COAL TROUBLE.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 September 1923, Page 3

COAL TROUBLE.

J.'Y TULKCn.U’II— I-PU PItliSS ASSOCIATION.]

DUNEDIN. Sep. 1!. Local stocks are abundant Sieve. Tito railways have a large reserve and the gas department has sufficient for three months. For the household, there are big stocks of Newcastle and Westport, with brown dial unlimited. One merchant stated: “if nothing came from the West Coast fur six mouths. Dunedin could carry on. li the miners wanted a spoil, it is a good time to have it.” TJI E COAL TROCBU:. WESTPORT. Sen. 15.

There ■are no new developments in connect Ton with the closure of the coal mines. A number of miners, mostly single men. have taken their departure h.v beat, and others are leaving on .Monday morning by car for other parts of the Dominion, intending to have a holiday while the mines are kept closed. While some miners take a pesimistie view concerning the crisis, others are of the opinion that, within a fortnight negotiations will he opened, with a view to, a settlement. Meantime, the railway services are being restricted to the minimum required for the passenger and goods traffic, and tho coal supplies that are eotning from the co-operative mines.

OWNERS’ STATEMENT

WELLINGTON. Sep. 17

.Mr O. Bishop (secretary of the Coalmine Owners’ Association) in the course of a statement to the press, on the origin ol the go-slow policy, which led to the closing of several West Coast mines, says a ballot paper recently submitted to the miners contained only two issues, of a strike or “ go slow.” No opportunity was given the men to say whether they were prepared to go on working under the Arbitration Court award. li, is t rooty contended that had this third issue been put to the men it would have boon agreed to. ,\s it was. they accepted the lesser oi the two evils, and decided to ”go slow.” though many refused to participate in the ballot at all. A iimloronce was held at Reelton on August 31st to endqavottr to reach an agreement, hut tlie ballot had already (August 22nd) been taken, and the decision “go slow" arrived at. Therefore the statement in the Press Association message from Groymouth. published on Saturday morning, that: “hollowing an abortive conference with the owners’ representatives at Reelton recently the miners’ organisations ballotted ip favour of restriction of output.” is contrary to fait.

Mr Bishop also rebuts the statement contained in the same message to the effect that the decision of the tribunal in Deiinistoii in the pillar dispute, which went against the coal owners, has been persistently ignored by them. He contends that the decision has been faithfully observed ever since it was given : therefore the statement to the contrary is, lie says, either dclibei atclt misleading or is made in ignorance of the facts. REE ETON MINERS’ ATTITUDE.

REEFTON. Sep. 17

Inangahua coal miners met yesterday anil decided to continue work if the number of men employed were not increased and the output from the mines not increased to fiil orders resulting from the stoppage of other Coast coal mines. Aimers here are not under the Federation, and the coal mine owners are not affiliated with the owners combine.