THE COAL TROUBLE.

Waikato Times, Volume 96, Issue 15358, 5 October 1923, Page 5

THE COAL TROUBLE.

PROSPECTS OF A SETTLEMENT. OBJECTIONS TO LEVY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. WELLINGTON, Friday. There appears to be some hope of approaching a settlement of the mining dispute on the West Coast this week, especially as Mr P. O'Rourke, secretary of the Miners' Association, is prolonging his stay in Wcstland, and there appears to be warrant for the assumption that overtures have been made by the Miners' Federation to the employers for a settlement. But it is well known that one condition precedent to any discussion of the position by the Mine-owners' Association is that the men must first resume work under the Arbitration award, and there is no indication of this being done. It is well known that the meagre assistance offered to the miners will not relieve one-tenth of their necessities and their relatives.'

A special meeting was to have been held yesterday by the State Miners' Union at the request of 47 members to object to a levy by the Rewanui section of the union of 10 per cent, on miners' wages. Considerable comment has been made on the action of the Blackball cooperative mineowners in raising the price of coal by 4s per ton because of the stoppage of the other mines, and one unionist remarked yesterday that it looked remarkably like profiteering.