STATE COAL MINE DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 666, 17 November 1909, Page 7

STATE COAL MINE DISPUTE.

TWO VERSIONS. HEW AGE RATE AND ■ TRUCKING COST; 'j • Iclccrapli—l'rcss Association; i GreymoutH, Noveihber 18/ " A seripis 'deadiCok is threatened it the State coa),-mme. The manager demands h reduction in he rates for pilla'sland certain'other work. The men refuse to teree to this, and have given him till Friday to sigh a new agreciuont. The': "Star's*-" Correspondent telegraphs that a conference is now tukirg place, "NO PROSPECT OF A STRIKE." . MANAGER'S STATEMENT. Illy Tclotfadit.-I'ross AMoelatloa.l ' .Goeymoiith, Novomber 10. The State coal mites have been in conference with tho manager (Mr. Bishop) during the'last few days considering a u6w agreement. There has been a good deal of discussion over Certain points. ' Tils Windts iVant tM manager to undertake all truckings, Which means taking the Coal froitt the lfien at ' the' face. The manager deoliheS. to give this concessioh unless a reduction is iuad6 of .threejiehce JCr tbn .in the hoivago. rate, to, go to provide for the eitra. Cost of trucking.. On Friday evening the miners held a meeting, when It.-wad 'dccided not to agree to the reduction in thti hewage rate, ahd the mantei. was given notice to, that effect. ■' A : futther conference was held yesterday.ifternbbri, when, matters were "further . discussed.; Rilniotirs reached town that the miners... intended to strike on Friday if the trucking Concession ivas not acceded to.; , Mr. Bishop, on being interviewed, said therd tttis iio prospect-of a strike, and the rumours wore , unfounded. * Tho miners wore in confer-, ence iVith him over a now, agreement, And bad not : arrived 'at liny conclusion'.yet: In changing the system of working the mine there nltist necessarily bo some give-itnd-tako, and if the miners- wanted the. trtacldng, d6nb they sllbuld Agree to a'slight'reduction in the hewage rate, It was foolish to talk of a strike at tho present time, aa tho miners Were working under the old agreement,' which fell out oil Juno 20, 1903, but the award states that it shall remain in force until, another agreement has been arrived at to take its place. Mr. Bishop said ;ho was hoptftil of being able to arrange, matters amicably ivith the miners. - They had'worked in harmony for the past six years, and there, was every reason to believe they woitld continue to do so. Tho hbtailig rate reduction proposal of threepence per ton is not hard, and fast, and sohio modification might,be made. The cbiiferehce will'be resumed in the morning* cind the tlrospects of .a mutual understanding are bright: ~ ,'

A DUNEDIN PROPOSAL. LEVY OF J!100C PER WEEK FOR MINERS: , lllji Toleerapb—l'ro3» Association.) Dunodin, November 10i : At a meeting of the Duiiedin Operative BootI makers' Union to-night it was decided to re- ! attest tho Trades and: Labour Council to ask the various trades councils in tho,Dominion to (.consider the advisability' ot'■ striking a levy on 40,000 affiliated unionists eo as to provide a sum .of .£IOOO per week to bo devoted to tho Newcastle coal-miners'strike fund. CONGRATULATIONS FKOJf NEW ZEA-.' I ' LAND. (By ftlbitrapli—Pi-isa Association.) • ChristchUrch, November 10. This morning the..follotvinß cablegram tvnS I sent from .Lyiteitoii! "SMretarv of 'tho Miners.' Fedefationj - Newcastle—New Zealand Waterside Federation rtmgra'tillatt'S Nowoastle .miners on stahd tliiij' have taken.—J. Reed (presi- | dsnt), H. Voyce (Secretary)." . v _