THE OHAI TROUBLE.

Southland Times, Issue 21822, 27 September 1932, Page 7

THE OHAI TROUBLE.

To the Editor.

Sir.—ln your paper of Saturday you published a letter from the pen of Mr Edmond. It is well known that when the mines were working quite a number of very indifferent men were getting coal and to those indifferent ones the basic wage was a God-send. Now, sir, I would, with your permission, ask Mr Edmond to abandon piffle on matters which are not in anyway incidental to the fact that the mines are idle, and at whose beck and call they are idle. Gossip has it that the good miners and the slovenly ones have been making when at work from £2 down to below £1 a day. Outsiders are often inclined to be sympathetic with the pick and shovel and underground worker, but as far as hearsay goes the Ohai miners are not in. the list of those to whom sympathy in any sense is warranted. Working conditions are good, and wages good, even at the coalowners* present offer. Will Mr Edmond let the public know what wages were earned before the strike by the good miner and the slovenly one? He affirms that he is a first class class miner and, being so, it would be small trouble to do so. Give us a few facts in connection therewith; the why and the wherefore of the stoppage of work.—l am etc., R. E. FLECTION.