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COAL DISPUTE

A COMPULSORY CONFERENCE?

THE PUBLIC SUFFERS

DECISION OF CITY COUNCIL

A'short discussion on the coal shortage and tho coal mines dispute occurred at i the City Council meeting last night. Tho Mayor had been referring to tho difficulties of carrying on tho tramways with bad or'unsuitable'coal. Councillor Chapmsii expressed the opinion that if the Government would cull a conference of the parties to tho coal dispute tho trouble would bo settled in two 'the Mayor said that he' had seen tho Primo Minister that morning, and he thought that all the difficulties had vanished, but it did not look like, that now. Councillor L. M'Kenzie said that the '■ whole country was suffering on account ; of the stupidity of the policy being followed. If the community wanted coa then the people must pay for it. Ho had been informed that men were leaving• tho coalfields because they could get better ! pav elsewhere. ~ Councillor J. Glover said that he had . recently visited the West Coast, and, it was .quite true that tho men were leaving the mines in large numbers. There were • empty houses galore m the mining townships, and men would continue to leave ■ until the Government compelled the mineowners to give men better wages and better housing. Tho nien who were no leaving tho mines were men .who could not get away because they had no the ' wherewithal to do so. He said that in some of tho mines the men could not make more than 10s; a day because the ; coal was too hard. Only in very ew places could men earn as much as £1 a : K. -A. Wright savl flint he : nareed generally with much that Councillor M-Kenri" had said, but if r. en were leaving tho mines to get better wages outside the mines then no conference could help matters. There ww a.demand for labour all over tho country, and Sen could not be Warned for leaving work below ground to get better wages on the surface. If wagesi to'miners wero to be Taised to a level which might keep the miners in the mines, coal might rise to such a orice that tho people could rot bllY it. It'was n surnnse to him to learn : that.men in the mines could not earn : more than 10s. a day. It. was a fact that the men were going slow in all the mines. What the remedy was to bo he was not . prepared to say. But it was quite ccrtain that an increase in the price of coal would mean an increase in the cost ot living To the City of Wellington it would mean an increase in tram fares. In fact, he was not sure that fares would not have to be raised in any case. ....... Cbirnoillor Hutchison said that the Citv Council should ask tho Government to call a compnlsniy conference ot mine owners and miners. , Councillor Chaoman said that miners wages had not kept pace with the increases in the cost of living Ho thousht the Government.should press for this conference, although he feared that a conference brought about by compulsion miuht not do much good. ■ Councillor Frost said tnat ho »onld not suggest that the council should discuss the merits of the dispute, nut be thought tho council should- ask: the Government to deal with tho coal difhTho Mayor said that the matter had gone beyond the limits of a private dispute between tho mino owners and the unions. It was a groat public nnostion, and no Government and no public, body dionld permit tho present state of affairs to continue. If thoy did, they would not btf carrying out their duties thoroughly.' Coal was coming in, from overseas, 'and this coal was costing a great deal of money. There was plenty of good coal in New Zealand, and some, thing should be done behave it mined. He'moved the following resolution: "That in the opinion of this council the Government should immediately take action ,to terminate the p/resent intoler- ''' able position in connection with the coal industry, and should act in such manner *"•-.. as will secure Adequate supplies of coal for industrial, commercial, and domestic requirements." Councillor Frascr supported the motion. The Government should call tho parties together and inform them fcimr-ly that the matter had gone beyond tho stage which it could be considered from the point of view of cither party, and that now th.e interests of tho community must he paramount. / • Councillor Wriitht said that ho sup. norted the resolution. The conl owners had an ensv way out. of their difficulties. They could give the miners ar.v wages they asked, and pass it on to the nubile. Ho held no brief for the mino owners, but it was a fact that their a* ' tion. in resisting extravagant demands s-'GL the miners for more wages 1 ad been Inlthe.interests of the oonsnmimr inblio Councillor Glover said, that the coal owners had raised -prices to the .'on. Kumern. and the miners had not had a penny increase in wages. The resolution was agreed to.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19200128.2.72

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 105, 28 January 1920, Page 8

Word count
Tapeke kupu
844

COAL DISPUTE Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 105, 28 January 1920, Page 8

COAL DISPUTE Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 105, 28 January 1920, Page 8

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