THE GAS TROUBLE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3145, 25 July 1917, Page 4

THE GAS TROUBLE

POSITION OF STOP-WORKERS. The situation in respect to the bonble at the Miramar works of the Wellington Gas Company remains unchanged, except that tho new hands in tho retort house are 1 ' showing increased efficiency in their work, which is having its rellection in the output of- gas. The gas supply, which was out off. between 10 and 11 o'clock last evening, will be admitted to tho mains at G. 30 o'clock this morning, and Will remain on until 10 o'clock tonight.

As regards the coal question, the position remains as "before. No coal has been discharged from steamers at the Miramar Wharf for the company since the old retort hands stopped work. The company still has a fortnight's supply in hand.

The men who stopped work, and who were convicted on a charge of a breach of tho. War Emulations, will come up for sentence to-day before the Stipendiary Magistrate, and as it is the first caso of its kind, under the conditions, ,i good deal of interest will bo displayed in the judgment of the Court.

Since tho men were convicted, the Conciliation Commissioner (Jlr. Hagger) lias l>een at some pains to try and bring about an eleventh-hour reconciliation, but found tho men adamant. Then, on the Commissioner's suggestion, tho directors of tho company met tho men. As a preliminary to any negotiations, the men made it clear that they were to go back in a body or not at all, and demanded that all temporary hands engaged in the retort house should bo dismissed. The directors, on their part, decided that they certainly were not going to go back on the men who had come to tho company's assistance. This meant a- stalemate, and the confereneo was therefore barren of result.