GOVERNMENT AID EXPECTED

Southland Times, Issue 23548, 30 June 1938, Page 4

GOVERNMENT AID EXPECTED

Nightcaps Miners’

Belief

MINISTER COMMENTS ON SUGGESTION

ASSISTANCE FOR WORKMEN NOT CONTEMPLATED

The belief that the Government would provide assistance for the Nightcaps miners who are at present idle because of a disagreement between the coalmine owners and the union was expressed by the president of the Nightcaps Miners’ Union (Mr L.S. Edmond) in a statement to The Southland Times last night. The Minister of Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong), to whom the suggestion was referred, said that so far as he was aware no representations had been made to the Government on behalf of the miners and no assistance for the miners was contemplated at present. In his statement Mr Edmond said that while the men were idle they would receive no wages from the companies, but the union would in due course attend to the question of providing the men with an allowance if that became necessary. “I do riot know if application for assistance has actually been made to the Government,” said Mr Edmond in answer,to a question whether the Government had been approached to provide special work for the miners, during their period of idleness, through the Public Works Department or any other department. “We have it on good authority, however, that the Government intends to see the miners through as the mine owners are definitely in the wrong,” he said. He added that he had no information at present of the exact nature of the assistance or work that would be provided. The Minister, in a telephone interview, denied that the Government was considering granting assistance to the miners. A representative _of the Labour Department was dealing with the dispute at Nightcaps and Mr Armstrong said he expected to receive another report on the position on Thursday. “In the meantime I see no reason for intervening in the dispute and I am not contemplating any action at present,” continued the Minister. “The matter is quite simple. The miners are merely requesting that the employers make an agreement in the same terms as in other parts of New Zealand.” A representative of the Coal-Mine Owners’ Association stated yesterday that no move had been made by either party to settle the dispute and the position remained the same as on Tuesday. The supply of coal in the city was again short yesterday. One company reported that it could still meet orders of a maximum of a quarter of a ton for another two or three days, but others stated that they could supply a quarter of a ton only to regular customers. Other firms stated that coal was being rationed in lots of one or two bags in each order, and in one or two cases the dealers were unable to accept any orders yesterday. Restricted supplies were being received from the Star mine, most of the coal from other mines having been exhausted already.

“RATHER A STRANGE MIX-UP” ,

MINISTER’S COMMENT IN WELLINGTON

(United Press Association)

WELLINGTON, June 29. “It seems rather a strange mix-up,” commented the Minister of Labour when asked if he was taking any action in connection with the Ohai mining stoppage. A Labour Department officer was on the spot and was reporting to him but he was not contemplating personal intervention. ‘‘All the rest of the miners have a two-year agreement and for some reason tile employers there seem to prefer a separate agreement,” said Mr Armstrong. “As a general rule it is the worker who wants a short-dated agreement but I see no reason in the world why employers should not fall into line with the rest of the mining companies.”

DISPUTE ON PERIOD OF AGREEMENT COMPARISON OF HEWING RATES IN DISTRICTS (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 29. “The strike in the Southland coal mines is, in my opinion, the most unnecessary strike I have ever had experience of, because the miners are in agreement with the employers on the terms and conditions of their employment,” said Mr T. O. Bishop, secretary of the New Zealand Employers’ Federation.

“The only point in dispute between them is whether the agreement is to be entered into on these terms and conditions for a period of one year or for a period of two years,” said Mr Bishop. “The miners insist on two years, but the employers desire one year.' The reason for the difference of opinion is that the hewing rates in the Nightcaps district are higher than those ruling in other districts and as the coal produced there has to be sold in competition with coal produced in Otago the owners are afraid that they may find it imnossible to carry on successfully against this competition if general trading conditions become somewhat less favourable than they are today. It is true that the Mine Owners’ Association of New Zealand made an agreement in April last with the Mine Workers’ Federation for two years, but at that time the Southland mine owners reserved the right to discuss hewing rates. That discussion has taken place and the mine owners have been unable to secure a reduction in the rates to the level pertaining in other districts and hence their reluctance to bind themselves for a period of mole than a year. “A peculiar aspect of the present situation is that the men are striking as a protest against something which may happen at the end of 12 months and not against anything which at present is causing them dissatisfacton.” SOUTHLAND COAL IN DUNEDIN IMMEDIATE SHORTAGE NOT FEARED (Special to The Times) DUNEDIN, June 29. An assurance that there was little likelihood of a shortage of Southland

coal arising in Dunedin in the immediate future was given by Mr D. R. Wilson, president of the Dunedin Coal Merchants’ Association today. Mr Wilson said there would be no shortage of Southland coal until the beginning of next week, as most local merchants carried two or three days’ stock in their yards and today the last of the supplies loaded from the Southland mines before the strike arrived in Dunedin. Should the strike continue into next week, Mr Wilson added, Dunedin householders would have to fall back on Otago coals, and as it was doubtful if the Otago mines could meet the resulting heavy demands, brown coals would have to be used to complete orders for domestic use. The general opinion was that the strike would not be prolonged. J