WEST COAST COLLIERY TROUBLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 52

WEST COAST COLLIERY TROUBLE.

THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SITUA- - ' ; TION. * ; MINERS' REPRESENTATIVES INTER-" VIEWED.. - . • (Faosr Otto Own CoBEJESPONDiarr.J -t '_■ ; „; WELLINGTOIJ, „ January 7. Mr P. J. O'Regan) chairman of, the Wei-' lington*. pojiciKaiaon , Board,' 4 who- has justreturned from a /visit; -to- the West Coast, trouble in /regard, to ;the working of the- bank-to-banlc clause at the Denniston, mine is etill acute, «md.,ihat*the timely appearance of Mr Lomas (chief , inspector - of Jactories) on the scene prevented ' the matter from assuming a ni^ph more serious phase, i He questions if public realises ' how serious the situation has been and is" , If the Denniston mines had closed- down, he «ays, -miners' unions in other -parts' of the Dominion were going to act in .unison with .j the Westport men; aaid," seeing how many | 1 industries are dependent 'on coal, ' their I action would havejneant-a general paralysi -ing of industries throughout New Zeajaiid. At the present moment/ Mr' Foeter, ' the ' representative -of "the 'Dennistop Miners' Union, . is in Wellington, ;and this morning he giave a ''Post reporter the "miners* "side ot case. - . * ' ' "' -i^'The men's -view is this,?' he .said: "that eight hours- Fxom -' bonk to bank-/ -is law at the. present moment^ and they .wish to work ' according , to- law."' The eompjany w.ishes to fix stated -for going-into .and conring out' of the mine,"'bufc_fhe miners' refuse "to 'concede this point.--. The miner's time for 'walking in and out mine is 36* minuses.- -The company is in -.favour of _giving,-40 minutes,' but still. that apparent* concessions of 'four* minutes would " keep «ome/ .men in 'the mine"ionger tihan if they were ; working On bank-to-bank -system.:' Perhaps I can illustrate what I mean thus : In the Ooalbrookdale mine (dip section) the meiTs time for travelling is 30 -minutes, and- "-the ""company's 40 minutes — a gain of *10 minutes to the' " men."' Iri the .Glasgow" "section the men's" time" is ~28 mihutesV a&d" the" company l s ; 40 " minutes — a gain of 12 'minutes for tihe men: ' -In Bradley's • Section the - men ' claim" ' 42 minutes and the' company concedes 40 minutes— a loss of two minutes -to the men. In Peacock's -section the'ipeu" ask -for 12- minutes and the company "concedes .40 — a gain _of 28 minutes- to. th,e men: . Averaged, this means that the* "men's ' time is 30 minutes and. the company's 40— a';gain of 10 minutes. - At -the iron-Bridge^section the men claim '2B minutes and .the company gives 40—^ain 12 ; -Kruger section, men 32, company 40 — men gain 8 minutes; .No. 7, men- 50 minutes^ company ,40 '-'minute's — loss 10 minutes; dip" section, men 50 minutes, ' ' eompaiiy - 40/ 'inihutes — losk 10 minutes ; No.z %: section, men^ 60 minutes, company 40 minutes — loss 20, minutes ;" 'No. 1 section, "men '48- minutes, 40 minutes— : loss- 8 minutes; new dip, men 36 minutes, company 40 minutes— gain 4 minutes ; Kiwi section, men 70 mfnutes, company 40 minutes — loss 30 minutesj wooden bridge, men _14 minutes, company^ 40 minutes— pain 26 minutes. Now, if this is averaged it will be found that at Coalbroqkdale the men ask for 150. minutes and, the .company y is -prep&red to give '200 minutes. - At the iron bridge, however, the men- ask for 388 ~ minutes (everything counted) and the company 'concedes- only 360 minutes.'* "' '. - " But ji the - men do not work "under, stated times "-"Mr Foster 'was asked, "what guarajitee is there that they will -not Jkntet , by the way?"" ,''".., • " No' possibility of tha,t," " be replied.? " They are J working" on piece work. As a matter of fact, the output to-day (it must be remembered' that the men are working"on the bank-to-bank system) is as good as it" ever was before." ' Then you are working on the bank-to-

! bank system under protest so far as the • company is concerned? s "That ia so. We maintain that -tjhe law » overrides the decision of the Arbitration I Court." » What is the position? I " Well, I suppose we are liable to be i taken xny before the Arbitration Court for • j a breach of its ruling." • ■ ' You are here to get a ruling from the i highest court in the land— the Appeal Court — on the "validity of: your action?" "> " Yes, that is the -case." - | Mr Foster- added that he was here to do f his best to -have the difference between -the ■ miners and their " employers- amicably settled, and he had hopes of accomplishing > this end. In the meantime he preferred to ■'. say as little' as possible about the matter.