COAL TROUBLE.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 September 1923, Page 3

COAL TROUBLE.

[l>\- TKI.WIRAIMI — V ER riIESS ASSOCIATION.] I’n.l.Ki; MINK MANACKKS. _ WESTI’i iliT. Sept. 17. J. C. Tirown. District Alanagor. Mostport Coal Company. ami W. Crowe, in a. like position tor the AVestport-Stoek-tou Company, 101 l tor Christchurch in ooimeetinn with the niininti crisis. HOLLAND CONDEMNS OW NEI’S. AUCKLAND, Sept. 17. In his speech to-'iiijilit, Air Holland rotoried to the stoppage of work in the mal mines oil tile West Coast. .After describing the risks 1 mi hy the miners. I H . repeated the charyo that the mine owners were guilty ol a deliberate attempt to create a coal famine for their own purposes. The award was made in absence of the Illinois. It gave the cm-

plovers the power to dismiss liny mini proved to be “going slow.” The owners took advantage of this clause, and they dismissed n nuniher of men. who they alleged, were ‘'going slow.” It was clearly hoped that these dismissals would lead the miners as a whole to down tools. When this did not eventuate, the mine owners made wholesale violation of the award by closing down the mines and discharging both the men whom they alleged were going slow, and those who were not. The award did not give them that power, so tar as he knew. The companies had entered into what was virtually a conspiracy to close down all the privately-owned mines, and consequently, to create a coal famine. The G ovoriiiueiit would be guilty of a grave dereliction of duty if it failed to launch prosecutions against the owners. Furthermore, faced with a r.'inerted hold-up such as the pre--1 sent iniv Government concerned about the interests of the whole people would give the coalmine owners a stated time ji, which to resume operations, and failin,, compliance, the mines would be taken over at valuation, and worked ■ on the lines leeommeudcd by the Industries Commission of 1010. It would la? a scandal ff » handful of profiteers were to be permitted to hold up the coal sups’ plies of the Dominion, because of a s dispute with tho employees.