THE COAL TROUBLE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 7, 4 October 1920, Page 5

THE COAL TROUBLE

POSITION AT PUKEMIRO WAY OUT SUGGESTED BY EMPLOYERS 1 ' The deadlock in connection with the trouble at the Pukemiro coal mine still prevails, and tho outlook of the coal mining industry generally is far from reassuring, Indications are that unless a iettlement is shortly arrived at, the diopute will assume ii national aspect, involving far-reaching consequences. Tho Tukemiro miners remain adamant on the point touching the status of the en-gine-drivers at the mine, holding that they must belong to the Miners' Union. A way out of tho difficulty has be?n luggeotea by the executive of the Mine Owners' Association; which is prepared to agree to a qualified acceptance of.tfie men's demand. This offer is set out in the following letter which has been sent by Mr. W. Pryor, secretary of tho association) to Mr.'J. Arbuckle (secretary of tho Miners' 'in reply to tho. lattor's letter of Friday last:— ■ "Dear Sir,—Replying to yours of tho Ist inst., I have to advise that I comJnnnicated its contents to the memJbers of the executive, and have been in-1 structed to call a meeting of that body for Thursday next to consider the position. In order, however, to endeavour to arrive at some means of settling the dispute, I have further consulted the members of the executive by telegraph, *nd am now instructed to make the following proposal:— That the federation and local union should give an undertaking in writing to be embodied in a supplementary agreement that in, the event of any dispute or stoppage of work in tho mine, the engine-drivers will not on any pretext whatever refuse to perform any duties necessary in connection with pumping operations or the ventilation of the mines. "If the above is acceptable to your federation and tho Pukemiro union, my executive will advise the Pukemiro Company to agree to it. ... I trust yon will fri v 3 this matter your early attention, so that if a settlement is arrived at operations may be resumed with' as littlo delav as possible.—Yours faithfully feigntd) W. Pryor."

POSITION IN AUCKLAND STILL NO TRAMS OR GAS. lly Taltzraph—Press AsEooiatlon. , Auckland, October 3. Lite coal position is unchanged, Auckland still 'being without trams or gas. It ig expected that the tramways will resume on October 11. • The fuel problem that confronts tie , Gas Company has ,ao solution, and the ; wwpects for the futuro ivill .remain absolutely without hope until supplies from ■Newcastle and Westport bpgin to arrive U m! JU 'K with reasonable regularity. Tho Northern Steam Ship Company has been compelled to Teduce its ooa6tal service, and quite a number of small' vessals that kept up regular communication with small ports on the coastline have been laid up or are inoreasing the periods between their runs.