NOT SERIOUS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 46, Issue 141002, 21 April 1920, Page 5

NOT SERIOUS.

TROUBLE WITH COAL MINERS. (By Telegrapn—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The Prime Minister was asked to-day whether he had taken action in connection with the threatened coalmining trouble. He replied that, in his opinion, the trouble was not seri- > ous, and he. hoped that the misuiuleistanding would- soon be at an end. It is understood that the disagreement between the Federation of Coal Miners 'and the companies was‘'in regard to the interpretation of one of the clauses of the agreement, which had to do with the payment of a minimum wage of 12s per -day to men employed in the faces, of mines where it was not'possible for them to make a living wage at the contract rates of pay, owing to the difficulty of winning coal in those places.' The question arose ■whether this minimum of 12s shoulcl., iparry an increase of 50 per cent, or of, 60 per cent; a point on which the clause was not definite. ' Mr Massey stated that lie had been advised that the companies had agreed to pay' at the 60 per cent rate, and were now doing so. It is not known exactly what the cause of the present difficulty is. It has never been officially stated that this is the only cause of the recent disagreement, bat if it should prove to be so, then the matter seems to have been settled to the satisfaction of the unions.