WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, 16 August 1920, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE MINING DISPUTE. STILL UNSETTLED. (Special Correspondent,) Wellington, August 13. In (the House of Representatives yesterday, Mr. H. E. Holland, the member for Buller and chairman of the Official Labor Party, asked Mr. Massey, in his capacity as Minister of Mines, what was happening at the State Coal Mines. His reference, of course, was to the stoppage of work at the mines, but the purpose of his inqujry was not so obvious. 'ln reply the Prime Minister, with an excusable lapse into levity, said that at the moment, three o'clock in the afternoon, the miners were enjoying themselves at the English football match. Then, in more serious vein, he told the men's representative and the House ir.at the railway fares had been reduced to meet the demands of the miners and that the "back shift" had been aboiwhsd to suit their convenience. But now they were idle,because the railway timetable was five minutes short of what they wanted. DISAPPOINTING.

This means that simply bemuse they have not teen allowed to dictate to the very minute the time the train which carries 'them to and fro between their work and their homes shall start they are lessening the coal output of the Dominion by some 4000 tons a week. Mr. Massey has instructed the -manager of the State coal mines to proceed to the spot and see what further can be done to 'effect a settlement, but the men's wilful disregard for the convenience and comfort of <thc public is estranging much of the sympathy that hitherto has been felt for' them. It is argued that if State management with all the concessions it has been ready to make is unable to satisfy the men, the principle of conciliation must stand seriously discredited, and the contentions of proprietary management must be reconsidered. Local public opinion is rapidly moving in this direction.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL REFORM. The Bill introduced in the Legislative Council yesterday to amend the Legislative Council Act of 10H, which was suspended during the course of the war, docs not propose to alter the complexion of the original measure to the extent that was generally expected. From what has fallen from Ministers and those in' their confidence during the last two or three years, it was thought the •nominated principle would be retained to a larger extent than is now being proposed. As the Bill now stands it provides for two members of the Executive Council sitting in the Upper House. These members, of course, would be nominated by the Government and to this extent the party in office would be strengthened in the Council by members who had not passed through itho ordeal of a popular election. The idea behind the proposal is that one of the nominated members would be the. leader of the Council and this inevitably would give the Government of the day an additional advantage.