COAL CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16504, 4 August 1919, Page 7

COAL CONFERENCE.

FURTHER DISCUSSION. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, August 4. At the coal conference, Air. Arbucklo said tho Board! of Trade report was amost brilliant effort to conceal the real position with regard to the coal miners of New Zealand. Ho challenged tho statement by Air. Alison that the Board of Trade had gone fully into tho coal owners’ hooks. Tho figures supplied by tho owners did not show the position of the coal industry. Air. Alison depended on the management-of the mines, which ho said was thoroughly efficient. Mr. Alison said that Air. Arbucklo’s statement that the Board of Trade report concealed the true position was quite incorrect. Air. O’Rourke said the Federation would he sceptical until it knew how tho figures of tho Board of Trade report had been compiled. Air. Alison, referring to the remark by Air, Arbucklo that the State mine was profitable, said it was because the conditions under which it worked were so different. It paid no taxes, no royalty and no dividends to shareholders. The motion for adjournment until this afternoon was agreed to.