THE COAL STRIKES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 291, 28 August 1918, Page 6

THE COAL STRIKES

NO NEW DEVELOPMENTS

OWNERS MEETING TO-DAY

No news of any developments in tlio coal mines troubio readied Wellington yesterday. Nono of the men on the Coast went back to work, and there is no definite information that any of the stiikers intend to work to-day. Tho men at Huntly and tho other Waikato mines should have held a meeting yesterday, but the result of the meeting was not known in Wellington last 1 night.

To-day the executive of tho Mine Owners' Association will meet to. discuss the more recent proposal of the Government that a conference should bo hold, or that in the alternative there should be a Royal Commission to investigate the issues in dispute and other matters pertaining to the mining and/ sale of coal. The result of this meeting and' of tho conforences that may follow with the Government ivill be important.

COAL MINE OWNERS' ACTION APPROVED. Tho coal dispute was considered last evening at a well-attended meeting of tho Wellington Employers' Association, and the following resolution was passed and will be convoyed to tho Government, viz.:—' 'This association strongly approves of tho aotion of the New Zealand Coal Mine Owners' Association in refusing to confer with the Coal Miners' Federation on the questions of wages and working conditions during the currency of agreements settling these matters,, and which were voluntarily entered into by the various Coal Miners' Unioris. Further, this association is alarmed at the sugges- | tion that, a Royal Commission should | be set up to deal with the question of i miners' wages . while those agree- | ments aro in operation. We urge i upon the Government the importanco | of maintaining the Industrial Concilia- | tion and Arbitration Act. and of its i insisting that workers, no less than employers, shall observe the terms of a,war<ts and industrial agix:ements. Should the Government determine that inquiry shall bo made into tho cost of production and distribution of the coal supplies of tlie Dominion this association suggests that tho Board of Trade is tho proper body to undertake the inquiry, and is of opinion that the setting up a Royal Commission would jeopardise the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, and entail unnecessary delay. This association earnestly entreats tho Government to remain firm in rofusing to force a conference between the mine owners and workers."

WORK PROCEEDING AT DENNISTON MINE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Westport, August 27. The men in, the Denniston mine are still working, but the output is very small, and the railway yard at Westport is still congested with long strings of empty coal wagons—» rather patlietio sight, when it is iemembered that times are already dull. A goodly number of colliers who had been put-' ting in time in town have returned to their country residences.

To-day it is freely mentioned that work will'be resumed at all the mines, to-morrow, but tliere are no substantial grounds for the statement.

It is learned by teloplione that it is tho general impression round about Millerton that tlie men are not going back to work.