THE COAL TROUBLE

Hokitika Guardian, 8 September 1926, Page 2

THE COAL TROUBLE

[Australian & N.Z. Cable Association

CONFERENCE ayith owners. LONDON, Sept. 7

There was a meeting of the Cabinet Coal Committee and a committee representing the Mining Owners’ Association, yesterday afternoon, which.lasted for-two hours.

An official report shows that Dir Churchill and other members of the Committee pleaded with the Owners Association to meet the miners and discuss the questions at issue, incliidiu«r that of a national agreement. Mr Evan "Williams, in reply, cm* phasised that the Association will not enter any negotiations with the Federation on a national agreement-. He declared that there never had been peace,in the industry since they had national agreements.

Mr Churchill emphasised that if the Dfiuiiig Association had finally decided never to negotiate on a national basis then the Government would have t-o move forward upon its own course of action in the Association’s absence. He said he earnestly hoped that the Association would seek from its constituents the authority to enter into a discussion. Tt- would he n very serious disaster for the Owners’ Association to take up an unalterable attitude at present.

Dir Williams said that they could not- seek the powers to do what they felt was wrong, but they would submit the facts to a. meeting of their Central Committee to-morrow, and would take their opinion.

Mr Churchill contended that the Government wore justified in believing that when it introduced the Miners’ ‘Eight Hours Bill, there was no question of departing from the negotiationsfor a national agreement. He was quite sure, he said, that had he known that, after the passage of the Eight Hours Bill, the National Agreement door to peace would he closed, they would never have passed the Hours Bill. He earnestly asked the mine owners to consider most carefully their attitude to the Government’s request, and then to meet the men in an open unprejudiced discussion. He honestly believed that there had been a change of heart on the part of the miners, and that there was an earnest wish for peace, and a willingness to discuss things on their merits, with a sincere desire to secure the greatest- benefits for all concerned:

From every aspect of the question the expression “reduction in labour costs” in the Miners’ Federation letter to the Government had been deliberately chosen and it covered everything—wages, hours and reorganisation.

Mr Evan "Williams, in reply, asserted that the Government had never suggested that the Eight Hours Bill was conditional upon a National Agreement. It was clearly understood between them that there was no question of a general, resumption of work simultaneously, hut that it would he by districts.

Sir A. Steel Maitland (Labour Minister), Sir Worthington Evans and Mr "W. argued in favour of putting district agreements in a form which could he ratified by. the representatives of the men and the owners nationnllv.

COOK’S PEACE OFFEB. LONDON, Sept, 7. ATr A. Cook (Miners’ leader) speaking at Parkstone, near Bournemouth said that ho had received a telegram that morning from Russia, sending another hundred sterling. H-e added: “AVe are unabashed! AA’c have made no apology for our stand of the last nineteen weeks. I would gladly sign an agreement for a ten shillings minimum daily wage.”