MINING TROUBLE.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 October 1923, Page 3

MINING TROUBLE.

CONFERENCE AT REEFTON. CONFERENCK A BORTIVE. [I'Y TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] REEFTON. Oetoher 2-5. The Coal Conference hits ended abortively. The Minister of Mines, the Hon. J. O. Anderson, says the . auso of the failure was a desire by the otnt lovers to maistaii) the Arbitrutiou. Court system and the strong opposition to that system of the miners’ delegates. The nxn nf,patently wanted to get away from the Court. The Minister has gone to V'e-; port in. order to -a-- if anything I'lirthci towards a settlemc-st call he done, hut litis not •optimistic. He- readies Civvmouth mi .Saturday.

( ASK FOB OWNERS. MR BISHOP’S PRESENTATION. WESTPORT, Oct. 2-5. Mr O. Bishop (Secretary to the Mine Owners’ Association) says he present s the following matter- for eun-id-eraiion in eouneetion with the present mining t rouble : he A rbj trata.on Court’s award for the West ( oast does iiol empire until November 311th. ID2E The miners arc dissatisfied with certain provisions of the Award, and they have asked the coal owner- to discuss these provision.-, and to amend them. Tlie owners refuse to do this. They do So because they claim that all award mu.-t he respected for the full period of its term. Otherwise alley say), tiieie would lie no settled conditions in the indii-try. There are certain local grievances at several of the mines, and the owners have offered to migist these at each mine— immediately after werk is resumed." "As regards the.award, the owner; offered in Wellington, on Oetoher i .’, and again in Keeitim on Wednesday, to loin with the men in an application i i lie ( onrl to ii run mile i t next ill-lead of next year. This .vil! he don,-, if the min-.-i - agree to lu-ii-

’•ute pruret ding : tor a m-w award. to take the pla"e of the old one. If the miner- agree to Ihi , they will kr-t meet tile in- m i s. in cnfeivnee. wil h a ( oneilia t i.lll t ommis-.intier a.- eiiau'ii'a r, and. if an agreeinenl is reached on -p point-. -.() niitrh the belt,-r. Ii ,U,-. points are nut ,-elt led by agreeiee .!. t hey will be repo red to Ihe Arbitral i n lour; lor set t leiiieti!. ami kola - -.it - will be her.:.! by Ihe t'oiu; bt-i, .■ a deei-inil I, given.’’ Ihe .Minister of .Mine- Ini- stal'd that lor the purposes of this Inuring he wil! arrange for ihe Court In sit with six additional assessors, of whom throe would he miners and three mine owners representatives, for the purpose of deliberating on a new ,r.v;ii 1 The ('curt would then roa 11 v lie gi . I

tcreuee. with .Mr 11. Hunter and tinea of lag's n-pieseii! ing Hie miners, am'. ACScott and three others re; nvsnti ‘i gg Iko owners, with the judge as chairman. Surely this is a tribunal uo iv.i oua'le man could object to. These proposals nave been rejected by the five men who el.dm to speak on behalf of West Coast miners. They have not consulted the luitieis, and they declined at Reeftoii, on Vi e.'im .-day, to adopt the Minister’s Migge-t mu that a ballot of the miners he taken." "Tin- own.-:-- have made an In,me t eli\!ea V, in i- to settle the dispute. by ma!::e; iim foregoing offer. The men's deli-gale-, have mil in Ia i m-! a .stub!,,cm altitude from the outset, and have insi'ted on their original demand or nothing, and they have declined to evn lay the I'-wners’ p-ivposals before (he men and lake a baljot un-m them."