THE DOBSON MINE

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 82, 3 October 1931, Page 14

THE DOBSON MINE

CESSATION OF WORK

DISCUSSION IN HOUSE

NEW MINISTER'S VIEW

The view that it is unfortunate that the Dobson miners did not accept the offer of the company to employ 80 men selected by ballot in preference to the whole of the 300 employees being worked on a sharing basis was expressed by. the Minister of Mines (the Hon. D. Jones) in the House of llepresentatives yesterday afternoon. Mr. Jones said that the facts he had before him showed that the company decided it was uneconomical to work the mine under a system of sharing, work, and that an offer was made to the men to employ 80 of their number, the men to bo chosen by ballot. The miners declined the offer, and the mini had therefore been closed: The, Government recognised that it bad certain responsibilities in connection with the working of the mines, but he suggested that the member for the district (Mr. H. E. Holland) also had a responsibility. • ■ r ! Mr. Holland: "I want the get ' the Government to recognise its responsibility." _ N Mr. Jones said the Government did so. He pointed out that when the Hikurangi dispute occurred, the. member for the district, with two members of the Labour Party, went north and Becured what was apparently a very satisfactory solution, with the result that the mine was now working. Mr. Jones t>aid that he had* got into touch with Mr. Holland regarding the Dobson stoppage, and Mr. Holland had replied that ho supported the line of action taken up by the miners—that the whole of the men should share the work rather than that 80 men should be permanently employed. After all, company had to make the mine pay, and it had found it impossible to do so under the system of sharing work. He suggested that if Mr. Holland had assisted in the settlement of the dispute on the basis of 80, men being kept in permanent employment it would, have bee« better for the miners. He repeated that the member for the district had a responsibility in the matter. Mr. F. Langstone (Labour, Waintarino): "There is a little altruism" amongst the miners, you know." "QUITE WRONG." Mr. Jones: "I know that. But it would have been better if the 80 men had been employed permanently and if the others had been on,unemployment work. I think the Leader of the Opposition was quite wrong in supporting the men and not accepting work for 80 men." i Mr."Holland: " Will the Minister say whether the Government is definitely against the sharing of work where it is necessary to reduce hands."'' Mr. Jones said that was not a' question that could be answered without consideration of the facts and circumstances. It was unfortunate that 80 men should be' thrown out of' employment, adding to the burden of-the Unemployment Board. It had been said that if it were not for the coalimportation there would have been no difficulty. He quoted figures showing that fo- a total production of 968,186 tons of coal over a certain period 125,04' i! tons had been imported. That worked out at only 11$ per cent., only onethird of which had been used. by the railways. It was unfortunate that the miners should be out of work, and so far as he was concerned he would d» every thing he could to' see that New Zealand coal was used. . • . , PEAISB FOS THE MINERS. Mr. J. O'Brien (Labour; Westtend} said'it was to the credit of the Dobsott Miners' Union that' they had said they would share what work Was offering instead of ttifc majority of the men being left out in the cold world without a shilling coming to them. It was a great pity there was not a little more of that spirit in New Zealand. Instead of the men being blamed, they should be praised for their | very worthy action. Ha said that the Dobson mine had bnjy recently lost its coal order, which wai a considerable one, and that the sharing proposal would,therefore hay,e only; operated for a short time, as the company would soon get its order back. He asked whether, if the men agreed to the reduction in employees, the company would not take advantage of the position and prevent other men from gaining employment when tho mine restarted. BETTER TO SHARE THE WORK. ■''"""It is very much to be regretted j" said the Leader of the Opposition, "that the Minister of Mines, making his first speech in this House as a Minister, should have declared himself 0n.., the side of the mine-owners in the Dobson dispute. The Minister simply stated tho cas^ of the owners, and went on to throw the "whole of the blame on«.,the shoulders of the men. He tried to throw up to,me, as member for the district, part of the responsibility for the fact that the men did riot accept the change proposed to be made by the mine-owners. The company proposed to dispenso with the services of 200 men, and the miners followed the usual custom and said they would share the work. If the whole of the employees are thrown out of employment it will mean that the whole life of the town Vill.be disorganised. Surely it would be better to share the work amongst the 280 men than place the' 200 men on the unemployment scheme*!. There w no word that can be said in support of the owners' attitude.1' ■ The Prime Minister (the Bight Hon. G. W. Forbes): "Is it possible for the company to employ all the men in the way you have suggested!'* Mr. Holland: "Of course it is possible, just in the same way as th» Government has rationed work.?' Mr. Holland said the least the Minister could have dona was to have agreed to an'investigation. The Minister of Mines retorted that this was the first he had heard •of any suggested investigation, and when hewas corrected1 by Mr. Holland, he said that the latter, when discussing the matter, had simply, stated that he proved of tho men's attitude. Mr. Jones assured the House that he wat showing no partisanship but only giving the facts as he knew i them. ; ,-\