THE IDLE MINES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 408, 18 January 1909, Page 5

THE IDLE MINES.

f -EMPLOYERS' REQUESTS. j SPECIAL SESSION OF PARLIAMENT. V MB,. TRTOB, XNTEUYTEVTED. (DT TEIEGSAPttr-rItESS 'ASSOCIATION.) ,--';, ;■;■■•■ Christchurch, January 15. '. Mr. Pryor, secretary of the New Zealand. Employers' Federation, who is:at present in.: town for the purpose of conferring with Mr... S. L. P. Freej with regard, to'''tho. ; trouble -, .in-tho mining industry, informed a repr'esen-..'• tativo of "Truth"that; so: far as he knew, ■'■■' there was no alteration, in-thti pqsitioh.BO far; as tho mine-owners' were concerned. 'The ' Government' proposals (did not:, .relieve, the mine-owners in any •' shape or: form,' in that tho- temporary coyer by the State ; Depart-y ment when it lapsed would leave them with" the wholo; liability,, whatever it might be, ; imposed.on. them under, the .."Act., The owners had desired that .the .Government.' should give them some . indication of thealterations' to: be made •. in: 'the law - to ■ meet .> the position, but up to the present tho Gov- ' orhment had not: seen their, way to do soi;'. Unless that' were' done,-ho w-as .quite af.av loss to'* see. how. any settlement could\ho"ar- v I rived at.'.... - .'.-V. '■:,,.';■.",■ ~ !>i :v

The claim of-the mine-on-ners-fori a special ;•;-. session of; Parliament to deal witli the 1 matter, •.- was, to his mind,, worthy of more consider.!- .;: tion than the. Prime Minister had given it..;. Tho importance of .the trouble was,in'itself !; : sufficient being,called i. together.: The issues at stake "were so great ■"•'.", that nothing at all within'the. range of prac-".:;' -'ti'qability..ought"to! bo .allowed to.stand in tho ..: way.ofarriyilg at a'settlement;. Mr. Pryor -, adds that,lie;infended .meeting Mi\;Frce this .: cvoiungion his arrival Coast,':.: • and-.though! at present .there did not!appear;!'! "to: bo".any way: out'of : the difficulty, •he yas.' o hopeful that, they would -lie able to. arrive ■at!'!-'; some solution, so as to get'tho mines'working .; .without .any -further.' hss of. time- i'Bogard. >■';■/. iiigihe medical examination of. the,meri',:Mr'..;! Pryor said that' the employers'still claimed.'!!' that such.. an.; {examination . was . the... only! - way by!which-they : could' ascertain.:' their!'!" actual risk,under-thc'!'Act;'.;and.unless'.Par-!:'•" liament amended, the Act so as to'prbvide'for ! 3 medical examination— or that\!such.es'ami-!' \ nation' should .'be !.optionalj-,but: that :.in tho '.!. event,'of.:any'!worker declining to be .'mbdi-'.;' oally examined-'such worker should h'ot'-'be ;, able to avail himself: of the protection. af-'.,\' forded.iby': the:!Act—the' : present! -deadlock; * would^.contmrie;.'.-;;'■.'.•;■■;. -^.'••'•; -T;.''A:. ! ; :, : " : -' ,; ;';.'>V ': -', It ;-is. 'that Mr!"-Froe':and! Mrv"*'.'! PryoY will have a, conference with. Sir Joseplii; , .Ward,- either thislevening.'or to-morrow; and ' : . ■itr.is. hoped that,,as.the'result, it:, will : be' ;J possiblo to .re-start .thymines' bir Monday:'' WiV

:';;;;■ :;;'^NO,'CONFERENCE : /4;-vv a vv-*'v'i I**;.TE'.EGtfivit-ritESS V?SOCIATrON.V. ■■.':: j,;' - ".••"'..V.'VV- .phrlstchurbll," Jantiary.'l7. ■■' ■■ ; : : There are ,ho developments in connection with .tho mining trouble. /.The informal' coil', krenco ,l>et, voe)l ,tho Prime .Minister .and Messrs. Free (mine-ow'nors' representative)'. and-Pryor (secretary of the New' Zealand ;kmptoy©rsl;,«Fejfcrati>n'te~has . ;y 'nbt '••'• taken .place. r . •.'••;. '- : ;,¥ 1 1 '-,? rc^ .'° n on his.arrival from Ree'fton,.stated that, so far. as 'hewas aware, matters word:'still unchanged, and- : beyond that, he could. say.: nothing.: ,-■;■:.. ; ■ The' Prime .Minister may: remain 5 here to', .:a complimentary social to .Mr. Ell, M.P., _on.Tuesday.evening.>.'-.; -.■.;'■ =\f-:'- : :■■'■ ;";',;■::.^A'P^c^Ai^pbsiTipN.':';■; r 'i|. ! j |.j!; : .^T^?^"W* E3 4 ASSOCIATION.) :'• i 5;. ■ ~"' : "■) '*''''•'• ; 'v' ; '' '' ' L Ree^ori r January 16. ;i •:\ 'A.TOcular position has arisen in connection /witluithemiiKis.crisis..,TJie/tributers in:the i bolden: Fleece have been; allowed:, to work .andomploy.-iheri, ;but,! the: battery. bein<riini "jqer tho; coiitrol |of tlie: eoinpany, work in the" ■;biittory...is;-prohibited, and. .the- crushing of •:the. ore»mined.js,therefore.impossible.-Great aissa'tisfa6tibn ;, .'is.;e^ressed''-Here.ai'the' : cori--. ltanuea. : ,miners.'haye-.roturhed: to; work;:;:.,' Iv' .- .:: '■■'" -.f II^:^ELE ?!W' I ?^?Mss ; association.) ' :•' : - U *?w'j. ; *.ji v ■ ..Westpbrt,/January'i6.'.-i. 'i : Mr vCo]vin;M'.P,V-. has forwarded to Reefton tho following:; telegram ■ to '> Mr.;. Free :'— "Coimbt'express my -indignation to you on .reading.yqur.telegram:circulat4a;in the press : blaming.mo for 'treating your' 'company unfairly, m not supplying it with a copy of last yea* s Compensation for-Accidents: ,Act. This;statement is-entirely untrue, as copies were.' ! sent to manager of.your' coin- - ;P a not ohly. : :.during' tho session, of 1908; but also during' the 'session of : 1907, when tho Bill wa's;: : first;'circulated.:':-'itJndor.'thd'. true 'circumstances of the,'case ,t. consider' the stigma you have attempted to place ou me'as. ; unwarranted, unmanly, and/entirely 'unjustifiable, ■. and l ,if the leading officers of your com-' [pany-did,riot think it worth while to-peruse' 'and.make/themselves familiar with, the con- ; tents of tho Bill,. surely.'! should ; not '"/be .blamed-for their carelessness and neglect:'' •';

