MINERS' STRIKE.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17134, 2 May 1921, Page 7

MINERS' STRIKE.

»' THE rejected offer. , ,'MEN KEPT IN THE DARK." 'j»J Ctblt-PTtM - oprri?fc».) : i%ietTalian acd N-2- Ciblo Association.) ■ - LONDON, April 29. The mine-owners have issued a statement 10 the effcct that thtT realise that no amount of wages, without a national pool, will be acceptable. They think that the men have been kept in the dark by their leaders, and thev feel' convinced that what is keeping the • men 'from work is not tlio question of On the March figures the coal strikers have already lost £21,000,000 in wages. The Mining Association announces that after, a long conference the owners' representatives have come to the con- ' elusion'that the bast prospects for an advance lie in their own districts. " hey have accordingly returned to the country where they are prepared to discuss the schedules of wages with their men. • Owing to the shortage of coal short iime work has commenced at Vickers' Shipyards, at Barrow. The Ipswich dockers refused to ■unload coal from a vessel from Belgium. Voluntary labour, under police protection unloaded the vessel. Tlio dockers strt'ek 83 a P rotest j an d will not resume until the coal steamer leaves the vThe National Executive of the Miners' Union has decided that, owing to several fatal accidents through men string coal at outcrops, such work must moderate leaders in. Derbyshire and Notts agree that the Government's offer should have been aocepted. • £ meeting of the executive of the Scottish Miners' Union resolved to abide by the decision to reject the ' oßHers' offer. Sir R. S. Horne, speaking m the House; of Commons, said he i%gretted the result of the coal negotiations. The government had struggled hard to reach'a settlement, and,had made the miners a generous offer' It was now I dear that the reason for the stoppage ww that the * miners had not been granted A national pool, and their reason'for continuing tne strike was therefore apolitical one. Owing, to the . coal strike and the rapid .depletion of funds, the Manchester Cotton Reconstruction Board has notified cotton workers that unemployment pay'will cea«6 on Mrfy'7th. . "SOBATOHEES" y. STRIKERS. (Received' May' Ist, 6.5 p.m.) r - LONDON, April 29, Some districts are still bent on a fight'to ft (Brnsh, but- twenty thousand . i miners in South Yorkshire would gladly return to work on the terms of the Government's offer,; though they are anxious to be loyal to the Federation. ; Good jijdges axe- also convinced that a boUot among the men in South Wales 'Would end in the acceptance of the CWv , ernment , 's offer. /dome great trade .. unions are'ajso badly hit by theminera' stfike, 'owing <to tbe.'ever-increaeing uniftnployment and the necessity of payis# unemployment benefits. It is quite possible; that next week there will bo f- a move .towards peace on behalf of the general Jjodjr/of./'jaixrar. Under the (aroumstanoes the.'Cabinet is disposed •to" wait • for two or three days before . 4iftp&sftig fresh restrictions to fight the jftel phortajje. Thqy will not add to. |'"the public inconvenience until they learn how< the, districts regard the re- ■ jectioh of the, ten billion offer without even a ballot. -

•ford,; 1 -RoiJ:nweU|Vai 'neighbouring' villagS, dej telrmining to atop copl-3'cratching, which fiiffcy tons daily, to thei in-: 4g|P» /satfpHwtioiv.of oft . . .TVqodlesfdrd. One hundred young colovi jfipw .and'ordered hawkers ' and dryers awaiting coal at Woodles"vfc*<4 tot wgo away. Four hundred who were working the • with shovels s and and rushed the r Rothwell -' Contingent., A long fight followed, unMithe Rothwell ranks broke and f J«h' During the afternoon the Bothf sfbll -men returned to the* attack, rein"woed to .jflie extent four hundred, ~lrai liers awaiting them at Woodlesford, i itljeJr'/attaqkt» the, carta on the road, tipping, ont. the coal on the roadside. -Jtihally thewlioe intervened, and the i meters withdrew. \ ' scenes are reported at Leigh, ; vwhei® »the" ■ invaders were thfrnta into riv^r. SETfcKEMENT V»**- c "'*BESntBJ>. • \ i " ' May*ist, II.SO p.m.) ''S * fio, -* j Lancashire, and , • C3wuiira v itiin6rs %sorj»ed the rejection of tjie Gofromment offer, 4nd deciedd -to «tontintfe l th4 strike in support of the J. national settlements < - i ii i-■ i■ i'