Manawatu Daily Times Britain s Coal Problems

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6972, 27 July 1929, Page 6

Manawatu Daily Times Britain s Coal Problems

While the British Labour Government is courageously tackling such problems of world importance as disarmament it is possible that questions of a purely domestic nature will-as they invariably do—give Mr. Ramsay MacDonald and his party more concein. A t it is just possible that they may ultimately decide the late o Britain’s second Labour Government. Just at present the coa question looms large in the horizon, and it presents a scries of difficulties of a most baffling nature.

Reports of late have shown that there are at long last signs of revival in the British coal trade, which lias gone through a period of grave depression. The South Wales coalfields, or instance, have shown a profit for the first time since 192 i-a very small profit is it is true, but after the period of stagnation welcome enough. The output for the first quarter of this year was a million tons above that of the December quarter.

Coincident with this, however, comes the news that the miners are not satisfied with the Government’s proposals for reorganising the industry. Nor are the owners, lor that matter. Quarter measures” was the somewhat contemptuous phrase used to describe the proposals put forward. The eight-hour day is one of the most contentious points. Instead of reverting to the seven-hour day as the Labour Party demanded when Mr. Baldwin was in office, they have now offered a half-hour compromise with the full hour in 1031. But neither side is satisfied.

The Government proposals arc, in effect, based on the report of the Samuel Commission which in 1920 conducted an inquiry into the mining industry and produced a set of recommendations, impartially described as admirable, though they satisfied neither owners nor miners. They were made the basis of proposals by the Government for a compromise. Negotiations were under way when the general strike supervened, followed by an unsatisfactory compromise. The revival of the trouble is not due directly to the advent of a Labour Government. The district agreements made at that time are now approaching their end. An attempt to have the terms revised, especially to establish again a national wages agreement, would have been made by the Miners’ Federation whatever the political position.

The proposals of the Government, as outlined in the House of Commons, are concerned mainly with disti'ibution. An active development of the co-operative marketing scheme by districts, which the Samuel Commission recommended is foreshadowed. There is a hint of compulsion if owners do not fall in voluntarily with the schemes formulated. The usefulness of such a process was adequately emphasised by the commission, which advised further that local authorities should be empowered to retail coal. Yet, when the whole report is considered, this was but a small part of it. Other recommendations were for nationalisation of coal by purchase from existing royalty owners, by proclamation in case of unproved seams or those with no present market value; amalgamation of mines to promote more economical working; combination of industries closely allied to mining; research to promote more efficient methods of winning and utilising coal.

These things, it was admitted, would require years of work and preparation. Meantime the commission said if the seven-hour day were to be retained there must be some revision of the wages scale. It disapproved ihc lengthening of the day, but gave a qualified approval of it, if agreed to by the miners as an alternative to reducing wages. The day was lengthened, however, a move deeply resented by the miners. It has been explained they value any gain in the hours of labour more highly than an increase in wa n cs. It is regarded as a permanent advance, whereas wages are subject to fluctuation. It can be understood, therefore, that with little encouragement of their desire to revert to the sevenhour day, with so modest an instalment of the Samuel report outlined, they are not overjoyed at the promise of action by the Government. The task of trying to restrain the eagerness of the miners and avoiding hopeless antagonism in the employers is no small one for any new Government to face.