COAL MINERS' HOURS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81867, 17 October 1906, Page 2

COAL MINERS' HOURS.

THE BANK TO BANK CLAUSE.

PARLIAMENT OVER-RIDING ARBITRATION COURT. SPIRITED DEBATE IN THE MOUSE. Per Press Association. Wellington, October 16. Mi™ 1 T e """ell*, on the Coal Mmes Act Amendment Bi,l (in Comm.ttee.the "bank to bank s ' clause was discussed.

Mr Alison pointed out that this fcif k /i- tho - Le «f islaturelo '>»er. ude the Arbitration Court. He quotV s from » decision of the Arbitration Court no to make an award, as the bank to bank practice would be unequal in incidence, wou.d increase lie cost of production, and lower the nours and earnings 0 f surface men, who had no voice i n the matter. Mr Colvm pointed out that in all jf n orce mmeS bank t0 is. in

Mr Poland said the Arbitration Cour was overriding the Legislature, not tiie Legislature overriding the Court The Legislature had the privileges of settling the hours of labour He held that wherever there .vould be shorter hours, more work would be done in proportion Mr J Aken urged that the Act would be wrong not to give the Court power at the same time to review wages. The Court would be twelve months before being able to consider ;r m l *e cases. He denied that tin. men did not want reduction of ■vages, and he contended it was not tan to reduce hours and maintain the wages Ih e House must remember that though it might be hard work to traverse to «nd from the faces, still uiero were the dinner hour and smoke ■im.es, and surely they ought not t o be mcluded ,n the bank to bank hours. He thought in view of all the circumstances the matter ought to be left to the Arbitration Court Mr Guinness thought the Court should not be allowed to override the Legislature. The Court having refused to make awards, the o.d awards continued for another three years those awards this Bill was aimed at" the Parliament was paramount in the regulation of the hours of labour lie hoped the' House would be consistent, would apply to the coal mines the principle already applied to the gold mines, and ignore the attitude of the Court to the contrary. The miners were ready to leave the question of wages to. the Court, but not the question of hours.

Mr Alison, speaking for the Northern collieries, repudiated these sentiments, and protested at the domination of the Mines Committee by the West Coast representatives The Court, he declared,, would not have decided as thoy did without good reasons. If the Court was worthy of their respect, as it certainly was, its judgment ought to be followed. The competition of Newcastle coal was such that this proposal would give that coal the advantage. The Northern miners did not want this, and they objected to being dominated by the West Coasters. It was all very well to say that the State coal mines were working under these proposals, but they were in their infancy, the men having-very little distance to go to the faces After a few years' the position would be very different. Mr Baume thought the Arbitration Court, for which he had the highest respect, and was in possession of all the facts .ought to be left to settle the matter. The House was assur> edly not fit to do so. The House, was trying to interfere too much in, details. ,He asked if the Court was: to be done away with altogether. He; would vote against the clause. Mr Guinness denied that the' Mouse was interfering with the Court at all. The Court was established to fix the wages. Mr J. Allen said the question of wages and hours were inseparable. The original departure was eight hours at the faces, now it had got down lo six. The quibbling process ought to stop. The Southern miners were not in favour of these proposals.

Mr Baume read from the preamble of the Arbitration Act, quoting "Hours of labour" as part of their functions. The Court must be left alone.

A motion to report progrors was lost by 38 to r2. (Left sitting.)