LABOUR.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14143, 1 March 1910, Page 5

LABOUR.

THE MINERS' DISPUTE. FAILURE OF NEGOTIATIONS. Pzess Aseociation-Bv Telegrapb-Copvright Received 11.25' p.m., Feb. 28 Ji. LONDON, Feb. 28. Negotiations over the South Wales dispute having failed, the men's representatives have decided to call a. national conference of the federation of Britain. Mr Heppell, on behalf of the owners, while refusing to recognise a minimum wage in the case, of miners working in abnormal places, had offered a clause empowering the managers to make allowances. This was rejected because it gave no locus standi in the Courts. Mr Heppell declined to pay for small coal owing to the onerousness of the eight hours' law. HOOKS OR NO HOOKS. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Feb. 28. Fifty men engaged in discharging cement from the Union Company's Wanaka discontinued work on Saturday because they were not allowed to use hooks in handling the bags. The Wanaka has 500 tons of cement on board, and it is estimated that 200 tons were discharged on Saturday before the men refused to continue work. To-day a conference between the Union Company's manager, the officials of the Wharf Labourers' Union, Mr ?. Hally (Conciliation Commissioner), D. H. McLaren (for the men) and the company's shore foreman took plare. The result was that an arrangement was arrived at that the men should return to work on the understanding that there were to be six men in each gang instead of four and that as soon as the Wanaka's cement cargo was discharged a conference would be held to decide what practice (hooks or no hooks) shall be followed in future. When the decision was made known the men objected to go back under the conditions stated, but eventually the necessary number was obtained. Some feeling was displayed by some of the men inns-much ns a section had offered to do the discharging with hooks on the understands sr that any man who tore a bag should be discharged.