THE COAL TROUBLE

Waikato Times, Volume 93, Issue 14486, 8 October 1920, Page 5

THE COAL TROUBLE

THE MINE OWNERS’ STAND. MEN MUST RETURN TO WORK. BEFORE MATTERS DISCUSSED. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON. Thursday. The executive of the Mine Owners’ Association met to-day to consider the Pukemiro dispute, but as there was no guarantee that the men would resume forthwith, the Disputes Committee would not meet. Mr Prior, secretary of the Mine Owners' Association, sent a letter to Mr Arbucklo, secretary to the Miners’ Federation, stating that in view of the arrangement made on Tuesday that if the men resumed work to-day the Disputes Committee would meet, dispositions were made to carry this out. The directors of the mine had made special arrangements to get their manager, who lives in Auckland, to the mine, only to learn when he arrived that the men had not resumed, tnd were calling a meeting for to-day of the Pukemiro Union alone. Mr Prior contends that this is preventing a meeting of the committee, but if he is informed that the men have decided to resume at once, he will endeavour to get the members of the executive together again before they leave Wellington. AMENDMENTS IN THE LAW. THREE YEARS’ STUMBLING BLOCK. HELP FOR CO-OPERATIVE MINERS. Bv Telegraph—Special to Times. WELLINGTON, Thursday. The Coal Mines Amendment Bill was Introduced in the House of Representatives to-day. One of its clauses empowers the Government to make grants or subsidies for the purpose of assisting the coal mining industry. This provision will enable the Government to make direct grants or pay subsidies to suitable parties of the co-operative miners. The Prime Minister remarked when mentioning this clause in the House that he hoped soon to see some co-operative miners at work in the Dominion. The Bill also provides that the Dwners of any coal mine may put a quartz miner of three years’ experience in charge of any place in the mine. The present law does not allow a quartz miner to take charge of a face without three years’ experience in a ooal mine.

JEBUMPTION AT PUKEMIRO. THE OWNERS’ TERMS, r By Telegraph-—Special to Times. WELLINGTON, Friday. The executive of the Goal Mine Owners’ Association met yesterday afternoon, when advice was received from Mr Arbucklc stating that no decision could be arrived at at Pukcmiro until After 2 p.m. to-day, ns in opposition to the executive the Pukcmiro tonion bad not taken proper steps to have the matter dealt with in time for yesterday’s meeting in Wellington. It Was decided to send a letter to Mr Arbuckle stating that the executive was Of the opinion that the Pukcmiro union Ras only been trifling with the matter, and no real effort has been made to have Operations resumed yesterday morning, in accordance with the arrangement made between Mr Prior and Mr Arbuckle for a meeting cf the National Disputes Committee, or even that work should he started this morning. The letter continued that in view of the fact that the Pukeibiro Union has had since Tuesday last to arrive at a decision, and that a resumption of work yesterday morning was a condition precedent to a meeting of the National Disputes Committee the executive has decided that the only condition on which work can now be resumed is in accordance with the proposal made on Saturday, stating that the Federation and the local union should give an undertaking in writing to be embodied in a supplementary agreement that in the event of liny dispute or stoppage of work in the jnine the engine-drivers will not, on any pretext whatever, refuse to perform any duties necessary in connection with pumping operations or the ventilation of the mine.

MINERS’ REPLY TO OWNERS. jSTOP-WORK MEETINGS NEXT WEEK TO CONSIDER THE POSITION. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday. In a statement to-day, Mr Afbuckle, secretary qf the Miners’ Federation, states that before the owners’ executive came to a decision to withdraw their offer to refer the Pukemiro dispute to the National Disputes Committee, they were informed the Pukemiro union was bound to agree to the proposal of the Federation, or the union would not agree to Saturday’s offer. The'owners were merely attempting to ;smash the Federation by keeping the dispute going, and refusing to abide by the national agreement. He accuses Hie owners of withdrawing their offer from the Disputes Commiltee as soon as they taw it would be accepted. Stop-work meetings of all the unions will be held next Wednesday to decide the future course of action. SECRET BALLOT TAKEN. By Telegraph—Special to Times. HUNTLY, Friday. The Pukemiro, mine is still idle. Yesterday the Miners’ Union mot and took a secret ballot as to whether work should be resumed on the conditions suggested, hut the result of the ballot will not be known until to-day. AUCKLAND GAS SUPPLY, ■, IMPOSSIBLE TO RESUME. AUCKLAND, Friday. The Auckland Gas Company lias no coal except a few tons that are being used to make enough gas to prevent the gasholders from toppling down. It was hoped that the company would be able to resume its normal supply of gas about the middle of next week, but now it is almost certain that there will tie i,o gas at all until the following week. The company's daily consumption is 250 tons, and there is no prospect of sufficient supplies to make possible a resumption of the service for at least 10 days. SUPPLIES FROIVI AUSTRALIA. By Telegraph—Special to Times. WELLINGTON. Thursday. Replying to the coal situation in the House of Representatives to-day, Mr Massey said that the Government had been able to buy a considerable quantity of coal in Australia. This coal was mined, ready for shipment, and plenty of ships were available. The trouble was to get it loaded. The Australian watersiders had refused to work overtime for New Zealand boats, and they declined to work at all after four o’clock in the afternoon. They had also announced that after Ihe end of this month they would refuse 1" load Japanese ships with coal for New Zealand.