THE COAL MINES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 258, 26 July 1920, Page 4

THE COAL MINES

CONFERENCE WITH PRIME MINISTER. A dispute between the coal mine owners and the Miners' Federation has been (standing for some time. It will bo rcmembored that early in the year a new agreement was made between the parties, after a dispute which had extended over many months. That agreement was mado nt_ a conferenco convened by tha Prime Minister. The owners contracted to pay a certain agreed percentage advance on pre-war rates. At most of the mines the agreement has worked well enough, and a fair output lias been maintained, but in some hiilf dozen mines disputes have arisen about the interpretation of tha agreement. No details have been made public, but it is understood that the points at issuo have to do -with the calculation of this percentage advance on pro-war ratw. Several unsuccessful attempts hiave been mado to settle tlieso disputes, but they aro still unsettled, ana) Mr. Massey, after considerable correspondence, has assembled another conference, of representatives of the mine owners and the Miners' Federation. This conference met on Saturday, with Mr. Massey as ohairman. It was not concluded by evening, and it-will meet again this morning.

The following aro tho delegates attending;— Miners' Federation: Messrs. P. O'Rorko (president), liY. Braidwood, and J. O'Brien (members of the executive), and J. Arbuckle (seoretarv); mine owners: Hon. E. W. Alison, Messrs. B. W. Heece, and C. S. Owen, and W. Pryor (secretary).