LABOUR FEDERATION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10262, 14 June 1911, Page 5

LABOUR FEDERATION.

THE WAIHI TROUBLE. DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. » (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Last Night.

The Executive of the- New Zealand Federation of Labour concluded its deliberations in Wellington to-day. The result will be communicated to the Waihi Miners' Union by Mr Parry (Waihi President), and Mr Semple (organiser), who will reach Waihi as soon as possible. "Our object is to affect a peaceful settlement if we can," remarked Mr Semple. He expressed the opinion, in conversation, that there was a good prospect of settling the dispute. Regarding the assurance desired by the Admiralty that its coal supplies will not be interfered with in the case of an industrial upheaval, the miners' executive have replied that any applications for coal supplies during such a period will be considered on their merits.

Nearly the whole of this afternoon was occupied by the Executive in an interview with the Hon. R. McKenzie (Minister of Mines). The dispute at Waihi was not the subject of discussion, ,the matters raised being those of the promised Royal Commission on mining, ventilation and sanitation, and wages of the construction, labourers employed on the Cass section of the Midland Railway. The deputation urged that the special conditions of the work made it desirable to secure a minimum wage of 10s per day.

The members of the Executive did not desire the Press to be present. They explained after the interview there had been a misunderstanding between the Government and the miners regarding the appointment of a Commissioner. This would, however, soon be rectified, and they anticipated that the promised investigation would soon commence.