The Star. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1923. FAILURE OF THE REEFTON CONFERENCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17181, 26 October 1923, Page 6

The Star. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1923. FAILURE OF THE REEFTON CONFERENCE.

Disappointment will be felt that the Reefton conference failed to settle the mining dispute. The trouble will have to be settled some day, and it is a pity that the parties could not agree on some immediate solution. Tile deadlock will continue for some time longer, and probably the area of trouble will be enlarged. The production of coal in the Dominion will be considerably reduced, and it is quite possible that industry in general will be affected. There are one or two points about the negotiations which should appeal to the workers of New Zealand when they are approached for financial support of the miners’ side of the dispute. According to the Minister of Labour the miners’ delegates were very much opposed to approaching the Arbitration Court in any way. The miners’ delegates rejected a proposal that the old award should be cancelled and a new award applied for, and they refused to take a ballot of the miners' unions regarding that proposal. Their demand is for an immediate revision of certain clauses in the award, without any reference whatever to the Arbitration Court. It is no news that the miners are opposed to the arbitration system. They were once able to do better for themselves by negotiations with the mine-owners, and they want to restore that method. It is nothing to them if an Act which protects thousands of other workers is destroyed. The dispute is an attack on arbitration, and the city unionist who is asked to vote, money to assist the striking miners should realise that fact.