THE COAL TROUBLE
SITUATION STILL BAD
CONFERENCES IN WELLINGTON
Tho coal situation does not appear to bo improving. The Prime Minister has met representatives of the mine owners and tho miners, but the parties have not been able to roach an understanding. A settlement ot' the Hunlly dispute does not seoni to bo impossible of attainment, liut there is.reason to fear that, as in the past, tho settlement of one dispute will be followed quickly by tho opening of a new dispute. Tho miners' representatives offer no assurance at all that tho settlement of any point will bo final.
A tolegram from tho West Coast, published yesterday, stated that Mr P, C Webb, president of tho State Miners' Union, liad said tho Government and tho mine owners were aware of tho cause of tho present trouble at the State mine. This statement was incorrect as far as the Government was concerned. Tho State miners have not stated" their reason for starting an "irritation strike." Several rumours on the puint have been in circulation. Ono of them is that the miners want Mr. Webb and other military defaulters to recover the civil rights of which they were deprived for their refusal to wear tho uniform during tho war. It will be remembered that Mr. . Webb, who was an unmarried man of'military age, refused to serve after _ lie had been drawn by ballot. This "grievance" may possibly be at the back of the strike, but it has not been stated to the Government.
Sir. Webb is reported to Have referred also to "pin-pricks" suffered by the miners. , Ho has not stated what these "pin-pricks" nre, and all the other mine leaders have been similarly reTho agreement under which tho mines are sunposcd to be operating provided, in addition to a big increase of wages, the machinery for tho settlement of disputes. Yet disputes, accompanied by stoppages of work first in one mine and then in another, hnvo been almost continuous over since the agreement wag signed, and in most cases the miners have refused to make use of' tho disputes committees. Their tendency has been to stop work first and discuss afterwards. The State mines were working yesterday, but it appears that other stoppages aro contemplated by the miners.
STATEMENT BY MR. MASSEY
POSSIBILITIES OF CO-OPERATIVE MINING
FACTS ABOUT MINERS' WAGES. The 'Prime Minister made some references to the coal-mining industry in the House of Representative* last night. The subjeot had been opened by Sir. Holland (Bulled, who had told the House that he did not know why the Stato miners had started an "irritation strike," but felt sure that the men wero in tho right, anyway. Mr. Holland had proceeded to Bay that most of the troubles at the coal mines would be avoided if tho Government adopted the recommendation made by tho Industries Commission in \919, that the mines should be controlled by boards on which the miners had reuresentation. He protested that some meiubers Houso were always in a hurry to casf'siurs upon the miners. slr. Massey said he had never cast any slur at "tlie miners Mr. Holland: I am sure of thatf Sir. Massey said he had 'liad never hoard slurs cast upon the miners in the Houso. He liad heard protests against tlie go-slow policy, which appeared to bo still in operation to some extent. He would admit freely that tho life of the miner was arduous and dangerous, and that very often tho miner grew old without having made proper provision for his declining years. But he saw no evidence that tho position would be any better if the Stato owned all tho mines. Thore were influences working against the national interest at the mines, and experience at the State mines showed that this trouble was not remedied by State ownership. He believed that tho position would bo better if a secret ballot of the miners had to precede ovory strike. Provision for such a ballot was made in the Industrial Disputes Investigation Act, but the miners' leaders had managed to keep outside the law. ■Mr. Holland; If they took a ballot, would you stand behind them when they went on 6trike?
Sir. Massey: If they went on striko after tho balloti it would bo a legal strike. I am informed that both at the State mines and at Huntly a large majority of the miners aro opposed to the tactics that are being followed. Sir. Holland: You aro suggesting thai ono or two, or a dozen men, can drive the whole body of minors? Sir. Sfassey: "Yos, I do. I suggcstMhat tho troublo is being caused by a, minority of the men'." He proceeded to state thai tho Government was'willing to give every encouragement within, its power to cooperative parties of miners. A deputation had informed him recently that coal of a. good quality c6uld.be securcd near Timaru.
Mr. Lulco (Wellington North): Could not you make arrangements work the present mines on a co-operativo basis? Mr. Massey replied that the working of tho State mines required more capital than a co-operative party could ba oxpected to provide. But he realised that in many parts of the country there wero coal seams which could be worked by cooperative labour. 'The coal was found on the surface. This applied to certain portions of the West Coast, to 601110 of the Waikato areas, and to tho Slokau field. Ho believed that the Waikato coal fields extended right through to the MoIn fact he was more than ever convinced that in-proportion'» area New Zealand was particularly well supplied with coal. Tho country was in as good a position as Britain was in a hundred years ago. But there were not enough miners in the country, and it was the duty of tho Government to encourage more miners to go upon the coalfields and help to got out tho coal required by the people. . He could, tell tho Houso that anothor cut in tho railway services had been narrowly averted. The position within the last fow days had become a little better as far as tho railways wero concerned, and he hoped that it would continue to improve. lio intended to make ovory effort to keep tho railway sorviees going, and to that end ho would get coal from wherever it was availablo at almost any cost. He hoped that it would be possible to avoid cutting the railway services.
