THE COAL POSITION

Hokitika Guardian, 25 September 1920, Page 2

THE COAL POSITION

GETTING MORE GRAVE

MR WEBB’S STATUS

(Our Parliamentary Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, September 25

The coal situation is looking bad. The Prime Minister met the representatives of the miners and mine owners to-day, but the proceedings it is understood did not reach any satisfactory conclusion. A settlement of the dispute at Huntly is not improbable, but the Government has reason to fear that as on other occasions, a settlement of one dispute will merely be the signal for the opening of another dispute. The miners seem to have unlimited stock of grievances, which they are not prepared to disclose, except in piecemeal fashion.

According to a telegram from the West Coast, Mr P. C. Webb, President of the State Miners Union, has stated that the mine owners and the Government are aware of the reason for theirirritation strike now in progress at the State mine. This assertion is incorrect as far as the Government is concerned. Mr Massey who is Minister for Mines, has received no communication from the miners and he is not aware officially or unofficially of the cause of the new trouble. He may base his own conclusions on newspaper reports as other people are doing, but the miners have not informed him of their grievances. It is reported here that one of the demands behind the strike at the State mine is the restoration of civil rights to Mr Webb who was imprisoned and deprived of his civil rights, for his refusal to enter the expeditionary force during the war. Mr Webb, then sitting in Parliament, was a single man of military age.

FURTHER DISCUSSED IN HOUSE MR MASSEY’ STATEMENT. WELLINGTON This Day. The House did not finish with the Imprest Supply Bill until 1.30 this morning. The debate covered much ground, hut it was seldom interesting. Later in the night Mr Massey made some references to c-oal** mining. The subject had been opened by Mr Holland (Buller) who said most of the' trouble at the coal mines would be avoided if Government adopted a recom mendation made by the Industrial Commission in 1919, that mines should be controlled by Boards on which miners had representation. Mr Massey replied he would admit freely that the life of a miner was arduous aJnd dangerous, but he saw no evidence that the position would be any better if the State owned all the mines. There were influences working against national interest at tho mines, and"experienee at the State mine showed that this trouble was not remedied Ry State ownership. He believed that both 1 at the State mines and at Huntly, a largo majority of the miners were opposed to the tactics that were being followed. In many parts of the country, there were coal seams which could be worked by cooperative labour. This applied to certain portions of the West Coast, to some of the Waikato areas and to the Maka.u field. He was more than ever convinced that in proportion to its area, New Zealand was particularly well supplied with coa. Tho country was in as Mod a position as Britain was in one

hundred years ago, hut there were nol enough miners in the country. Hf could tell the House that another cut in the railway service had been narirowly averted. The position within the last few days had become a little better as far as the railways were concerned, and he hoped that it would continue to improve. He intended to make every effort to keep the railway services going and he would get coal from whereever it was available, at almost any cost. He had a return showing the average wage per shift of miners at the State mine for each fortnight following the signing of tiny-new agreement. The return showed that the wage per shift had started 'a 25s 6d and had ranged from 24s Id to 27s Bd. Mr McCoombs.—They can work only eleven shifts per fortnight. Mr Massey,—l do not know of any other industry where men can make such good money, as they can make in coal mines to-day. I wonder what the farmers would have to charge for butter if they worked the same hours and charged their labour at the same rates. Mr Powdrell—They would have to charge about 11s per pound for butter. Mr Massey.—lf the dairy farmer got the same-wages, butter could not be produced for 5s per pound. '