COAL MINERS' WAGES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXII, Issue LXII, 20 January 1912, Page 5

COAL MINERS' WAGES.

PROSPECT OF

SETTLEMENT

REMOTE,

BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. LONDON, Jan. 19. At the Birmingham Conference representatives of six hundred thousand miners were present. Mr Enoch Edwards presided. In a pacific speech, he hoped a settlement would be arrived at without a miserable strike.

The meeting adjourned to enable the executive to complete their report. The general opinion of ,the delegates seems to favor the' exempting of the aged and infirm from'the operation of the minimum wages condition, and delegates are willing to discuss whether a joint committee of masters. and mer. could exclude habitual malingP: Prior to the conference the Council of the Miners' Federation considered the question of minimum wages and the demands of various districts, particularly of South Wales, where a bitter controversy on the matter is waging. Mr W. Harvey, M.P., stated that the demands of the Wales and Northumberland miners exceeded reasonable limits, doubtless owing to the wild statements of the local leaders, whose panacea for all ills was the doctrine of "Down with the tools!" Mr Harvey added that 75 per cent, of the miners had already received the minimum wage, and another 15 per cent, could get it without a strike, through good management of mines and affording fair faclities to all miners.

Mr Barnes, M.P., said that in view of the result of the ballot and the masters' attitude a strike seemed inevitable. If the meeting of masters and men in South Wales indicated the employees* spirit,- he did not think much of the prospect of an early settlement.