CONCILIATION BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2325, 22 September 1898, Page 8

CONCILIATION BOARD.

COAL MINING DISPUTE. An adjourned meeting of the Conciliation Board was held on Saturday morning, the board being constituted of Messrs W. A. Sim (chairman), G. P. Farquhar, R. Ferguson, and G. L. Sise. Mr G. Smith, secretary of the Otago Coal Miners' Union, attended to bring before the board the grievances of the association, formulated against the Kaitangata Railway and Coal Company. _ The Chairman ssid it seemed to be a question whether the company could bo made a party to the dispute, as they had sold out, and a new owner was carrying on. Mr Smith would like to know v. ho was authorised to give the board information con- ! cernimj the company. The Chairman replied that at the last meeting of the board Mr Allan Holmes, being pre- ! sent, was asked. j Air Smith : Was he authorised to appear for tho company? The Chairman : I understand he was not, but he was good enough to give us the information. Mr Smith : The information was, T understand, that the company was being wound up. He did not say it was wound up. Tho Chairman : But you cannot have a dispute with a company that is not carrying on business Tho question is whether you have cited the right party to tho dispute. I would suggest that, as Mr Walson id hero, you should examine him. I undei stand Mr MacGregor knows something about the matter. The Hon. J. MacGiegor: I am not authorised. Mr Smith : I suppose this is a properlyconstituted meeting- of the boai'd? Tho Chairman : Yes. Mr Smith : And is the board sitting to take this ca->e? The Chairman : No, not till we know that the right parties are here. I suggest you should ascertain whether you have the right party before tho board. Mr Smith : I think there is a company in existence. The Chairman : Well, then you had better go on. Mr Smith said that he would put a few questions to Mr Watson. Mr W. P. Watson wad thereupon sworn. Mr Smith : You have been general manager of the Kailangata Company for a number of years? Witness : Yes. Do you still occupy that position? — No. Are you in any way connected with the company just now? — No, excepting for doing a little for the liquidators who are winding it up. The Chairman: Is the company in liquidation? Witness : Yes. \ In voluntary liquidation? — Yes. Who are the liquidators? — The directors. What is the position of the mine? Is it still carried on? — Yes. By whom? — I have no idea, I assure you. Who made the sale? — There was an agreement between some gentleman who weut Home and the company, and he complied witb the conditions of the agreement. It is several people at Home. I really don't know anything about them. 1 was only asked to continue the business till I got instructions. Tha company entered into an agreement with whom? — With Mr Robert Leo. For the sale? — For the purchase of the property. 4> And that agreement Mr Lee has complied with?— Yes. Has the properly been transferred to the purchaser? — Not yet. There is a final payment to make. Bub as a matter of fact the naonle at Home are in possession.

