MINES CLOSED

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 264, 4 August 1919, Page 8

MINES CLOSED

PAYMENT FOR PEACE DAY

A TRIFLING HITCH

AGREEMENTS AND THEIR OBSERVANCE. Tho stoppages of work which occurred (luring the two Inst days of the past week at two or three of the mines wero referred to at the conference of coal mine owners and representatives of the Federation of Coal Minors on Saturday. It appears that in three of the mines there had been some littlo irregularity about the payment of the extra day's wages for Pence Day, which was allowed in all the mines. Because it. was not paid absolutely to all tho men the miners in at least two mines stopped work on Friday. Saturday, being pay Saturday, would have been an idle day in any event. Mr. Arbuckle read tho following telegrams :— , From Burnett's Face, Denniston:— Mine, stopped ns protest against action of company not paying peace celebration pay. Largo numbers of . men not paid through not working on Tuesday. Awaiting reply. From Kiripaki:— ..' Can get no satisfaction payment for peace* Please find out if company intend to pay. From Blackball:— Find ouit why Blackball Company have not made payment for Pence Day. Understood company had noti- ' fictl federation officially to the effect. that they would pay. All hands would liko to be paid for that day. Mr. Arbuckle said that the mining companies had 'been niggardly in the first instance in payinpr for only one day. Other employers, including the State Mines Department, had piid for two days. And tho companies had pone so far ns to refuse to pay even the one day because some men stayed away on the Tuesday following the holiday. The result was that tho men at Burnett's Face wero not working. Mr. W. A. Flavell (Westport Company) said that authority had been given for' tho payment of this extra day's wages. If the money had not 'been paid this was due to misunderstanding. Perhaps there had been some misinterpretation 'of the instructions. He regretted that there had been a hitch, and he honed the men would resume work. There would be no difficulty about the payment to men who hnd not worked on Tuesday. Mr. Watson (Blackball) and Mr. Holgnto (Kiripaki) gave similar explanations, with assurances that, the extra day's pay would be given with the next pay. Sir. Arbuckle went on with the ouestion of whether the amount, should be one ov two days' pay. He claimed that, the miners should receive two days' pay. as other workers had been paid fhi/i amount. Mr. Alison said that the mine owners had considered the question carefully, and tho decision had been that one day's pay should be given. The difficulty wos that some of the compnnies wero in such a position financially that they could not afford two days' pay. Some of them could not afford one day's pay, but tho occasion was thought to lie so important that it,should be marked in some way. Mr. Brown (Donniston) said that the men had not come to work very regularly after Pence Day. Some 120 of them were absent on the Tuesday, and some wore absent on Thursday, and even up till Friday. Mr. Alison drew attention to the terms of the Agreement, which wero that there must ho no stoppages of work without referonco of the dispute to a Disputes Committee. A guarantee was given that there would be no stoppages of work, but stoppagos of work hnd occurred repeatedly. What was the use of making agreements with the federation if they were not to bo observed? Mr. Arbuckle said that it was impossible for the federation to give guarantees on behalf of the men that there would be no stoppages of work. All tho federation could promise was that as far. as possiblo stoppages would be avoided. Mr. Arbuckle went on to say that the refusal to pay to some of the men was on account of instructions from someone in authority, although evidently not from' tho head offices of the companies. Mr. J. O'Brion said that it was impossible to draw up an agreement to meet all circumstances that would arise in minos. If the agreement did not meet a case, nnd the men could get no redress, tho men had no alternative 'but to stop work'. Men did n'ot do this for fun. He claimed that, in this instance the men had ceased work because they had, owing to some clerical error which was not their fault, been refused money duo to them. Mr. Alison said he regretted to hear the statements made in justification of irregular stoppages of work for reasons which wero more or less trivial. Ho quoted tho undertaking given by the federation in the agreement that no unnecessary, stoppages of work would occur until the matter in dispute had boon decided by a local disputes committee or in the event of disagreement by tho National Disputes Committee. This undertaking was part of tho agreement. Ho declared that the strike was not the 1 proper resort of. miners when they had a grievance, but a barbaric.nnd wasteful method. It appeared to be useless to make agreements with the federation if they would not observe thorn. Mr. Flavell said that tho miners who claimed to be so very anxious to supply conl had beon very irregular in .going to work after Poace Day. There was no suggestion of had faith against the company, and yet tho miners had gone out on this frivolous pretext. It was still alleged by representatives of the minors, Messrs. .Roberts and Arbuckle, that tho dispute .had 'been created by the companies in failing to'pay the day's wages. Tho local Disputes Committee should have been called together before the owners decided not to pay this money. Mr. Flavoll said that this was not tho position. Tho company had given tho instruction that the men should be paid. The general manager was away, and.the local manager evidently, thought that the nien who had stayed away from work for other days after the holiday had forfeited their right to this Peace Day payment. If tho men had approached the local malinger ho would have sent a telegram to Mr. Brown, and instructions would have been given him to pay the money. Mr. Roberts said that tho local manager should have first of all sent tho telegram beforo refusing the money, or should have referred the matter to the Disputes Committee. If the manager had done either of these things there would have been no stoppage of work. Tho manager had been the aggressor in the matter, nnd it was human nature for tho nien to hit bnck against the aggressor. Mr. Flavoll said it was deplorable that the men should strike on such a small matter. It was arranged that the secretary of the mine owners would telegraph advice to tho secretaries of the three unions concerned to the effect that the day's wages would bo paid.

Claiming J!2 6s. Id., ono dav's salary and faro lo London from Middlesbrough', John IT. Buguc, actor, of Camberwcll, said at Mar.vlelxiiw County Court that ho was engaged by Lawrence Brough, of Bavswal.er, to play in "Confusion," but lifter tho first performance at Bishop Auckland lie, gave notice. Tho audience wore not favourable to Mr. Brough. Witness added: Tic had to uso a sword in the piece. Any actor of experience can use a sword without hurting, but he left me one mass of bruises, although I wore n thick leather pad and paper under my clothes." Mr. Brouith said ho was anxious to refute flic allegation of brutality on the sriigo. It was tho first timo such iui accusation had been brought iiKiiinst him. Tho Judge award"d lloguc one night's salary, but disallowed for railway fare.

At a nieelii'g of the Be;ich of Bishop? of the Church of Ireland recently tho Verv IJev. Tiobort Miller, Dean of Wnterford. wns elected to tho Bishopric of tho united dioceses of Cashel, Emly, Waterfowl, and Lismoro, in succession to Dr. O'Hnra.