Untitled

Otago Witness, Issue 3513, 12 July 1921, Page 7

ACCOMMODATION FOR COAL MINERS. While Mr J. Arbuckle, secretary of the Miners' .Federation, has received intimation that it is impossible to get accommodation for coal miners at Deiunston, Miilertcn, or Stockton, the "Westport Coal Company’s management declare there is accommodation for 40 miners at Donniston and for the same number at Millerton. Mr Arbuckle states that his informant is Mr T. S. Williams, secretary of tho Millerton Miners’ Union, and he is prepared to stake £SO against the company’s £SO that Mr it ilharns has put tho matter correctly. Mr T. -0. Bishop, acting secretary of the Goal Mine Owners’ Association stated that while he had no definite information about the matter, that in view of the fact that in 1914 tho Westport Coal Company had at least 500 more men at work than there are now, it is hard to undersaud what has , become of ihe accommodation, tho SCO men occupied in 1914. About two months ago Mr Bishop says he was in Blackball, and found 14 empty cottages in the township, and yet Mr Arbuckle was issuing warnings that there was absolutely no accommodation available at Blackball. Mr Arbuckle has replied maintaining his contention as to the scarcity of accommodation. He questions the statement as to the number of miners working at the Westport Company's mines in 19if and points out that, whereas tiler© were five boarding houses in 1914 there is now only one. 1