COAL CRISIS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 October 1920, Page 5

COAL CRISIS.

.ULTIMATUM TO OWNERS. FEDERATION'S LAST WORD. SETTLEMENT WANTED TO-DAY. "OR ACT TO FORCE ISSUE." By Telegraph.—Press Association. ' Wellington, Last Night. An offer made by the executive of the Coal-mine Owners' Association, with a view to arriving at some means of settling the coal dispute, has been rejected by the Pukeniiro Miners' Union, and the general position in the coal industry is now considered to bo acute. The proposal made by the employers was that the Miners' Federation and the l'ukemiro Miners' Union should give an undertaking in writing, to be embodied iu a supplementary agreement, that in the event of any dispute or stoppage of work in the mine the enginedrivera should not, on any pretext whatever, refuse to perform any duties necessary in connection with the pumping operations or: the ventilation of the mine. Tins offer was made as a qualified acceptance of the miners' demand that the engine-drivers should remain members of the Miners' Union.

Mr, J. Arbuckle (secretary of the Miners' Federation) informed a reporter to-day that the members of the Pukemiro Miners' Union had definitely decided that they would not accept the coal-owners' proposals for a settlement of the dispute. "It is contended, and rightly so," said Mr. Arbuckle, "that the national agreement must be adhered to. Of course «jie owners have stated that the union, in the first place, has broken the agreement by stopping work on several occasions, but the same remark applies to owners." "The position is simply this," he added. "There is no other option for the Federation than to support the Pukemiro men in their attitude. They must be supported, because their demand is in compliance with the provisions of the national agreement. I am leaving the thing open to the owners until to-morrow morning, and if they are not prepared to abide by the terms ef the national a-greem ; enit, then we will have to act so as to force the issue."

In reply to a question,.Mr. Arbuckle said that it would not be nccesgary for the executive of the Miners' Federation together to decide what action should be taken. PUKEMIRO STILL IDLE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night The miners at the Huntly and Rotowaru mines are now working steadily. Up to the present, however, the maximum output has not been reached. Last week the output was 750 tons per day as compared with 1000 tons before the strike. No settlement of the Pukemiro dispute was reached to-day.