THE COAL MINING DISPUTE.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 August 1919, Page 5

THE COAL MINING DISPUTE.

LABOR DEPUTATION TO CABINET. NATIONALISATION SUGGESTED. A deputation from the Alliance of Labor waited on Ministers of the Government on Saturday in regard to the miners' dispute. Mr. R. Hampton (Railway*) said they were not approaching the matter in any truculent or hostile spirit, but in a sincere desire to hring about a settlement satisfactory to all concerned. They realised it was a national question, and they were there to put forward reasons why the miners could not accept the offer made "by the coal-owners. In the first place, the agreement offered by the employers did not cover the industry on a national basis. There was n clause in the agreement which excluded about 800 miners, or 40 per cent, of the total men employed. The Whitley report stood for the organisation of the industry on a national basis, and the American position was much the same, There was, he.said, a suspicion in the minds of the miners that the clause he referred to was to dislocate the national organisation, and all suspicion of that kind should be at once removed. They stood for the right of national organisation, and if the right were questioned it would be distinctly inviting industrial trouble. He submitted for answer the following questions:— (1) Are the miners entitled to a wago equal to pre-war conditions? (2) Does the employers' ofTer bring the miner's wage up to that standard? (3) If it does not, why not? What they wanted to know was: "Are we not entitled, at the lowest, to be put in as- good a position as before the war?" They had the, right to something more, and ho was not sure they had not been promised something more. Ho believed that 55 per cent, was a moderate estimate of the actual general increase in the co3t of living. For the five years before the war the average for each miner was 3244 tons, and for the five years of the war the quantity was IMS, showing that the miners had met the case for increased output, and it was not right that the employers should seize upon that or their average earnings to whack them in the eye with to-day, but the deputation was prepared to give that in The workers had come to the conclusion that there would never be satisfactory conditions as long as the control of the Industry was in private hands, and thov wished to suggest that the time had arrived for State control. He suggested that troubles affecting the State mines liad their origin in private mines. Mr. J. Roberts (Alliance of Labor) said the owners refused to discuss the abolition of the contract system. If the increase the miners asked were granted it would give- them a living wage. He went into the question of wages. At the Elizabeth (State) mine the daily average was. <24s 7d, and at the Liverpool (State) 20s 7d, while the average in private mines was .20s 10.33 d. While the State mines paid.2s 7d per man more than the other mines, State coal was sold in Wellington at Ids per ton less than coal from private mines. If the State mines did not pay taxation it was probable the conditions would balance that. In no other country but New Zealand were the miners deprived of a minimum wage. Even the host figures could not show that the miners' wages had kept pace with the cost of living, for, omitting (he State mines, there was only a 27 per cent increase on 1014 rates. Evidently the owners wanted to overcome or circumvent last year's amendment to the Arbitration Act, because they wanted the men to agree to there being no further agreement, and they would not forego the right to a new award. The only way the coal supply could ho increased was to moke the conditions such as to attract labor, therefore the conditions asked for should be granted. The output was reduced when miners had to do trucking. Mr. Hampton said the deputation would consider any alternative proposed by the Government.

Mr. Masscy Raid Cabinet must recognise the serious position we had got into. Tho whole population was suffering inconvenience nnd some were suffering losses. So long as the country was aptifc HP into sections, so long would there be trouble. Every soction of the community was entitled to its fair share of the earnings of the community, the difficulty being to know what those earnings wera. After some interjections, Mr. Hampton said to Mr. Massey: "We ask for a straight-out official reply, not your reply."

Mr. Massey said the deputation would receive an official reply. There was no possibility in the case of mines of such a monopoly as might grow up if the railways were sold. The deputation's request would be considered, but the first consideration must be the peneral good, "I understand that your request is that the Government support the demand for increased pay." Mr. Hampton: We suggest an announcement that the coal industry would be nationalised in, say, 12 months, and some arrangement made for the men in the meantime that would facilitate a settlement. THE OWNERS' REPLY. MINERS' STATEMENTS TRAVERSED. THE POSITION EXPLAINED. Wellington, Aug. 19. In a letter forwarded to the Prime Minister to-day the coal mine owners reply tp the statement by representatives of the Alliance of Labor at Saturday's dc-putation. The owneip state it was shown at the recent conference that it would be impracticable to frame conditions for a national agreement. The owners were prepared to decide upon a percentage increase in wages, local conditions to be settled individually. The objections to discussing new conditions in mines were that the present agreement is in force until six months after the duration of { the war. This has been waivod, except in the case of tho Kiripatea, Pukemiro, j Waipa, Nightcaps, and probably Green! Island mines, where agreements remain in force, until six months after the declaration of peace. In regard to the demand for wages equivalent to pre-war days, it was submitted that the Government. Statistician's figures show the following increases for the Dominion in three food groups only of 41.9 per cent, for food, and rent 24.!) per cent., the figures for Greymouth being 32.0 per cent and 23.74 per cent, respectively. These figures show that it is wrong to suggest that the increase in the cost of living is about 55 per cent., and that the owners' offer of a total increase of 45 per cent, over pre-war rates more than provided for a wnge equivalent.

Trucking l>y miners is not peculiar to New Zealand. l>sardinp the assertion that the average mined at.Point Elizabeth State mine is 243 M per shift and at the Liverpool take 20s ii, th« owurjj state t. , 'jt»

Miners' Federation representatives are aware that owing to the special oircivmstances operating at Point EHmbeth the mine'average rate carried during the recent months nan been higher than would otherwise have been the case." The miners' demand for a minimum wage is really a demand for a gurantee wage. In other words, it is desired that piece-workers should be guaranteed a certain wage, no matter how little work they might do. The proposal is defined as an insidious attempt to secure the abolition of the contract system, as with the high minimum rate demanded (18s) I it is probable that many miners will he content to work slowly and accept (he guaranteed wage. Under the-head of nationalisation of the industry the owners state that, taking into consideration the* claims made by the Federation, and also the last proposal nt t)u> conference, and the attitude of the deputation, it is evident to the coal mine owners that the present demands indicate a very determined attempt to make coal mining go unprofitable as to cause the mines under private m 7 l ™ ,ni P tn dose down, and thus compel the Government to consider the nationalisation of mines. Indeed, it is •mite clearly stated by the deputation that this 1b the only solution. That l>ein« the ense, it appears to be futile for the employers to endeavor to arrange a settlement which will be satisfactory to themsslvea and at the same time protect the interests of the community generally. ATTITUDE OP THE GOVERNMENT. WILL XOT SUPPORT NATIQNAXISA. TION. (By Wire.—Gwn Correspondent.) Wellington, Aug. 19. Cabinet will have before it this week the request of the Labor Alliance for intervention in the coal dispute, with natloiinhsation of the industry to follow. Tt is certain that the Government, at nnv rate, will not give any support to the nationalisation proposal, It ij also certain that there will he no Government intervention in the direction of asking the mine-owners to improve upon the offer nf a 10 per cent, increase already made to the miners