers of Private Enterprise in afforestation, have pul before the public a proposition which is absolutely unequalled, inasmuch us the terms of investment are so easy that every man or woman can afford to participate—viz., £25 subscribed by paying 25s down, 25s the month following, and 25s every three • months until £25 is fully paid, entitles the holder to a Bond in the Company. One .Such. Bond secures an acre of land at Putaluru, planted with quick-growing trees and cared for until maturity. In 20 years that Bond will be worth at the very least £SOO. Messrs N.Z. Perpetual Forests Ltd. will gladly send full information on receipt of a post-card together with the opinions of some of the world's forestry experts as to the vast possibilities of commercial tree- ’ j I —31524.