A MILD CHECK.

Grey River Argus, 8 July 1926, Page 5

A MILD CHECK.

ON COAL BARONS. Plan to Cut Wages. DELAYED BY GOVERNMENT’S MOVE. (Received July 7 at 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, July 6. In the House of Lords, the Coal Miners’ Eight Hours Bill was read a second time by .176 to 17. Lord Cecil then announced that he did not, as was at first proposed, intend to push the Bill through. This was owing to a misunderstanding regarding the posting of miners’ rates in a certain part of the country. He said Mr Baldwin was pledged not to consent to the Bill, unless certain miners were treated justly. Therefore, the further stages of the bill would be postponed. '/ There is much discussion in the lobl Lies over the change of the GovernK ment’s plan as to the Eight Hours F Bill. This action of the Government is interpreted as a gesture of sympathy with the miners, and as a disapproval of certain of the owners, who are seeking to impose a reduction of wages as well as the increase in their

hours, particularly the Yorkshire coal owners, who are changing their per centage rates from 87 per cent, for wages and thirteen per cent, for pro fits to 85 per cent, for wages and 15 per cent, for profits. The Government, it is stated, has never contemplated any interference with these percentages. The owners in some areas, includ ing Scotland, propose the withdrawal of the bonus given for piece workers (given to compensate for lost time) ■when the Eight Hours shifts are grant I'l them. The Government have no intentioi of withdrawing the Eight Hours Bill, but they propose that it shall not pass from their control until they are satisfied that the coal owners in all the districts are giving the miners a square deal. Mr Baldwin is already putting pressure on the Yorkshire owners. T.U.C. REPORT. REASONS FOR ENDING GENERAL STRIKE. PREFER WAGE CUT TO IDLING MANY MINERS. (Reed. July 7 at 7.45 p.m.) LONDON, July 7. “The sole reason for the termination of the strike,” says the Trades Union Congress General Council’s report, “was the futility of its continuance in view of the miners’ attitude. The leaders of the miners must have known that the coal industry must be reorganised and that therefore it was necessary to devise an alternative to standing by w7i*ile thousands starved on a slogan, the adoption of which meant the throwing out of three hundred mine workers by the closing of the uneconomic mines. It is saner to allow a temporary wage reduction during reorganisation. The T.U. Council could not follow the Miners’ Executive’s policy of negotiation under which the splendid response of the sympathetic strike would have evaporated the means of attrition, [brought the unions to bankruptcy, and undermined their morale. No organisation is entitled to claim such a sacrifice. The continuation of the strike was utterly unjustified. THE RAILWAYMEN’S ATTITUDE. POSITION OF THOMAS. LONDON, July 6. According to the “Daily Herald,” Mr. Thomas had a very lively two hours at the private session of the railwaymen’s conference arising out of Mr. Thomas’s report, as general secretary, on the effects of the strike

No fewer than eighty delegates asked questions on the inner history of the strike. Mr. Thomas emphatically denied the holding of a conference at Sir Abe Bailey’s house (as cabled pre viously.) After the questions, there was a general debate on a motion endorsing the N.R.R., delegates’ action on the T.U.G., which was virtually a motion of confidence in Mr. Tho mas. There was an amendment defer ring the decision till the miners re sume. The effect of the motion wa< to side-track branch motions demanding Thomas’s dismissal. Late this afteroon it was obvious that Mr. Tho ma® carried the conference, and there was no surprise when the motion of confidence was agreed to with only six dissentient votes. Pressmen refused to attend the resumption of the Railwaymen’s Conference to-day, until th e resolution concerning the Press representatives was rescinded. The Union replied that the conference would sit privately to-day, public business being resumed to-morrow, but the conference had not withdrawn or rescinded the resolution. THOMAS ON TOP AGAIN. (Reuter.) LONDON, July 6. At tho Weymouth Railwaymen’s Conference, only six voted for the dis missal of Mr J. 11. Thomas, M.P., from the General Secretaryship of tho organisation. A no-confidence motion vas overwhelmingly rejected. Mr Thomas has sent a letter to the press representatives explaining that all of them could return to tho National Union of Railwaymen’s Conference without discrimination. The journalists have decided to attend the public session to-morrow.