THE MINERS' DISPUTE.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 January 1920, Page 5

THE MINERS' DISPUTE.

PBOrOSED NEW CONFERENCE' VIEWS OF MEN'S SECRETARY,/ ; By Telegraph.—Press Association^ Wellington, Jan. 30. ' Mr. J. Arbuckle (secretary of tiu| New Zeulaud Miners' Federation) statl od to-day that the Miners' Federation could not agree witli Mr. Masaey tjiat the Alliance of Labor was the oily stumbling block to a further conference. The only time the coal mine owners expressed willingness to hold another com ference without the Alliance it stipulated for such a restricted discussion that the federation could not agree. COAL AVAILABLE.' TOTAL OF FOREIGN SUPPLIES. Wellington, Jan. 30. ' Figures showing the quantity oi coat available to New Zealand from outside sources in the near future Were fittpflled by the I'rimo Minister to-day. At the present time, said Mr.Massey, there are in New Zealand port* TtZMll discharging 0156 tons of coal, TvMle afloat and en route to New Zealand there at* vessels carrying 16,587 tons. Beside* these, arrangements have been made to load in different ports for New Zealand 40,000 tons of coal. These figures speak for themselves, and indicate that tht Government is doing everything possible to keep the railways and Industries ol the country going." "I hope that W» shall have the support of the public until the present deadlock comes tO' ita. end."

A MOVE LIKELY NEXT WEEK.' (From Our Own Correspondent.)! I Wellington, Jan. 29. , The secretary of the Miners' PedenC tion lias issued another statement regarding the coal dispute. He quotes fig* ures relating to the Denniston mine, with the object of showing that minero ate earning not much more than £2 a week Mr. Arbuckle does not make it clear h9*> much the wages lie mentions are affefitld by the go-slow policy, but he states:"!"Take the case of one pair of these ers, who produced the very large vaoutn of 176 tons of coal in a fortnight (lfiM tons per day); he (the miner) does aob| make 15s a day, yet if sold at the mite mouth at 22s 6d, the coal would be worth] - £l9B, and in Wellington, if sold at; i£S? per ton, £528." ,

The value of this statement, (LtidWj preceding statements, to the geflstal ptfM lie, is not great. The layman cannot? check or fully understand the figures are presented by the parties to the dto*' pute, and to him the important point id that production is still restricted find the coal shortage is still acute. The db*t pute has been at a standstill for some' time now, bub it is possible that ft mora will be made after the proposed meeting of coal-mine owners in Wellington ne£t I week. A disquieting fact in the mean* time is the movement of minora away from the mining townships. TMe moVf* mcnt, which was mentioned by the West Coaßt deputation that interviewed the Prime Minister yesterday, undoubtedly, is taking place, and there is seme ground for believing that the men who are going are those least easily spared. WltM f/[ married miner has broken up hla hopl< and accepted employment elaewbeNtJieJ may be difficult to attract back ta«the mine.

Your correspondent gathered aii 68< pression to-day, in the course of tnqdSii ies, that the mine-owners might bo pre<t pared to improve on their offer of per cent, increase if they met the minem in conference. But they object to vith the Alliance of Labor, which theyj regard as an outside body. Mr. llassew emphasised this point in his reply tothe deputation yesterday. The offices) of, the Miners' Federation, on the oth®n hand, insist on their right to Choosy their own form of organisation, and! state that they do not intend to'ftiflrs draw the dispute from the hands of the! Alliance executive. The Prime Minister) has been in communicatiottrwithiilwrjir- • ties lately.