WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 July 1920, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

MINING MATTERS. MORE DISPUTES. (Our Special Correspondent). WELLINGTON, June 12. It would seem from the correspondence between the Secretary of the Mine Owners’ Association and the Secretary of the Miners Federation published on Saturday that the Federation is placing a very severe strain upon its friends’ faith in tho admirable professions its representatives made at the National Conference held under the presidency of the Prime Minister only a few months ago. The additional correspondence between the secretaries available to-day simpiy shows that t»!» •> Federation refuses to accept any form of arbitration over the differences that have arisen lietwecn tho parties in regard to tlie interpretation of the agreement reached at the National Conference, which coukl by any responsibility go against its pre-conceived ideas of tlie rights and wrongs of the matters n dispute. FILLING AND BACKING-

The Federation would not have Air Massey as arbitrator, nor Mr F. A - Frazer of the Alines Department, and then after itself nominating Air P. Hally of the Conciliation Council it declined to have thVit gentleman when j*t discovered his appointment would satisfy the Owners’ Association. Tlie Prime Minister was ready to preside at a meeting of two representatives from each side on Saturday afternoon on the understanding that in the event of tlie delegates being unable to agree lictiveeu themselves his decision on the points remaining in dispute should be final. Either Mr’ Fraser or Ate Hally would have acted as promptly ■ but the Federation on second or third or some later thought, would accept no mediation of a conclusive character. It really looks as if it were out for the creation dl trouble. TIME.

The Standard Time Bill is tlie only Govermn’ent measure that has yet made its appearance in the House of Representatives and it would appear that even this lias been hurried forward mainly as a stopgap to keep members out of mischief while the finishing touches are being put to more important proposals. The Bill, as already explained, is intended to round off the difference between New Zealand meantime and Greenwich. jstandardLtime, making it twelve hours instead of eleven and a half, but some of the country members see in the proposal tlie thin edge of Air Sidney’s perennial Daylight Saving Bill and are threatening to resist earlier rising by half-an-liour being imposed upon the farmers. The Bill is pretty sure to provoke much talk and to serve its immediate purpose. THE PARTIES. The week-end discussion of the proceedings in the House during the past fortnight lias centred around the tactics of the Labour Party, the Liberal Party a.nd Mr Stotham in tabling their motions of want-of-confidence. The general opinion appears to bo that so far as the party attacks wore concerned they weae a distinct help to tho Government, first by giving it the time Governments always seem to want irt the beginning of a session and thou by compelling it to make a demonstration in force at the very beginning of the life of the new Parliament. The debate on Mr Statliain's motion took a turn which cannot have been so gratifying to the occupants of the Treasury Benches, particularly to those of Choir number who had joined in the abertive revolt against Mr Massey. The revelations made by the member for Dunedin Central are likely to dwell in the memory of the public longer than the good deeds the penitent rebels have done.