LABOUR MATTERS.

Waipa Post, Volume XVII, Issue 960, 26 June 1920, Page 5

LABOUR MATTERS.

THE MINE •(EWERS’ OFFER. TERMS RE-STATED v- 7 (By Telegraph. Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Replying to Mr Arbuckle’s statement re the coal miners’ dispute, Mr Pryor, secretary of the Coal Owners’ Association, states he is instructed to renew the offers made to the Federation on Monday evening last, viz., (1) That parties should agree upon the chairman’s decision, or (2) to accept the decision of the Prime Minister; or (3) to agree that the Prime . Minister should appoint a chairman; or (4) to agree to the Prime Minister’s suggestion that he should submit the names of four gentlemen from amongst which the parties should agree upon one to act as chairman. The only condition the coal mine •owners impose is that the decisions of the chairman shall be final- and binding on all parties. If that is agreed to the the coal mine owners are prepared to arrange an early date for the hearing of the matters in dispute. “ The above,” said Mr Pryor, “ fully explains the position in appointing a chairman. The coal owners contend that it is impossible to dictate to ,the chairman methods by which he shall arrive at his decisions, especially as the agreement and the verbatim report of the conference proceedings will be at his disposal to assist him in the dispute referred to.” THE RAILWAYS SETTLEMENT. WAIKATO MEN SATISFIED. Mr M. J. Mack>, general secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, addressed a meeting of railway men at Frankton on Thursday evening, when he explained the new agreement. The consensus of opinion among the railway men was that the terms of settlement are satisfactory. THE JOCKEYS’ DISPUTE. A SECRET BALLOT. A secret ballot of jockeys, the result of which will be available on Monday evening, is being taken under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act. The ballot is being conducted in the four centres by the Labour De- « partment. The Act provides -for a ballot to be taken in the event of a dispute not 'being settled within a. prescribed time, hence the present ballot. A conference arranged by the Government between horse-oWners and horsemen with a view to settling the dispute was held recently, but proved abortive.