Mr Smith : And don't you know who i& agent for the people at Home? Witness : No. : And no one is acting? — I am. The Char, man : Who took possession iov the purchaser ? Witness* : Mr Duncan. Ke took possession and put me in charge. Mi- Peter Duncan: I have no special in- | foi>nplion from Mr Leo. The papers are nob complete. I The Chairman : Do the liquidators carry oa the business? Mr Watson: No; they are only collecting accounts. Then the Kailangata Company has nothing to do with the mine? — Nothing. Mr Smith : How long is it since the change took place? Witness: The 30th July. All the men in the employ of the company were dismissed at that time? — Yes. And they were re-employed by tho company?— Yes. "Who employed them? — The mine manager was instructed. Who instructed him?— l did. And where did you get your instructions from? — I was instructed by Mr Duncan to go on. Practically, then, this new company ha& been in charge since tho 31st of July? — Yes. I lodged this notice on the company on the 26th July ; on the old company. — I don't know anything about it. I think the mine manager must have raceived it. I registered the letter and made inquiries at the office, and I suppose you know who got it? — There was no notice" by tha 61~,i of July tl-at 1 know of. Mr Smith said that he lodged a list of the miners' grievances on tho 20th July. At tlafc time to era was some talk about a new company taking the concern over, and he knew that men had been discharged and re-engaged, iio withdrew the list of grievances, and forwarded the present list on tho 15th of August ; so he was practically dealing with this new company. The Chairman remarked that the now company were apparently not represented. Thereference to tho board was a dispute between tho men and the Kaitangala Coal Company, n.nd Mr Watson said that that company had notliinsc to do with it. Mr Smith : I understand the name is not changed. They are still carrying on operations under the old name. I understand the position this way : It is just a quibble ; there lias been a desire to humbug me from the first. The Chairman: T don't think you are entitled to say that. It is evident that you have just struck the time when the change is taking; place. The new owners will be shortly in the colony, and you can deal with them. Mr Smith : If the new company can have an agent to in&truct Mr Watson and instruct Mr Shore to discharge workmen and re engage them, they can be represented here. It I were to go to Kaitangata I would soon find out who owns it. The Chairman said that it would be idle to go on. Mr Smith : Can't I bring Mr Watson beforo the board as the agent for the new owners? Tho Chairman: Wo don't know who they are. As I understand, Mr Watson is agent' for Mr Lea. Mr Smith said that he understood Mr Watson was the general manager, and that Mr Watson and Mr Shore were the parties he would have to deal with if the company had remained as it was, and that if they were now in similar positions they were still the parties lie had to deal with. When he sent in nis second list of grievances he received tnis reniy from Mr Shore: "I beg to acKnuwieage-re-ceipt of your favour of the 15th August, and to inform you that the same has been forwarded to the general manager " Tho company now appeared to be a visionary one when he attempted to get anyone up to the scratch. The Chairman: That is only a temporary difficulty. We shall shortly know who the owners are, I suppose, Mr Duncan? Mr Smith: Yes, but how long? Mr Duncan reolied that he could not say. The sums of £20,000 and £5000 were sent out from Home. He did not wish to see so much, money going without an owner, so he paid it over to keep Mr Lee's contract, and thakwas all he knew about it. No doubt the new ownership would disclose itself. It was not likely that such a concern would be left without a general manager. He tool: the liberty of askincr Mr Watson to keep on as mariager r and Mr Watson complied, but in that he took a risk. The whole "matter was rather " too previous." Mr Smith said that this was unsatisfactory for men who were working in a dangerous mine like the Kaitangata. They were in a peculiar position, and he thought a protest should be made. The men were liable to accident every day they worked in the mine. The Chairman said he would advise Mr Smith to abandon the present reference and wait for tho new owner, who was bound to be represented shortly, since he was not likely to leave the property to look after itself. Mr Smith : It has been looking after itself for fully five or six weeks. The company are playing a game for the purpose of disorganising the men. They are playing for time and getting any amount of it. The Chairman repeated that it was useless to go on with the reference as it stood. Mr Smith : Must I take that as a recommendation? The Chairman : I point out the difficulty. If you would like to consult a solicitor we will adjourn. I suggest that, if you have any doubt. Mr Smith said he supposed it would be months before the company would be wound up. The Chairman remarked that as soon as the owner or his agent appeared he could be communicated with, and if he would not come to terms he could be brought before the board. Mr Smith: I feel fully convinced that the company will be without an owner for a long time. Tho Chairman : That cannot be. Mr Smith: Well, I am not satisfied. As secretary for the union, 1 will take another move apart from the Conciliation Board altogether. The men up there are in a very dangerous position. Mr Farquhar said that it was for the inspector of inines to act if there was any danger. Mr Smith : But new dangers arise, and ther& are always accidents happening. Mr Watson: There has been no accident there for many a long day. Mr Smith : When an accident happens there it is a big one. After consideration, Mr Smith said he supposed there was nothing else to do but to take an adjournment in order to see what could be done, and The board adjourned until Tuesday at IQa.m.

The population of England at the time of the Conqueror did not exceed 2,000,000, all told.