THE CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 12 April 1921, Page 2

THE CONFERENCE

PROCEEDINGS HAVE BEGUN. HON LLOYD GEORGE’S STATEMENT. AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. (Received This Day at 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, April 11. A conference of miners and owners with Government representatives as intermediaries has begun. Hon Lloyd George opened the Conference. He stated we are here to safeguard the interests of the community by securing industrial peace, and were there only the same eagerness to share the losses, as profit, we would certainly reach an early and satisfactory conclusion. Profits were practically made out of the export trade from which we guaranteed profits to owners and wages to miners. Since then there has been a slump and coal has dropped from 79s 8d to 36s 6d at the pithead, and the markets of Europe and South America are practically closed to business. Government had definitely decided not to continue subsidies to owners and miners out of taxes, or to abrogate the decontrol order. Within those limits Government are prepared to listen to any scheme submitted for adjusting wages and profits.. The owners found that without a subsidy there was not enough in the business to pay wages on the present scale. It was for them to show grounds on which they arrived at the conclusion justifying the reduction. It would then be for the miners to state their case, not merely in opposition to tho owners figures, but to provide plans for adjusting the whole position.