RIOTOUS MINERS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1389, 15 March 1912, Page 5

RIOTOUS MINERS.

p * STRIKE PAY REFUSED- ! CHIEF DIFFICULTY IN WAY OF PEACE. PROPOSED EXPORT DUTY. By Teleeranu-PreEa AsEociatiou-Copyrighl (lice. March 15, 1.5 a.m.) London, Mnrcli 14. An official announcement states that tin Strike- Conference was continued. Then was a general discussion as to the bosi means of arriving at a settlement, am the gathering adjourned, to enable certoir suggestions mnde by the Premier to b< " considered. ; Ten thousand Warwickshire striken [ have refused to accept a week's strike - pay, and are demanding pay for n fort s night. Exciting 6cenes occurred at Bed' worth. The miners' officials took tlw . money back to the offices, the police es 1 corting them, and huge crowds follow > i"g- . j A thousand strikers at Haydon for twi days intimidated the men loading th< [ coal wagons. The police drove the strik . ers towards Earlestown. Tho crowd ■ stoned the police, seriously injuring threi ' constables. [ The Archbishops of Canterbury ant [ York propose that Sunday shall be ob served as a day of humble intercessioi > in connection with industrial strife am ; distress. The council of tho Frc< ; Churches suggest that their member: . should act similarly. ! Ilkeston malcontents organised a bat ■ lot as to whether the strike should be dis ' continued. The movement was, however . abandoned, owing to the local leaders an . nouueing that if a ballot was attemptc. > there would be bloodshed. ' Sir. M'Kenna, Homo Secretary, in th< ! House of Commons, said the Governmen . had no power to prohibit the oxportatior 1 of coal. He had come to the conclusioi ■ that no substantial relief of the prosem situation would result from such legisla tiou. DISTRICT NEGOTIATIONS. IMPORTANT STEP. London, March 13. The Miners' Federation has offered tc negotiate with owners in various dis tricts for a settlement of all points ir dispute at the earliest possible moment Mr. Albert Stanley, Labour M.P. foi the North-West Division of Staffordshire says that tho decision to permit district negotiations is the most important ster towards peace since the strike com menced. The Labour Press Agency admits thai the chief difficulty in the, way of a settlement is the securing of safeguards to overcome tho owners' fears of a reduced output if the minimum wage is ' granted. The joint conference has adjourned. INCITEMENT TO VIOLENCE. SOCIALISTS ON TRIAL. (Rec. March '14, 11.15 p.m.) London, March 14. A publican named Morley Mayfield, a second-hand furniture dealer, and King, ' a clothier, have'been, committed for trial at Ilkeston for publishing n Socialist publication "Tho Dawn," inciting the people to shoot soldiers and policemen interfering in Labour disputes. GERMAN MINERS' STRIKE. THREE-FOURTHS OF THE MEN OUT. Berlin, March 13. Three-fourths of the miners have struck. Strikers at one place stoned tho police. The latter fired, killing a man. The strikere at Ha inborn, on the Ruhr coalfields, stoned and wounded many police. Dr. de Dallwitz, Minister for the Interior, informed the Diet that the Government would do its utmost to protect willing workers. Out of 266,835 miners in tho Ruhr district 110,107 entered the pits yesterday. Conflicts have occurred between police and miners in several districts, ending in sabre charges. A number of persons were injured. NEWCASTLE SHIFT TROUBLE. CONFERENCE ON TUESDAY. (Rec. March 15, 0.30 a.m.) Sydney, March 14. The Newcastle Conciliation Board has -fixed a conference for Tuesday afternoon on the shift question. The conference will consist only of representatives of the proprietors and men of the collieries actually w-orking two shifts. The afternoon shift is the only question to be considered. BRITAIN'S COAL TRADE, EFFECT STRIKES ON THE EXPORT. The effect of the influences which are disturbing the coal industry of the United Kingdom (says the London "Dailr'Telegraph ) is by no means confined to these islands; it is felt in the most distant coaling stations in tho world. The fact is, that for some years other countries have been watching our foreign markets with covetous eyes. For long we were able to hold our own; but then, littlo bv little, our competitors crept in. Thev eagerly watched their opportunity, anil were careful not to miss a chance of advancing their position. It is an ill wind that blows no one any good, and when this country was distressed by recent industrial strifes our foreign rivals sawthat the time was at hand for a largo increase in their trade. They were not disappointed. Of our competitors (continues tho "Telegraph") the most formidable are America and Germany. In both theso countries hard steam coal of excellent quality is obtained, and the -supply is promising in the extreme. The output from the mines in Westphalia steadily increases, though not, indeed, to the extent that might bo expected. Although it is only in recent years that the Pennsylvania!! fields have been worked to any great extent, they must now be regarded a.s of foremost importance. It is more especially of our trade with the Mediterranean 'stations that America is envious, while Germany has been looking rather to the Baltic ports, which to her are particularly attractive, owin',' to their relative nearness to-the Wcstpiialian fields. It is not alone in these ports that we are feeling competition. In the stations in the Fast, where hitherto we have practically had everything our own way, we are now face to face with rivals. It is no exaggeration to r-ay that every cc al exporting country in the world is sliiving to take lull' advantage of this time of trouble. India is exporting considerable and steadily-increasing quantities, and so, 100, is Japan. The presence of these countries in Knsteru market* K of course, a point uf the utmost importance. THE WORLD'S OUTPUT. II is some years now since this coy n try reused to be the premier coal producer of the world. The total output for Mm war 1903—the last year for which complete figures are available from nil countries —wus 111.'! million tons, and of .lis Ihe British Empire was responsible for Md.'i million tons, and foreign countries for SO? million tons. The largest output by any nation was that of the United .''lutes, whom the vast quantity rf -US million tons w.is rni»orl. The creator part of thi« wnn rmiMiniod in tho Stnte.i, but, nrcording to the "Coal Merchant oud Ship-

