THE COAL SHORTAGE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 11990, 29 January 1920, Page 5

THE COAL SHORTAGE.

«• Per Press Association, Wellington, Jan 38. A Westport deputation’ to-day asked the Government to open up a new mine in the Inangahua Valley and build there a good mining village and build a railway to the mine accessible, also to take steps to open up coal measures at Charleston. It was urged on Mr Massey that the Government must see that the miners are better paid and provided with better houses if they are to be induced to stay on the coalfields. If the present state of affairs continued for two years more, there would be no men left on the fields,' and .the only alternative would be to work coal with foreign labour. Replying, ‘Mr Massey said he believed the conditions in mines, whether State or privaie-o wned, should be as good as it was possible to make them, but he said, “We find a pistol is presented at our heads, and we are told if we don’t do so and sb, there will be no coal.’’ I believe a round table conference is the best method of settling these i troubles. | Mr Holland, M.P. : So do the | minors. I Mr Massey < Then why don’t the I miners come along to the conference? I Mr Holland: They are prepared to come now. Mr Massey said if the miners were willing to met the mine owners, the Union being 'represented in proper person by miners, he was prepared to do all he could to bring about a conference and assist to make it suei cessful, .but if the miners were not I prepared to do this, it would be usej less for him -To ask the owners to j come to a conference. If the miners I would only drop the idea of being | represented by an outside body—the ! Alliance of Labour—he thought the 1 confdrence could be arranged and the 1 difficulty settled.