COAL INDUSTRY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 102, 30 March 1926, Page 7

COAL INDUSTRY

MOMENTOUS WEEK

WORKERS WILL RESIST “CUT.”

LABOUR LEADERS’ SPEECHES.

LONDON, March 29.

A momentous week in connection with the coal crisis has been ushered in, a series of speeches by Labour leaders indicating the trend of trade union opinion. The Labour victory in the Bothwell by-election is claimed as ovidence that the workers arc determined to resist a cut in wages. Mr A. J. Cook, Miners’ Federation secretary, speaking at Abertridwr, said that means must be found to assist the industry outside a reduction in wages, longer hours, and district agreements. “We cannot pay the price of sacrifice anv longer,” he said. “We are going to clear out the royalty owners without compensation, I hope.” Mr J. H. Thomas, the railway workers’ representative, speaking at Dunfermline, said that the test of success in trade union leadership was not to bring people out on strike nor promise them the moon when they could not even he given bread and cheese. tV hen thero were signs of a trade improvement the coal crisis had arisen. Low and scandalous as wero the miners’ wages, the fact stood out that a great number of pits were producing coal at an uneconomic price. A good sign was that both sides were desirous of finding a settlement. The Homo Secretary, Sir William Joynson Hicks, said: “We stand on the edge of a precipice. It depends on the employers and the employed whether there is a trade revival or whether we have a strike or lock-out which will destroy the hope of revival, possibly for years.”—A. and N.Z. cable.

BOTHWELL BY-ELECTION

MINING CONSTITUENCY

LONDON, March 28. The Labour victory in the Bothwell by-election is ascribed to the strong feeling against any reduction of miners’ wages as suggested by the Coal Commission’s’report, as the constituency is a mining one. Mr I. Sullivan, the successful candidate, once represented North Lanark: Interviewed he said that other workers rallied to Labour, realising that a reduction of the miners’ pay would be a signal to employers to reduce wages in other trades. Tho Liberal candidate, Mr E. Young, forfeited his deposit. Tho big drop in the Conservative poll is attributed to many Conservatives abstaining from voting owing to Labour’s strength.—A. and N.Z. cable.