THE MINERS' TROUBLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 August 1918, Page 8

THE MINERS' TROUBLE.

POSITION STILL UNSATISFACTORY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Westport, August 27. The Denniston mine is still working, lut the output is very small, and th® railway yards at Wostport are still congested with long strings of empty coaP waggons—a rather pathetic sight when it is remembered that the times are already dull. A goodly number of colliers, who have been putting m time in town, returned to their homes to-day. It is freely mentioned that work wifi b,-> resumed to-morrow at all the mines, but the Westport Times learns by telephone that it is the general impression round about Millerton that the men are not g&ing back to work. A WELLIXGTeON RESOLUTION. Wellington, Last NightThe Wellington Employers' Association passed a resolution approving ol the action of the Mine Owners' Association, in refusing to confer with the Miners' Federation on the question of wages and working conditions during the currency of #greements settling these matters' and expressing alarm at the suggestion that a Royal Commission should be set up to deal with the question of miners' wages while agreements are in operation; also suggesting that the Board of Trade is the proper body to undertake an inquiry into the cost of Induction and distribution of coal supplies. TARANAKI EMPLOYEES' VIEW. At a meeting of the Taranaki Ein- [ ployers' Association yesterday, tho fol- ( lowing resolutions were carried, and will [ be forwarded to the Government aua Taranaki M.'si P.:— (a) That, in connection with the present coal-miners' dispute, this branch of the New Zealand Employers' Federation protests against any proposal to set up a Royal Commission, with power to overn;le the provisions of the Arbitration C<Airt awards or industrial agreements. (b) That this association supports the f-.ction taken by the New Zeaalnd Coalmine Owners' Association, and, in view of the high wage 3 earned and the short bours worked, urged that the Government should adopt a firm attitude against the claim of the New Zealand Miners' Federation. A press message from ChristchurcH last night stated that similar resolutions to the above were passed by the Canterbury Employers' Association.