NO SETTLEMENT YET

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 57, 6 March 1912, Page 5

NO SETTLEMENT YET

COLLIERS STILL OUT; MR. ASQUITH HOPEFUL A CONDITIONAL MINIMUM. OTHER TKASES AFFECTED. BULWATXEN MAT STRIKE. (By Cable.—Pre** Association.—CopyrignU (Received 8.5 a.m.) LONDON, March 5. The Premier in the House of Commons to-day paid a tribute to both sides for the skill and calmness with which they had presented their cases. He affirmed the Government's acceptance of the principle of the minimum, subject to two conditions—first, the wage must vary according to the district; second, it must be accompanied by safeguards protecting the masters against a diminution of the output. He treated the miners' fixed schedule as outside the range of negotiations. Ha still hoped that a reasonable minimum would be arranged. Mr. Bonar Law said that he would not dream of criticising the Government. He did not desire to discuss the question. The .Opposition would not do anything which would make the Government's task more difficult.

The International Union of Transport Workers, whose headquarters are at Brussels, decided to impede the exportation of German, Belgian, and. French coal to England. AFFECTED TRADES. As a result of the strike 350,000 workers in various industries have bean rendered idle. These include:— North of England 109,000 Midlands - 60,000 Wales 70,000 Eastern counties ~.—- 6,000 South of Englsnd _... 20,000 Scotland • 70,000 The Industrial Council (set up some months ago by the Government) discussed the miners' crisis for two hours, and then adjourned. Seven hundred trains were suspeaaded to-day. The rsixwmyxsen at Doncaeter resorted to strike if the Government threatens to coerce the miners. Similar resolutions will be moved at other railway centres. The railwaymen of Neasden have appealed to the National Bail way men's executive to strike in support of the miners.

MOT ASKING BVOUOJE. ! -Come of Cba-PubyiVu* miners are wearying of toe strike. Tbe miners of North Wales are dissatisfied with the minimum of 6/ a day fixed by the Miners' Federation. They prefer If and threaten to' resume work. Contrary to the Federation's recommendation, tbe miners refused to allow several collieries in Northumberland to be kept in order. Tbe miners at Whitburn, Durham, refused to permit ventilation, the pumping of water from the pits, ox the feeding of 400 ponies. FIVE MTT.T.IOIfS AFFECTED. Five million men, women, and children are directly affected by the strike. The | Industrial Council is' endeavouring to remove the deadlock. lae suburban trains are immensely overcrowded and some lines nave reduced their services 20 per cent. Mr. Philip Snowden (Labour M.P.), ; writing to the "Christian Common-! wealth,'' says that the miners have secured a tremendous victory in obtaining what the Government has already offered, and it would be a thousand pities if a stiff-necked attitude alienated public sympathy. The Board of Trade baa issued the texts of tbe laws of the British Dominions elsewhere relating to-strikes. Many newspaper articles have been published on Australian methods.

The "Dfily Chronicle" says that in all the, great colonial laws fines and imprisonment are the penalties for workmen and unions.

The Progressive parties in Britain-must face this, as was done by the Dominions. Many Australian steamers have been delayed by tbe coal strike. Others are excluding a part of their cargoes and filling the space with coal, which is not obtainable at Las Palmas, where supplies are reserved for homeward steamers.

Patrick Daly, Organiser of the Irish transport workers, has been sentenced to a month's imprisonment for a violent speech on Labour troubles at Wexford. The Labour party has given notice of motion for the appointment of a committee to consider the action of middlemen in exploiting the public by raising the price of coal.