PEACE BALL

Timaru Herald, Volume CVIII, Issue 16883, 2 August 1919, Page 3

PEACE BALL

~.' -'- s ;< f FQli'-itE'rO-RNED,.SOLDIERS ,; \,A'"coml)iiied meeting of the. Soldiers' Reception' Committee and_ iCelebi anions. Js.t]l Committee >v. as f 'lield in,the Boiougli Council Chambois jesterday afternoon, iiib *'Worship the Mayor piesiding. - , '~ The t meeting -nils very enthusiastic and unanimously decided that a Police Ball-in honour of the returned soldiers shall be held on Thursday, ]lth September, ju Messrs Mill and Coy's v\ool stores, to bts followed by a children's plain and tancy- dress ball ..onuiEi'idav. •the 12th. , Tt was decided that the Soldiers' Iteception Committee and Peace Celebrations Ball Committee be amalgamated for the purpose of carrying, out the arrangements. That on the lust j hight there be no* lionoiary t'ekets issued to anyone except the invitation tickets to,„returned soldiers, and tlvt on the second night everyone pay That- die price ol ticVei--, be 3s first niglit, and Is foi the'second night. , 'Sub-committees, ■with power to add to their number, weieVipnointed as follows •" , | Decorations—Msbsis "\i niton, 'bcaloy, ' Knoivles, H.irpej, Times-Jonesi- Souter, Stewart, - Wniteiboi.ris, Cillaway, I. J. i Bradley, Mr lienzi-3, Captains' Alag-1 dougall and Johnston j Catering—Messrs Allchurrh, F.-asei, Dunn, "W Cilchnst, W R.'Pcniaon, Mesdamos F A. Pavmoud. R C Jones, J). A. Mor<ian, \V Tl. "Walton, Win. 1 C Raymond l , Music and Programme.—Messis Wm. I Raymond, Foden, Hole, Huidmars'i ' Toneychffc. W. PnVt, F. A. Raymond, Mrs Cox, MKs Yonng. Floor Committee and Maiouees —l* J. Bradley. FT. Rolhnson, Gordon Lavson. F. A. Pavmond. TL H T'Yaser, W TT. Pi-iee. E H King, W Hill Advertisng—H. Frascr, B. C Jones, D. A Morgan ' ' Mr IT H. Fraser nas appointed treasurer. Ifc uas decided that anv surplus funds should be handed over to the South Canterbury Y~nr Jlemonal Committee. Each sub-committee is to appoint its o\ui chairman and spcietmy and when necessary act in conjunction with the chairman, treasurer, and secietary (Messrs .Raymond, Fra«er, and Morgan), of the Main Committee. next meeting will be held •<-!•> Tuesday, the 12th Auri"=t. ->t 7 30. when it is hoped all memheis v. ill make a special effort to be piesent

