MORE TROUBLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 June 1920, Page 5

MORE TROUBLE.

COaL MINERS' DEADLOCK. INTERPRETATION OF AGREEMENT. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, June 25. The miners' dispute, regarding which negotiations have been proceeding for the past week or more, ended in a deadlock to-day. t The secretary of the Miners'' Federation made a statement that* the disputehas to do with the interpretation of the agreements arrived at at the February conference in rogard to increases 'in wages and working conditions in the case of the Kiripaka, Green Island, ai.d Hikftrangi mines. Conferences held regarding these points in the, dispute failed to agree.

The federation socretarv's statement concludes that after the "deadlock between the representatives on the National Disputes Committee it was suggested by the owners that "a chairman should be appointed to give a decision on the matters in dispute. The federation agreed to this, if the chairman was, instructed to give his decision along the lines of the spirit of the February conference, and not on a literal interpretation of the clause granting the increase. This the owners have r3fused, and the. trouble must be fought out as best it can on the methods decided by the men themselves. THE OWNERS* VIEWS. FURTHER STEPS PROPOSED. Wellington, Last Night. Regarding Mr. Arbuckle's statement concerning the coal deadlock, Mr Pryor, secretary of the Coal Mine Owners' Association, said it would be sufficient to say there were disputes in the mines mentioned, and the parties themselves, having been unable to arrive at a settlement; in regard to them, they were dealt with by the National Disputes Committee, which injst in Wellington last week. Ev«n then no agreement could be arrived at. The Coal Mine Owners' representatives, on the Disputes Committee offered to have several matters referred to the chairman, but the miners' representatives declined to adopt that course. On behalf of the Association renewed offers were made to the Federation: (1) That the parties should agree upon a chairman; or (2) to accept the decisions of the Prime Minister; or (3)' to agree that the Prime Minister should appoint a chairman; or (4) to agree to Mr. Massey's suggefitionn that he should submit the names of four gentlemen from amongst whom the parties should agree upon one to act as chairman. The only condition the Coal Mine Owners impose is that the decisions of the chairman shall be final and binding on all parties. If that is agreed to the Coal Mine Owneis are prepared to arrange an early date for the hearing of the matters in dispute.