WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3404, 7 February 1920, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE COAL DISPUTE. DEADLOCK C-ONTINUES. (Special Correspondent.) ‘ WELLINGTON, Feb. 6. The refusal of the Mine Owners’ Association to recognise the Alliance of Labour in its negotiations with the Miners’ Federation eem likely to hold up the dispute between the parties for some time longer. The owners are quite definite and determined on the point. “While the Coal Mine Owners’ Association is prepared to arrange for conferences with local -unions,” they say in their last communication to the Federation, “it definitely declines to recognise any outside body as one with which negotiations should be carried on.” They contend they have done everything within their power towards bringing the present unsatisfactory state of affairs to an end, even to the length of making concessions far beyond the just claims of the men, and they are not going to stultify themselves now by opening negotiations with an outside body whose right to appear in a. representative capacity is entirely unknown.

THE MEN ’S CASE.

‘ The men’s case appears to stand much where it did after the abortive conference of August last. Since then, however, it has been prejudiced. by the development of the “go-slow” policy and by the indiscreet utterances of some of its advocates. Mr Arbuckle, the secretary of the Federation, who made. quite a favourable impression upon the public during the early stages of the August conference, is now, rightly or wrongly, being held Jnainly responsible for, keeping the owners and the miners definitely apart. Be this as it may, there can be no doubt that the widespread inconvenience alld loss suffered through the short coal supply has prejudiced a large body of public opinion against the men. It is not that the public grudges the men the better conditions‘ they are demanding, but it strongly resents the methods by which they are attempting to enforce their demands. A WORRIED MINISTER.

I Meanwhile the Prime liinister, fresh from the constituencies with the largest majority he ever has had in Parliament, is being worried as he never before has been worried in his Ministerial life. The Mine Owners’ Association having said its last word to the Miners’ Federation, has turned over the coal problem to this unhappy man. He must stand between the min!ers and the consumers, and determine what is to be done to prevent the shortage developing into a famine. Then he is at loggel'hel3.ds, as nearly as may be, with his old friends the farmers. Wool and meat growers are dissatisfied with the Governmen'f’s hand-

ling of their produce; cheese and butter-makers are displeased with their prices and shipping flaeilities. Now on the top of the-protest’ against the Samro-an trip comes an angry denunciation of the despatch of an armed force to Fiji, to suppress what Mr Harry Holland perists in I'ega.l'ding as a legitimate diemonstration against intolerable labour conditions. IMMIGRATION". Wth vadmiraible courage and questimla.b!.e discretion, Mr Massey has chosen this particular moment to

announce the Government’s immigrahtion policy, which provides for the introduction of a large amount of skilled and unskilled labour at a very reasonable cost to the State. That the labour is requiredathere can be no sort of doubt. Farm labourers, carpenters, 'br‘icklayers~, and miners, with a preference for married men, are the immigrants most. desired, and they are assured of their ability to command high wages, under the very best conditions. “Lland Women,” who assisted in keeping agriculture going in the Old Country during the War are ‘fo receive free passages, and domestic servants—— who, of course, Ought to have been been styled “domestic helps”—are to have free passages and £2 in their pockets besides. On the whole‘ the ‘scheme is an excellent one, but already it is being assailed as a design to introduce cheap labour and so: diseomfit the unions. ‘