DRIFTING BACK

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 30 September 1926, Page 7

DRIFTING BACK

MINERS RESUMING.

MOVEMENT GAINING STRENGTH LEADERS SICK OF STRUGGLE. BY CABLE--PRESS ASSOCI ATION-^COPYR-GHT. Received 1.5 p.m. to-day. LONDON, Sept. 29. To-day was the first day for the miners since the strike began. There are now 149,223 employed in coal producing at pits, an increase of i 1,745 per day. breakaways have also com menced at Rhondda Valley, where before the strike hundreds of thousands were employed. The leaders are making; frantic efforts to counter the movement, urging the men to await the result of the district delegates’ conference, which opened to-day at London. The drift back to work is regarded as most serious, many delegates expressing the opinion that if a settlement is much longer delayed there will be no jobs for the remaining strikers to fill Moreover, every ten thousand returning makes the coal owjners less inclined to meet the federation This viewpoint dominated the whole discussion regarding the Government’s offer of an appeal tribunal. There is a general feeling that the districts should be consulted; nevertheless there is a marked difference of opinion r gar ding what advice should be tendered to the districts regarding the offer. The matter was finally adjourned till tomorrow. The debate showed that the responsible leaders were heartily sick of the struggle, and few now favour a fight to a finish.

A quaint sidelight on the coal dispute is the fact that ordinarily October 1 is fixed as lighting day for fires in Government offices, but instructions were given to-day not to light fires unless tlie temperature fell below 58 degree's. Each fireplace would then be rationed to ten pounds of coal daily.