INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 110, 3 February 1920, Page 7

INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES

AND PRIVATE CONFERENCES t MR. MASSEY'S OPINIONS THE CASE OF THE COAL MINERS Some public, attention has been called recently to tho growing practico o£ holding private conferences for the ; 'scttlement of _ important industrial disputes. : The Prime Minister stated his views cn this point in an inteview with a deputation yesterday: •illy T am of opinion that unless in special cases whero there is some very good reason to the contiyry, conferences on economic questions should be held in public," said Mr. Massey. "There is nothing better than public opinion to prevent abuses. At a time like this when there is so much unrest it is necessary to keep tho public satisfied by supplying them "with all possiblo information. Where representatives of the Government nre present there is not tho same gency, though even then it is generally moro satisfactory to have nji unbiased report of proceedings published. Just N at present the main question is whether this country is to be governed by Government, aii<l Parliament, or whether it is to be governed by tho wire-pulling of, an organisation which already has caused much hardship and loss to the community and to tho country as a whole. I refer not so much to the miners as to tlie organisation which apiws to bo making use of them to their detriment. I have never found tho miners as a whole unreasonable when left to themsolves, and I need hardly say that the Government afW people of this country are willing to treat them fairly and justly every time. This has been proved repeatedly by tho offers of the Government to have the coal mining difficulties settled liy any of the several methods provided by tho law of the lend. I am convinced, however, that as tho conditions vary so much according to tho quality of tho coal, a flat rate (as it Is called) is not _nraeticnble as applied to the whole of N?>w Zealand, and that tho rato for hewing and the conditions must bo considered for each mine separately, instead of taking an averago for the - is) I. or even for .lignite and hard coal. The door is open, and I hope that a settlement satisfactory to both miners and public is not far off."