COAL CRISIS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 105, 3 April 1926, Page 9

COAL CRISIS

COMMISSIONERS REPORT. BOTH PARTIES STATEMENTS. PERCENTAGE AND WAGES QUESTION. (By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) LONDON. April 2. An official statement of the coalowners’ proposals in respect to the Royal Commission’s report appends replies to the commission’s recommendations adseriatim. The replies to a large extent express agreement with or acquiescence in the recommendations, including willingness to engage in national as ' against district discussions, which they strongly advocated. The owners are of opinion that the recommendations as to State ownership of the mineral is a Parliamentary question. They agree that the methods of payment of men not employed at the face should be revised, so as to give then a direct interest the output. They recognise that the miners will not entertain the proposal for longer hours, and they therefore wish to discusss the recommendations that the definition of working time be weekly instead of daily and for greater flexibility in working hours. The owners consider that the most urgent matter is a settlement of the minimum percentage on the basis of rates and amount of subsistence wage in each district. The Miners’ Eederation executive has issued a statement on a two days’ conference with the owners, saying that the latter refused to intimate what they proposed to pay after May 1 except to say that there would be heavy reductions. The executive describe the owners’ views on the commission’s report as indefinite. They consider that their refusal to consider the fixation of a national minimum percentage and their insistence on all wages being a district concern constitute an almost insurmountable obstacle to an amicable settlement. They assume, in the absence of definite proposals for a minimum percentage, that the owners’ position is the same as last July, and the consequential wage reductions will vary from one to five shillings daily. The executive unamimously decided not to consent to a further lowering of wages and abolition of the national minimum percentage. A national delegates’ conference will consider the position on April 9, prior to which the executive of the federation will confer with the Industrial committee of the Trades Union Congress.—Reuter. STATEMENT FOR OWNERS..^ WILLING TO NEGOTIATE. NATIONALISATION IMPRACTICABLE. Received April 3, 11.5 a.m. LONDON, April 2. A member of the Miners’ executive stated that the miners had given a reasoned reply to the owners’ proposals, but he emphasised that they were not likely to be acceptable and there was every prospect of a serious crisis arising.

It is learned that Mr Evan Williams, chairman of the Mining Association, informed the miners’ executive that the owners for the sake of peace and settlement were prepared to negogiate for an agreement on national lines, but the industry must stand on its own foundation on an economic basis and could not be continued by means of a Government subsidy. The owners were emphatically of the opinion that an extension of working hours was an essential condition to restoring the industry. He emphasised the necessity for increased output, and proposed that each district should fix its own minimum percentage, that a national board should settle the question of a national minimum over and above the district minimum. The present national minimum of 33 1-3 per cent, need not necessarily be maintained. The owners were opposed to compulsory amalgamation, but were prepared to consider voluntary amalgamation and reorganisation of the industry. They Were opposed to any change in regard to by-products and were agreed that nationalisation was impractiable.—Reuter.

CONFERENCE OF MINERS

FIXED FOR APRIL 9. LONDON, April 2. The miner’s executive decided to call a national delegates conference of the Miners’ Federation at London on April 9, to consider the written proposals of the mine-owners, which were handed to the executivo this morning. The two sides will again meet after the miners’ delegates have expressed their views on the proposals.—A. and N.Z. cable.