THE COAL SITUATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1919, Page 2

THE COAL SITUATION.

I PROLONGED NEGOTIATION'S, (pur Special Correspondent.); Wellington, July 89. .Representatives of the Miners' Federation are to meet the coal mine u ..'is in Wellington on Friday to discuss the demands recently made by the Federation. These demands, it will be remembered, include increased pay, a fiveday week, a seven-hour day (reducible to six houra in 19E1), the working of only one shift in 24 hours, and various other, concessions. The shortage o!'«»r1 makes the out; conio of this conference particularly important. The mine owners consider that it would be impossible to work the : mines except at a loss and equally inv possible to produce* the amount of coal required by the Dominion under the conditions proposed by the Federation. The miners' delegates ■will come to the. conference armed with the knowledge that a stoppage of the mines would bring pressure to bear upon the com» mnnity at once, owing to the exhaustion of reserve.? of coal throughout New Zealand. The Dominion ia living hand to month in the matter of coal. I The agreement under Which the mines Rre being worked at the present time will expire in September. If the negotiations between the miners and the mine owners are prolonged, as they are likely to be, the remaining bad month of the winter will be over before a new agreement is operative or before a dispute affects supplies.