A CONFERENCE ON THE MINING DISPUTE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17178, 23 October 1923, Page 6

A CONFERENCE ON THE MINING DISPUTE.

The” departure of the Hon. G. .T. Anderson, Minister for Labour, for the "West Coast to-day suggests that the mining dispute will be patched up shortly. A conference, is to take place at Reefton, where the Minister will meet t(Te representatives of the miners. The miners who are concerned in the dispute must feel disappointed at the turn events have taken since they decided to go slow. They have never justified their position to the satisfaction of the workers at large. It is true that resolutions expressing indignation at the alleged lock-out have been plentiful, but the unions did npt rush in with offers to submit to a ten per cent levy on wages. Even among the miners there was no enthusiasm for the dispute. We have, no doubt that in the settlement which must ultimately be arranged an effort will be made to ensure that similar tactics will not be adopted again. The effort will probably be futile, because neither awards nor agreements can restrain men who are eager to grasp opportunities of displaying their antagonism. The miners can always be exploited by aritators, to whose, specious arguments they turn a ready ear. The agitators are obsessed with the desire to dpal a blow at capitalism? and they are not at all concerned by the boomerang effect of their missiles. A strike means loss to the capitalist, but it also means loss to the worker. It opens the door to the trade competitor, and that door is more easily opened than shut.