THE COAL DISPUTE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2200, 30 April 1896, Page 19

THE COAL DISPUTE.

Sydney. April 22.

Mr Alexander Brown, profrVst-w of the New Lambton Colliery, has refused to attend the conference, stating that it can only have a mischievous result. He adds that the miners are entitled to an advance in wages, as owners can sell m much coal at 9i per ton at at tbe present cut-throat price. The wheelere' difficulty at the Ssabam Colliery is settled.

After a long discussion at the conference between the miners and colliery owner*, the Premier presiding, the owners submitted the following proposals to the miners : — That they continue work for six months, during which tbe conference stands adjourned till September 9, when the question of an increase in the hewing rates will be discussed. In the meantime all collieries represented at the conference guarantee that no further reduction in wages will be made until the end of 1897, and probably not then. The. miners' delegates resolved to submit the proposal to the lodges for their approval. April 23. The voting re the strike will bo completed to-morrow night.

The miners are dissatisfied with the result of tbe conference, as they consider that they have waited long enough. The general opinion is that they will refuse to endorse the result, and will go out on strike on Monday. April 24^ The mine owners are very reticent as to the action they intend to take when the strike commences. There is a very strongly expressed opinion that it would have been better to h»ve accepted tbe miners' notice from the first than to have agreed to a conference. Newcastle, April 24. The majority of the miners' lodges have already voted, and so far the numbers are 106 against and 6 for the acceptance of the proposals of the late conference. The other lodges yet to vote cannot materially affect the result, and there is certain to be a large majority in favour of a strike. April 26. Excepting the Seapit mine, where the notice runs another week, the Paoific, Greta, East Greta, and ono or two other small collieries, all. the miners strike on Monday. At a BUBibftr- of the mines the .men becught out their tools yesterday. Tbe Stockton men, after voting in favour of a confereno3 and of adopting the conference proposals, decided to strike in the interest of nonunionism. It is rumoured that a number of colliery proprietors have made arrangements to replace the men on strike with nonunionists. April 27. Excepting the Sea Pit and Greta miner*, all the largo collieries ceaeed work to-day. Those still working are chiefly small ones, and worked by non-unionists. Up to the present everything connected with the strike has paseed oft quietly.

April 27.