;.//.'' tut -.TitLßniuvu—ntits*/WsoctATioNJ ■'.'■' * ; ?'~X -//•///'/.;';: ■';'-''■''..'• Reefon, January 17: •/" '<■■' ._. A- representative of V-. the/ ;-Vlri'angahu'a•-•■■ Times,.. .waited oh f a: leading 'employervoir Y Saturday,.and ;elicited the,fact that the re- \ fusal/of,.the:.insuranco I .companies- to accept 0 / tho; risk without medical examination/ has ■:• material]y',.aff<icted: the 'employers' plans: v lt V "■" had-been .thought; poss'ible. to ..recommence ' work:m, the -mines on:■■Wednesday'next, but ' " this new aspect' of, the case, ho was afraid,''-' would retard a settlement-or alter the plans' --> He.pspressed. himself .as- favourable to com-// mencing: world' The;present -position, was'.;," most annoying; and: unsatisfactory.-;■'';•.■ ;// •'"£'- '■: Other employers, coincided. with this view.' - - : .- 'The only: Question-is how- any action':now.-Hvill--'-" : ' militate / against/; lbgjs\atiyo-: action, iii; June..'\It is felt that the question.must to reopened;:/;'' then,y and the. .positioii would be*- aggravated O by a"high:. rate of insurance.■'■ -"'/ ; '.'.'■■;' -•. - ' The':' r lnangahua .Times", states that.the •-■ brefusal. of tho insurance companies to lali©.'■■•' tho, risks, means' in this' ■ district : that :; the', i" wealthier: companies; jrill insure themselves,'; 1 /, and then,, more or; less, ;tbere>mustbo/so'me;S" supervision;as regards':'physical fitness v off': workers,-oven, if /no:medical; examination'he- -1 / insisted on. '..-;: ; :/■/''/.•;;//;/■*'"■ ■■ '■ i-:/ ■'".■'■•: :/-v'/ ;■, WESTPORT C^L|ERS;IJECIiINE^EST.": : S ';-'",:''... CBr.TELEor.ArH^PßEs's.association.j .;.':'/ ;/ V : ; '"' :}>; -vj;' ;"; v V/estport;: January ■ V •':■• At' a/, meeting'-of ! tho. Ngakawau ' Union- : ' i.(Wes.tpor>Stockten, Coal.Company) oh Sattirday, it;;was: i uuanimously..resblve(Lnpt.to;un- ' ,dergo medical examination. ,In doing.so, the/ 'meeting/expressed, tho .opinion ;;that thoy '■',: were, following ;the view; of '"the,;; Prime; '/ i'Minister; '■•'■■■■■■:, .•:-■ '■.■■■;--: v;.':..■'•'..;■ '■■[-■:■■ i "-' ; :,■ '■.-'-*/ : i DEADLOCK AT WAIKATO COAL-JIINES^ .;.i^;'i! : ;;.CpNTINUES.V'-'.>:;.; : c-;:'. :/': i;.. ( BI TELEtInAPir—I'RESS ASSOCIATION.) ' ''..,"'"V;' ;.';;";; ;! Auckland, January 17. --V : A conference 'of'.directors;of/tho Taupiiv ; Coal; Company and tho;; iWaikato. Minors'; ; . Union was held'/'yesterday, .when the ..men" / decided .'to-remain firm, and to refuse to'/go'-.- / to .work till the directors'; accede to their de-*;, mands, Auotherconforehco will Jje held ■on.'•'■''Tuesday; when it is hoped that: a 'settlement:/ will boarrived at;).,. ,- ; '. .: . ..:.,:;.;