COAL TROUBLE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16261, 11 July 1918, Page 7

COAL TROUBLE.

jIO SETTLEMENT IN SIGHT.

(SPECIAL to "THIS PRESS.") WELLINGTON, July 10. So new overt move has been made Jday towards a settlement of tha coal Lpute. At their last meeting the owners disclosed their policy offer made to the unions. It is Za competent for any member of the i«Ljciation to commit the companies to fnvchaiige of policy, and if there are proposals of the sort to be conthere must b© another meeting nf the Association. . . ~ , There is ground for suspicion that ' action not quite open has been n to induce tho owners to meet tho men in conference, but it is by no certain that if any individual Sember or members should fall in with fha ffishea of the Government in this fitter he will be supported by the AsThe fact is that the Governj. jn a state of alarm about this "ifai, Ministers are fearful about the pounds' worth of produce little doubt that if .the * erß do not give increases suffic;ent to induce tho miners to go on working, the Government will take °X®. r £ea. Rather than allow this the JSnera may give increases and tell the SS? how they have been treated. C Of the things that the owners are im against is tho State Mines It is said that the mines have Ku a pr«St, and tore i> Mt » coalowner in tho country who will say that ♦hU is possible if the basis of calcula- £ has Sen sound. What is being '•d a s against the owners' declaration that they are making no money is that •.u. gtate mines have made a Profit faring th« year, and that while the Department nas increased its prices to +ifif Minsumer by twenty per cent., the private owners have put up the price of coal by forty per cent.