WEST COAST MINING TROUBLE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2097, 25 January 1908, Page 3

WEST COAST MINING TROUBLE.

hasty departure of the PREMIER. MINISTER OF LABOR ALSO GOES WEST. THE FACTS OF THE CASE. (Sp»oUl to Tim*»). WELLINGTON, Jan. 24. About midnight the Premier loft for Greymouth by the Government steamer Tutauekai. All that was known at the time of Sir Joseph

Ward’s departure was that ho was engaged on important business, the ? nature of which eon Id not be divulg- ‘ ed. When seen by a “Rost’’_ -reporter to-day, the Minister of Mines (the Hon." J. McGowan) said ho did not know of iliis own knowledge Sir J. Ward had gone to the coast to inquire into matters connected with the Denniston coal mines. "1 don-1 think,” ho said, “‘that, the men are being very badly dealt with. Ibo difference'between the men and the employers in Nowcastlo have apparently ‘affected the workers here, and they are dissatisfied, hut in some cases they don’t appear to know exactly what they are dissuaded about." The conditions obtaining to-day are better than they have ever In on previously, and in my opinion the men are not going the right way about getting the imp-rovemcnt t'ney desire. If the Government is going to do the right thing it moans consideration of both sales of the case. Sometimes this fact is unfortunately lost sight of.” Beyond that the Minister declined to speak. WHAT ARE THE FACT’S? In the absence of any definite information. it seems fair to assume that there is iu immediate danger of ■a strike" or anything in the nature of serious trouble occurring. Certain facts can be adduced in support of the view. First, we have the statement- that the Westport Coal Co. indicted' sundry miners on a charge that they were breaking the agreement under which they are working at present, and that the Court ruled, in favor of the company. Ms the men had acted under legal advice! however, no fines were ■imposed, the men being ordered to pay costs. Fact number two is that in spite of this decision, the men insisted on being employed, and paid, according to their reading of the law. and that the company, rather than see its mines ‘idle, has conceded their demands, notwithstanding the fact that it has the ruling of the Arbitration Court behind it. The position, therefore, is that the men in> to the present have scored all their points, and that the Arbitration Court, to put it plainly, is being ignored bv both sides. In view of the facts, it is hardly likely that anything in the nature of a strike is contemplated. The obvious assumption is that the Government- has recognised that a serious position must eventually anise if the -awards of the Court are

not to be upheld iu the letter and A -the spirit. This position, on the other hand, is not a new one. The Government has been cognisant of it for some time, and the hasty departure of the Premier and the Minister for Labor would point to the conclusion that some new development, of which the public /is in entire ignorance, might possibly have arisen, in the course of the list few days. The Court when making its last award between the Granity coal-miners and the Industrial Union, and the Westport Coal Co., stated that the agreement is to romain in force until Ist April, 1909. The Court appended this significant paragraph to its determination: “The Court has reserved power to itself to vary all or any of the provisions of the award in the event of any change being made by legislation in .any of the conditions regulated by the award. This will enable the Court to remedy the hardship that, might otherwise result from Parliament altering, as it has done in some oases, some of the cony ditions of an award, while -leaving the parties bound by all the other provisions of the -award. The Court has no desire to suggest that Parliament should not exercise its privilege of legislating with regard to all or any of the matters that may be dealt with in an- award of the Court, but it seems desirable to point ovu that if -an award fixed the hours of work and' wages in connection with any particular industry, any alterations in the hours of work really means an alteration in wages in all cases where the wage fixed is a daily or weekly one, and that in such a case Parliament, while professing to 'deal only with the hours of work, is really legislating with regard to wages.” No such memo, as this appears in the Denniston miners’ award, a possibility, it may be, as was hinted' some weeks ago, that the claims of the Denniston workers have been by agreeement endorsed by the coal-miners of the entire -colony. In this case it is easy to realise that so long as the Denniston problem remains -unsolved, there is a latent danger of a dislocation of the Westport Coal Company. Such a prospect' would certainly justify the prompt intervention of the Premier and his colleagues. Whatever the cause, it is doubtless a good cause, and it is to be hoped that it may prove successful. I FEELING IN WESTPORT. Press Association. WESTPORT, January 24. Although the object of the hurried visit of the Premier and the Minister for Labor to Westport lias not been disclosed, it is understood to have reference to the Denniston coal miners’ dispute over the bank to bank clause. The Denniston Miners’ Union lias been in regular communication with -the Hon. Mr. Mdlar, regarding the dispute between the Union and the Westport Coal Company, and it is to he presumed that the Company have also been in communication with him. The Union are preparing to bring the case before the law courts, and will commence proceedings in the Warden s Court at Westport a fortnight lienee. - Mr. Curtis, the branch manager ot the Westport Coal Company js nnawaro of any special reason why the Ministers should conic to Westport bo hurriedly. So far as lie knows work is-progressing steadily at .Denniston. Mr. Foster, tlio President of the Union knows nothing ot the particular object of the Ministerial trip, - although his committee has been advised of the visit.. He suggested that any pressure that may have arisen hits come from the directors of the company at Dunedin. MEN NOT BADLY TREATED.

Press Association. ■WELLINGTON, January 24. Tho Premier left at midnight ,111 the Tutane'kai for tho West Coast. This has given rise to speculation to the cause, and it is generally uii dors tod that tho. visit is m connection with tho tinning troubles ~t Westport, but the nature ol lm, inno niformat on, a>u , c(1 that S ?fc wn’t had Cie to enquire into affairs at Dennis ton mines, lor*Zl tliuy did 1101 _, , about. Jy what they were cliss^ism-u OPINION IN GREYMOTJTH. Press Association. - Christchurch by. special « « j jt . evening. The journey [ r ) , j 2 church was accomplished! u n<Rr ■ hours. The Premier is expected to arrive at 2 o’clock in the mor .-= i the Tutanckai, when the Minister ol Marine will- join him, :md_t-he pf ■ 1 proceeds to Westport. The rea„ for the hurried- visit to the coast o said to be in connection with the coal-miners’ dispute at Demnston, and an interview with the Miners Union will- be held at Westport tomorrow. The Hon. Air. Alillar returns to Grey mouth on Monday, and will inquire into Harbor Board matters and i inspect the works now under construction.