MINERS' WAGES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16264, 15 July 1918, Page 7

MINERS' WAGES.

OWNERS AND FEDERATION.

(special to "the PRESS." i

WELLINGTON, July 14

No advance has been made towards a settlement of the dispute between the mine-owners and the Miners' Federation. Mr Semple and his friends are saying nothing for the present about the increases which they propose to ask for from the mine owners, but they are asking for the recognition <n any negotiations which may occur for the Miners' Federation. This the owners have up till the present always refused to concede. The several companies have always met and dealt with the unions in their own mines, and they have offered to do the same on this occasion. This does not please tho chiefs of the Federation, and have been doing their best to get the Government to compel the owners to meet the Federation. To members of the Ministry who do not understand how these schemes aro worked, and what is the aim in all of them, the point does not seem to be a big one, and there is a probability that the Government will compel the owners to meet the delegates of the Federation "Under no other circumstances will the companies agree to parley with Semple and Co., and they may not agree even at the behest of the Government. Some of tho leading members of the Coal Mine Owners' Association have been sounded on tho subject, and so far as is known they have refused to do more than they have alreadv offered to do. Stocks of coal in tin- ' ; tv have never before been so low. Nowhere can an ordinary householder place an order for more than four hundredweight jf coal, and no promise of delivery is ever given. Customers are told , that it may be a month before' the coal can bo delivered. There is practically vn reserve stock for city services. It is the custom of the Council to keep some reserve stocks for the running of the electric lighting -plant, but this reserve has run low, and a few days ago some or it had to be taken for tho running of the tramways. Manv householders havo been absolutely without coal in the bitter winter weather experienced during the last.few weeks.