MINEWORKERS’ BALLOT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18848, 28 October 1935, Page 5

MINEWORKERS’ BALLOT

DECISION TO PROCEED TALK WITH MINISTER MEETING IN CAMERA (British Official Wireless.) Rec. 9.30 a.m. RUGBY, Oct. 25. As a result of Government intervention with the owners, the Minister of Mines, Captain H. F. C. Crookshank, has announced to the executive committee of the Mine-workers’ Federation that lie expects to receive next Thursday a definite undertaking that selling organisations will be established in all coalfields, with central co-ordination, before next July. Captain Crookshank asked the executive to consider this undertaking very carefully as signifying a substantial and permanent contribution to the structure of the industry, as well as to the wellbeing of work-people in the industry. Selling organisations, lie said, were something practical and held out a prospect of benefits to the mine-workers more tangible than an arbitration tribunal which, by itself, would bring them nothing of value.

The executive privately considered Captain Crookshank’s statement, and at midnight issued a reply stating that it regretted the attitude of the Government in declining the miners’ offer to submit their claims to the Arbitration Court, and adding that they would, therefore, proceed with the ballot as originally suggested. A further meeting of the executive was held this morning to consider what other steps should be taken before putting the ballot into operation!