BRITISH COAL INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 5, 1 October 1929, Page 2

BRITISH COAL INDUSTRY

CONFERENCE WITH MINERS (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, September 27Mr. J. H. Thomas, Minister of Employment, accompanied by the Presir dent of the Board of Trade and the Secretary for Minef, met representatives of the Miners’ Federation to-day at 10 Downing Street. The Prime Minister urns present for a while, but owing to his approaching departure for America was unable to remain throughout the discussion.

The whole situation in the mining industry was reviewed at length, and the meeting was adjourned for a fortnight, At a meeting of the Central Coal Marketing Committee yesterday the observations of the districts upon the draft proposals for the co-ordinating of schemes for the regulation of the output and sale of coal were considered. It was found that the draft was generally approved in principle, and it now- remains to give further consideration to certain points that have arisen from an examination of the proposals In the districts. Another meeting of the Central Coal Marketing Committee will be held at an early date, and it is anticipated that tbe district organisations will then be in a position formally to signify their adhesion to the scheme. It is understood that officials of the Miners’ Federation will have further consultation with a Cabinet Sub-Com-mittee on the nature of the organisational changes in the industry to which the Government intends to give legislative effect this winter.

Mr. Thomas, continuing his conversations with representatives of the industry on the possibilities of the Canadian market yesterday, received representatives of the iron and steel manufacturers. Appreciation was expressed of Mr. Thomas’s efforts on behalf of British trade, and it was agreed that further consultations should take place from tiriyo to time.