GOVERNMENT'S REPLY TO MINERS.

Southland Times, Issue 18623, 22 August 1919, Page 4

GOVERNMENT'S REPLY TO MINERS.

We can be quite certain that the miners will not be satisfied with the Government’s reply to the views expressed by their deputation on Saturday last. The miners marie their attitude quite plain when their chief spokesman said: “They were there to put before the Ministers reasons why the miners could not accept the offer made by the owners, for the joint consideration of Cabinet and that being so, they were anxious to avoid any possibility of argument. They did not expect that they would get any definite reply. That would not be reasonable. All they asked was that what they said should be fully considered in all its bearings and be treated as a matter of utmost urgency.” It is evident that the men will not accept the offer made by the owners, and they cannot he satisfied with the “considered judgment” of Cabinet which finds that the men are not justified in declining (he terms submitted to them. The Government accepts as accurate the statistics compiled by the mine owners, and on them supports the latter in the contention that to grant the demands of the men would ruin the industry, since the extra cost of production would be greater than the amount that could possibly be passed on to the public. In any case the Government finds that the men's demands are not justified, since the increases in pay

granted to the men during the war, together with the increase now offered by the owners, brings wages up to the pre-war standard in relation to the cost of living. The Government’s reply, judging from the telegraphed summary, appears to be against the miners on all points, and it remains now for the men to say how they will take the verdict for which they asked. It is to be hoped that whatever further negotiations are necessary the men will refrain from methods that cannot succeed and will only prejudice the men’s case in the minds of the public. The whole question is back again to the deadlock stage, and the next declaration by the miners is awaited with some concern.