ENGLISH LABOR CONDITIONS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXII, 15 May 1912, Page 5

ENGLISH LABOR CONDITIONS.

MR, JAMES KOWIN'S VIEWS

In writing from London on March 15 to Mr Jus. Livingston, Mr Jas. Kowin (formerly known Here in conection with the London house of Lovell and. Christmas'), says he had strong sympathy with the large numbers of workers who "depend upon steam and electricity to move the machinery by which they earn their daily bread, and who have had no say in the matter of the coal strike, but are forced to idleness, and consequent semistarvation." As a result of the strike troubles, the Bankers' Clearing House returns for the week ended March 13 show a falling-off of over 70 millions as compared with last year. Mr Kowin is strongly in favor of the nationalisation of the coal industry, so strongly and urgently advocated by MiArthur Chamberlain, whose question to the mine-owners, "When did the nation agree that this national asset should be put in your hands, to enable you to control and govern the life and death of the poor?" struck him as one that woiild be fonnd difficult to answer. Mr Kowin holds that the miner deserves to be more than fairly paid, because his calling involves unfair risks." Referring to weather conditions in England, Mr Kowin says: "We are getting promise ,pf an early,spring, and the fruit-trees are almost in bloom; but we may ve+ Kive some frosts that will cut it all off."