MINERS' FEDERATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1918, Page 8

MINERS' FEDERATION.

DEMAND FOR CONFERENCE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, August t. The Miners' Federation to-day issued a reply to the mine owners in connection with the formers' demand -for a 20 per eent. increase in wages. It is contended by the federation that the owners' statement of their cose is weak and feeble.

. The following are -the chief points mado by t'he coal owners: The calculation, of wages quite agrees with that of the Miners' Federation; the average yearly working time of the miner as put forward by the federation has not been proved wrong, but on the contrary has been confirmed; the estimate of the yearly income of a miner as pnt forward by the Miners' Federation lias not been affected, on the contrary, if anything it has been reduced; the yearly outlay as estimated by the federation has not been denied, the coal output has increased since tin? war very substantially, as proved by the Hons. Myers and MacDonald. The statement adds: 'ln view of this we feel sure that all reasonable people will agree that there has been no sound reason advanced by the coal owners why there should not be a conference. We are still in favor of a conference taking place, and we believe that it would be in the best interests of both parties concerned and the country generally."