COAL INDUSTRY.

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17886, 5 December 1929, Page 13

COAL INDUSTRY.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. A SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT. Representatives of coal-owners and miners from a number of countries met each other for the first time in international conference at a joint consultation arranged by a delegation of the League Economic Committee in October. The Economic Committee delegation had previously consulted with the miners and the owners separately and issued an interim report. In the case of at least three countries, the miners’ and ownerß’ representatives were able to discuss their national problems face to face at Geneva, whereas it had not been possible for them to arrange such meetings at •homo.

At the close, of the meeting, Dr Trendelenburg (chairman) emphasised the success of the experiment of bringing together owners and miners in increasing the measure of common understanding and reducing differences of view. He pointed out that the joint consultation had confirmed the correctness of the general description of the coal situation contained in the interim report issued some months ago by the Economic Committee delegation. The one fact of outstanding importance that had occurred since this report was issued was the rapid progress towards some form of national organisation made by the coal industry In Belgium and particularly in Great Britain. The stops taken and contemplated constituted a factor of vital importance in the whole of the problem under review, for the British industry had hitherto been perhaps the least organised in the more important coal-producing countries. The report of the joint consultation will be published after it has been considered by the League Economic Committee.