per, tho collieries there aro finding tho domestic demand unequal (o tho task of absorbing the siipplv. Great projects Imve nceorrtiiis»]y ben' conceived for capturing the oversea markets. The British A.nip;:re makes a good recond lu the United Stales, with a tolal output m 19!.!) of 305 million tons. For the third most important producer of the world we have to turn to Germany. While providing us willi a market for between nine and ten million tons of British real annually, Germany .is also producing end exporting on a larger scale than put, the output in l•)()!) having been 217 milieu tons, increasing last year to 222 million tons, lignite included. Austria-Hun-gary comes next in order of importance with -IS million tons, and then France wiHi 38 million tons. Tho returns of the production of coal in the Far Kast are of special interest, in view of the struggle we are having to maintain our position in the coaling stations in those distant parts of tho world. Japan in 190!) raised over fifteen million tons, India more than twelve millions, while tho total for China is placed at eleven millions. The following table shows tho quantities of coal exported from the United Kingdom in tho year indicated to some of our principal purchasers: 1900. ' 190 G. 1911. Country. Tons. Tons. Tons. Franco 8,314,000 9,441,000 10,272,000 Germany ... 5,938,000 7,029,000 8,908,000 Italy 5,115,000 7,510,000 9,223,00(1 Russia 3,110,000 2,878,000 3,439,000 Sweden' 2,908,000 3,573,000 3,832,000' Norway ... 1,342,000 1,494,000 1,%8,000 Denmark ... 2,050,000 2,503,000 2,840,000 Egypt 1,035,000 2,604,000 3,104,000 Argentine Republic 768,000 2,332,000 3,264,000 Brazil 750,000 1,158,000 1,684,000 lhe total exports of coal from this country last year were 01,599,266 tons, and the value is placed at .£36,521,009. , COMPARISON OF EXPORTS. From the tablo given below a comparison may be mado of the exports of tho three'leading coal-producing countries: Country 1900. 1906. 1910. United Kingdom 44,089,000 55,599,000 62,058,000 Germany 15,030,000 19,236,000 23,867,000 1899-1000. 1905-0. 1909-10. united S. 7.185.0C0 9,125,000 13,367,070 Needless to say, the quality of British coal is beyond reproach, but that is not enough. In order that we may hold our own wo must be able to rely with certainty on the supply, for merchants are loath to undertake orders which they may he umiblo to fulfil, or which, may involve them in a loss. One firm which rashly undertook to deliver 50,000 tons of coal at a certain price in South America, actually lost ,£30,000 on the transaction as a result of labour difficulties at home and enhanced freights.