COAL MINING DISPUTE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 July 1938, Page 9

COAL MINING DISPUTE

SEVERAL NEW PHASES COURT EXPRESSES SURPRISE (By Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, July 5. The Court of Arbitration was engaged this afternoon in hearing a dispute which had arisen between the mineowners and the miners in the Southland district, but the court expressed surprise when it learned that the owners desired to open up several new phases of ths dispute, as it had been led to believe that it had only to considerthe question of the term of the agreement to be entered into between the paries. Mr H. J. Mcalister appeared for the Southland Coal Mine Owners’ Association and Mr A. McLaglan, Dominion secretary of the United Mine Workers’ Federation of New Zealand, for the union. Mr Justice O’Regan presided. After long argument, his Honour suggested that the dispute might be taken by the court at Auckland in August. Evidence could be submitted in writing. Mr Macalister said he was agreeable to this course and to continue to pay existing rates to the miners. Mr McLagan favoured the dispute going immediately to the national disputes committee, and Mr Macalister said he would be agreeable to that deing done. The dispute will therefore now be heard by the national disputes committee.