The coal industry was a key industry, added tho Primo Minister. There was no doubt at all about that fact, and Great Britain was going to loso its industrial supremacy owing to the present coal difficulties in the United ItinKdom unless tho situation improved. If the difficulties in tho coal industry increased a little moro in tho ■ United Kingdom, tho manufacturers would lose tho position they had held, and the industrial supremacy would go to tho United Stales, to Germany, or to Japan. ill'. Eraser (Wellington Central) r Thoro is no hopp of its going to Ueimany—no chance.
Mr. lltissey: I don't know about that. Germany is settling down to work, and I believe that within a few years Germany will bo again ono of tho foremost industrial nations of tho world. I believe that Britain ia in serious danger at tho time. Ihopo that tho good sonso of tho British peoplo will again come to their services mid that better counsok will 'count- than in tho past. It had been suggested, added Mr. Jlassoy, that tho Government was fighting tho coal minors in New Zealand. Nothing of the kind had occurred. Ho was perfectly well «wiire that if coal was to bo produced llie miners must bo paid an adcqualo wage, no had a return showing the average wage per shift of tho minors at the Stato mino for each fortnight, following the signing of the now agreement. The conditions at thf. State initio admittedly worn rather better than at the other mines, and this ought to bo tlio case. Tho State ought to set an example to other employers. Tho return showed that tho wage per shift lmd started at 255. ful. ■ and had ranged from 21s. id. to 27s Bd. There cou]d bo no complaint about thoso wetes.
Mr. M'Combs: They can work only eleven shifts- per fortnight.
Mr. Massey: I <lo not know of any other industry where tho men can mako sucli good money as they can make in the coal mines, to-day. I wonder what the dairy farmers would have to charge tor butter if they worked the eaiuo hours and charged their labour at the same rates.
Mr. l'owdrell: They would have to charge about lis, a, pound for butter.
Mr. Slassey: If the dairy farmer got the same wages, butter could not bo produced ss. per pound.
THE HUNTLY DISPUTE
NOT SETTLED YET. Up to the present there has been no settlement of the strike at tho northern coal mines, and (he indications are that neither tho Railway Department nor the coal-owners will agree to anything in tho way of railway concessions for the strikers. The secretary of tho Miners' Federation (Mr. J. Arbuckle) informed a Dominion 1 reporter yesterday that he had no statement to mako on the matter. A meeting of tho National Disputes Committee, comprising; members of tho Mine Owners' Association and tho Miners' Federation, was held yesterday, but the Iluntly trouble was not discussed. The committee dealt with several points that have cropped up at the Denniston, Blackball, and Stockton mines regarding the interpretation of the wages clause in tho national agreement, and in the bulk ol' the eases a satisfactory settlement was reached.
REDUCED GAS PRESSURE
LOCAL COMPANY ANNOUNCES A CUT. The Wellington Gas Company announces that owiii" to tho reduced supply of coal, brought about by tho decrease in. tho output of coal from the State mines, a curtailment of the gas pressure is necessary. The "cut" in pressure commenced to operate at G o'clock last evening. To-day the normal pressure will be maintained from 7.30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and for to-morrow normal pressure is promised from S a.m. to 9 a.m., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. to G p.m. CHRISTCHURCH COMPANY'S STOCK RUNS LOW. ' 'By Tcleeranh—Prcßs Association. Christchurch, September 24, The Christchurch Gits Company is living a hand-to-mouth existence in regard to coal, but sufficient will bo forthcoming to-morrow to provide for about ten days. Tho company is hopeful, should there be no industrial upheaval and shipments from Newcastle not be interfered with, to met all demands, though the difficulties in regard to Carbonisation and distribution aro greater than the public have any idea of. AUCKLAND GAS WORKERS DIS- ■ MISSED. By Telegraph—Preß9 Association Auckland, September 24. In consequence of the coal shortage the Gas Company has given its employees' peyen days' notice, of the termination of their engagements in terms of the award. The coal supplies in sight total 500 tons on tho Kamona, due to-night.
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Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 311, 25 September 1920, Page 8
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1,833THE COAL TROUBLE Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 311, 25 September 1920, Page 8
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