MINERS'EIGHT HOURS

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 101, 22 January 1908, Page 7

MINERS'EIGHT HOURS

INDUSTRY'S PROTEST. GLASCOW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. COST OF COAL. or IJU-EGRAI'II—J'ItESS ASSOCIATION—COPIEIOUt ."■(Red. Jail 21, 9 p.m.)' ... . . London, January 21. Tho Glasgow Chamber of. Commerce has unanimously decided. to petition Parliament against tlio Miners' Eight Hours Bill, alleging that it wiHreduco.tlio coal production-by thirty-nino million tons annually, and will inoroaso tho working cost by Is. 6d. per ton. COMMITTEE'S FINDING. Tho output of coal in Groat,> Britain and Ireland in 1905 was 230,128,938 tons. The Committee appointed by the Home Secretary, in 190G lo inquiro into the probable economic effect of a limit of eight hours to the working day of coal miners found "that the health and physiquo of coal miner's at tho present tinje compares favourably , with; that of ■ any other class of work-peoplo, and we believe that a lcgai limitation of hours, underground to eight per day cannot be expected to' produce any marked cliango. *n h . "An immediate advanco of prices, wages, and demand for labour would appear'to bo the inevitable consequence of a..le?al limitation of hours, which involved an immediate reduction of output; tho extont and or possible' permanenco' of the equally inevitable reaction -it is impossible to foretell. ! but it may be assumed that both will greatly depend upon the disposition of employers and workmen to : co-operate to minimise any inconvenience that may arise in the initiation of a new system to the genera! public, and especially to : the manufacturers of heavy goods for export."