MINING DISPUTE.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 August 1921, Page 1

MINING DISPUTE.

[by telegraph—i>er press association] WELLINGTON, August. 13. A reply has been sent by the secretary of the Miners’ Federation (Mr J. Arbuckle) to the recent letter in which the acting-secretary of the coal Mine Owners Association (Mr T. O. Bishop) suggested a conference to discuss the making of local agreements in the mining industry. “In reply to your letter of August 6th., in which you state that the Owners Association have no wish to crush tho Miners’ Federation, or bring alioseparation of th 0 different unions, this .statement does not appear to me to be a conscientious one, seeing that, for vears the Owners’ Association refused to recognise the Miners’ Federntioo. and that it was not until 1917 that they were really compelled to do so. Further, you have not made any definite statement or objection in regard to the national agreement. The miners of the Dominion are fully convinced that the matters set out in the national agreement are absolutely essential to all mines.

"You say that your association's intentions are misunderstood. That may he uo, but to us there seems to he no room for any misunderstanding as to the owners’ intentions and objects. We are at the present time working under a national agreement entered into by the Coal Owners’ Association and the Minors’ Federation and the Government, and this agreement mnst remain in force until superseded by another one. Your association wishes to revert to local agreements. T again have t ask the question: What for? You say that the national agreement is not satisfactory. and T will he pleased if you will state to the public of New Zealand through the Press which clauses of the national agreement your association takes exception to, and which of them are not working with the greatest success in all collieries.. If you have strong objections to this national agreement, then, surely, your objections will stand the light of day. and if you are sincere in them, T ask you to give the public the chance of judging whether your association is right or otherwise. T should like to draw your attention to the fact that seamen, watersiders, dri- | vers and several other industries, are covered by national agreements and the conditions prevailing in those industries are not nearly so closely allied as that of the mining industry. If it is necessary and right for those industries to he covered by national agreements then fail to see how you can deny the miners the same right.

“You again suggest a meeting-be-tween your president and yourself, along with the president and secretary of our organisation, and that it is purely for tho purpose of clearing away any misunderstanding as far as local agreements are ctonce'med. Tf you are prepared to met us to consider any reasons why the national agreement should not remain in force then wo "dll be only too pleased to meet you on these grounds. But the minors of this country fully understand thenposition and the meaning of sectional agreements; therefore there is no misunderstanding as fat- as we are concerned ; and T must reiterate my former statements that such a meeting would as suggested bv you he fruitless and would serve no good purpose, and T again repent the request for a conference to settle the present unrest in the ruining industry by entering into a national agreement for a Further term." eluding tin- Prince oi wales and tho i Duke of York. EjSTGTiANH—First Innings. Bussell, c Oldfield b McDonald ... 13 Brown, b Mailey 32 Tyklesley, e Macartney, b Gregory 39 Woolley, run out 23 Mead (not out) 132 Sandham b. McDonald 121 Tennyson b. McDonald PI Fender c. Armstrong b. McDonald 0 Hitch b. McDonald l g Douglas (not out) 21 Extras 3 Fight wickets (innings declared closed) for 403 Analysis—Gregory—l fotr 28, McDonald 5 for 143. Mailey 1 for .85. Armstrong 1 for 44. AUSTRALIA—Ist Innings. Collins, b Hitch 14 Bardsley, b Hitch 22 Macartney, b Douglas 31 Andrews (not out) P 9 Extras 6 ffotal 3 wickets for 162