COAL TROUBLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 January 1921, Page 4

COAL TROUBLE.

ANOTHER CONFERENCE HELD NO STATEMENT MADE. By Telegraph.—Press Assoctatnm. Wellington, Last Night. A conference regarding the trouble at the Blackball mine took place this afternoon between the Prime Minister and the mine owners’ representatives. Approached afterwards by a pressman, Mr. W. Pryor, secretary of the Owners’ Federation, stated that, by agreement with the mine-owners, the only person from whom information was to be obtained was the Premier. Mr. Massey, for his part, said: “I can make no statement whatever at the present stage.” Later. A meeting of the executive of the Coal-mine Owners’ Association was held to.day to consider the action taken by the miners in connection with the Blackball dispute, and particularly the Prime Minister’s suggestion that the dispute should be referred to a committee of two representatives of both sides, with an independent chairman. In the meantime, the “go-slow” policy is being applied in most of the mines in New Zealand.

THREAT TO CLOSE.MINE. CONSEQUENCE OF GO-SLOW Auckland, Jan. 21.; Colonel Holgate, liquidator of ihe Kiripaka mine, has decided that the mine will be permanently closed from Monday, unless the go-slow policy is abandoned. . This will throw 50 men out of employment, involving a loss of 180 tons of coal a day.