THE COAL CRISIS

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160737, 25 August 1920, Page 7

THE COAL CRISIS

AUCKLAND VERY SHORT. (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, August 24. Owing to the shortage of coal, the gas pressure was again reduced to-day, and the restrictions are likely to be continued for some time. The miners at Pnkemiro held a stopwork meeting to consider the new ageement with the employers, but work will probably be resumed to-morrow. Work at the other mines in the Auckland dis* trict is normal. WATEESIDERS’ HOLD-UP. • WELLINGTON, August 24. Although definite information is not available on the point, it is understood that there are possibilities of the watersiders resuming work to-morrow. From what can be gathered, it appears that the men are no way unanimous about refraining from offering themselves for engagement indefinitely, and it is stated that at a meeting of the Union, held on Monday, a proposition that the men resume work was lost by about only 19 or 20 votes, the meeting being attended by over 1000 members. Two calls were made to-day for labour to work tho Meikai Maru, but there was no response. % A meeting of the executive of. the Waterside Workers’ Union was held this afternoon for the purpose of discussing the position, and a certain decision was arrived at. This will be submitted in the form of a recommendation to a general meeting of the Union to beheld at 8 o’clock to-morrow morning. It is understood that the men will be, urged to resume work pending investigations of tho merits of the trouble by the Local Disputes Committee. A meeting of employers was held this afternoon, at which the situation was discussed at length. No resolution was passed, the meeting taking the view that any move towards a settlement of the trouble must first come from the watersiders themselves. “The employers take up the attitude,” said Mr Bennett, subsequent to the meeting, • “that until the men go back to work there can be no meeting of the Local Disputes Committee. If the men resume work, I am quite prepared to call the Disputes Committee together, and points over which there is a difference of opinion can then be discussed.”