and idel?gatiS:rfrOTo .'.-.ijo! demands.' made, ; -;b y;?;the;' : Mtteri:f ;#?Shf;!G^^ .*•.; .Thero long discussion.as. to the 3'oprcsentativcs" to,] jtlig;:coiifer-ence,.:,the ..coal*:qwners; ; insist:-:; he ;presen.t,.: : strongly. : ^ 5 '" ' 'Federation idclegites . on : Returning Vto":^ ; the,.coal'.gnostioivr-ft-fts. :ao limport-. ■■ ;anfi'/t])at'{,tlieyy.had .'.decided''..'-to-■ agree '. -to.tjifeaclniissiqn.of.the.Presfe, providing-'. that:'- "'.thc-"\thi ; ee '■■."-."dailv , papers .■ v (invited.-r by; ,Mr v vW^, ■ ;P-rypri 1 secretary of' tire. Employers' . Fed-;.iri-ation),.: the,; other: '^Trft^toV:-journals; ■'.: X'" .Worker." : .^ho.-'i;: l llaihvayv.Oße\-]'c\y, , f.-,'otc'; should be-'■ravite'iJ'-iy-':;'-'■ •'■_ .:'.■ —-">'>:"■:: :■■:.; ; -■•-'•■-: ; Kt^^.?;tbpre;"reals' the ■'.prospect of > a" •■ *Arth«r ;/ dehdlccki-: as:'neither;;Mr. Pfy&r ; .'nor, ■■Mr ; .:Afo-tJckl.e' (the federation: : -rotary), would undertake commimi--;,cate Avith the 'papers : reftrred to. ■'"■:■> ■ chairman ■. volunteered to, have \these. qommunications .Kent,out. the eon-' ..-M«i.op-bsing'adjourned to: allow ; of tins' '": being;, done/: ■-.-..■■'- ■ :.,";-, v. A diseussionJ continued:, for some time ' ■ tuP , m oa-ning;of the phrase' "termination of the" war,"- the owners -contending that it meant when the peace terms : yvere... accepted hy Germany,' and ' the' : representatives that hostilities a,ct.Ha,Ty .terminated with the signing ' of ,;the, armistice; The 'chairenari said -tb> ' difficulty, was: purely a legal one. and it;;wonld hpi a. fair compromise to refer :; it-:-tp Roberts said; the Federation would ■-_ not agree to taking.a legal opinion. If ,; it y-whs intended that'- the,. :ipTeG-njfnt : sho-rdrl: exist; luiril six'ivcnt: 1 -* after the .declaratio nor peace, whv did it not &o state it? " . ..:. ■>.•'":■■ The.' chairman raid the ' ouestiou ■ .would have to he: ronsideryrHatnr. and .-.heathen called <m the Federation to : suhmili; rt= nropnsals. . . J : , Mr O'Ronrke'sti'lted that the crirx I ■" of the', situation lay '; a 'the. abolition of ! .the contract system and the ■reduction: of,hours.?:; These, would be the two knotty, problems whmh ■wo-iild have t 0 be surmounted. Tb P ro-wp. why New Zealand; found itself in such abad position .■■regarding oca) bad nature.-of Khe of employment at the mines. 'Hio miners wantetl (rood conditions, both inside and outride; the: mines, hut. would not .concern tbemselv«? about the outside, nuti' they saw- wha+ steps +he ■Gov-.-r i -n, el!^;i -, 1 t eT ed: to take.; Ther must improve the -conrlitinns for the men v-ho we-'K'dow-. i *n the bowels '•.f ea-th to -.hew oonl.! l .They -vtipn; .Tlte dpiTianrl f<-;- P -T .•). Vlav was in ; :epn,f;r -ni ':'P fsp .' .with, ihp ■ ri —P'"-nmeut Rtn.tistician's reT>or f . tbn'- +h"it snm -i-n-s no--' ' "only' eqnai' t.e.-1-2« nor V-it-. The rn.-ilr ,:and_fi.]e bad nlmoct '-Ve ; d°d against the oonbi-act on the speeding up syatem. beoause ssrions accidents were . attributed 'to it. ■?: ■' '- - "In: reply; Mr A'isou. made a lengthy statement, denying tliat: the. condition's in 'the mines were bad, and quoting a Board of Trade report in support. If the coal owners agreed to the a.lwlition of the contract system they would .-.cree to a.nyth.ing. "Were they ix> underHtand that under the wage system the miners were .nob going ifco work as hard as before? He concluded as follows:' r L\rost careful and serious consideration has been given to the whole position, and j the Coal Mne Owners' Association, rea.- ! iisinsr its duty to its members and to j 'he State generally, has definitely decided that whatever may be the consequences tho principal demands cannot be acceded to. or oven discussed. The demands particularly referred to are. tie • reduction of the hours of work in coal hewing on day shaft, one shift; in twenty-four hqurs, payment for holidays, and- payment for time lost, ' The employers are not prepared to proceed further with the conference unless the above menitSoned demands are eliminated from the Federation's claims. The empfoye'nv regret being compelled to adopt rtihis attitude, but knowing as they do the sertouSj far-reaching and disastrous effect which the granting of these demands would have upon the country, they feel that it is clearly their duty to adopt the course indicated."