THE MINERS’ AWARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 November 1921, Page 5

THE MINERS’ AWARD.

PROTEST AGAINST DECISIONS. CASE FOR THE MINERS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. A statement dealing with the awards of the Arbitration Court for Southland and Otago was made to-day by Mr. O’Rourke, secretary of the New Zealand Miners’ Federation. “The position is this,” said Mr. O’Rourke, “that so far as 1 am concerned I cannot see the use of the Government keeping an institution like the Arbitration Court for the purpose of hearing evidence, incurring a tremendous amount of expense. It does not seem to be warranted. If they are going to carry on like that all that seems to be necessary is for the owners to make their offers, obtain a few policemen with batons, and enforce them. The court has not considered the miners’ unions whatever in making awards. It has merely accepted Mr. Bishop’s statement and added a few legal frills.” He added: “The court has reduced wages to the 1914 basis and taken away all the conditions that the Southland men have won in the last six years. They have reduced the minimum wage from 19s 2d per shift to 18s, and so far as truckers’ rates are concerned it is hard to conjecture what the outcome will be. According to the wage scale for truckers, a worker will have to be 21 before he can earn the highest rate (16s lOd). The present ruling rate for truckers is 16s lOd in the coal mine. Lads of 16 onwards make the best truckers you can get, because they are young and active, and stand travelling, especially if they are lads reared about the mines. They will now have to be 20 years of age before they can earn the highest rate, and it will be almost impossible for youths to earn 16s lOd, because no manager will keep truckers until they are 20 years of age.”