MINERS' CONFERENCE

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 61, 15 March 1924, Page 7

MINERS' CONFERENCE

•OWNERS' WAGES OFFER NOT

ACCEPTABLE.

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPYRIGHT.)

(AVSIR.UUX-NE'W ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION.)

(Received 15th March, 11 a.m.)

LONDON, 14th March. The British Miners' Conference decided that the owners' terms were inadequate, and not acceptable. The conference urged that the Government pass a Miners' Minimum Wage Bill.

The owners have offered the miners to increase the minimum wage to 30 per cent, above the 1914 rates, and to revise the ratio of the proceeds paid in wages and profits, making the proportions 85 and 15 per cent, l'espectively.

POSSIBILITIES OF NATIONAL STRIKE.

: (REUTERS TELEGRAM.) (Received 15th March, noon.)

' LONDON, 14th March. The miners' conference has decided to refer the owners' terms to the districts. It is offcially stated that it will be open to the districts to consider the owners' terms in the interval' before 26th March, if so desired, but so far as the conference is concerned, there has been no official reference back to the districts, as the conference decided that the 'terms were inadequate. The adjournment of the conference till 26th March is for the purpose of seeing what can be done in the meanwhile to secure an improved wage for miners by legislation, and if the Minimum Wage Bill, which will come up for discussion on 21st March, is not proceeded with or is defeated, there is little doubt that the delegates on 26th March will, decide to take a ballot of the coalfields in regard to" a national strike to take place after the present agreement expires on 7th April.