MINERS’ WAGES.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10509, 13 February 1928, Page 5

MINERS’ WAGES.

TROUBLE LOOMING IN BRITAIN COOK TALKS OF A CRISIS. GERMAN OWNERS APPROACH BRITISHERS. (Aust. anti N. 55. Press Assn.) (Received Feb. 12, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Feb..ll. Owing to further reductions in miners’ earnings the North-Eastern coalfields miners’ secretary, Mr Cook, prophesies a big coal upheaval unless the Government intervenes. ,He adds that the Australian miners have appealed to the international meeting at Brussels. French, Belgian and German miners also fear reduction in wages. Thus an international crisis exists, in addition to the British. In the Commons Mr BoothUy, just back from Germany, condemned the wasteful undercutting o’f prices between British and German coal owners which had cost the former eight million sterling since the general strike.. International agreements are operating the finance of several other industries, and why not coal ? But there must be a preliminary trustification and reorganisation of the British coal trade. He believed Sir Cunliffe Lister could enforce this With the aid of the banks’ pressure.. The Federation of German Industries was very anxious for Anglo-German agreements concerning coal, iron and steel. An economic Locarno was Europe’s greatest need in order to maintain the world’s standard of living- ■ ‘ 1 : .

Lobbyists agree that the speech in the Commons by Mr Boothby, who is Mr Churchill’s Parliamentary private secretary,' is unusually important, amounting to a definite' approach to British industry by the German iron and steel cartel of coal owners. : ' ' -V ' -