DISAPPOINTING CARD VOTE.

Northern Advocate, 19 July 1915, Page 3

DISAPPOINTING CARD VOTE.

THE EXTREMISTS DOMINANT

LONDON, July 3G

Mr Walter Runciman held an hour an a-half's conference with the colliery proprietors, and later conferred with the South Wales Federation executive. Nineteen of the executive now favour return to work and four oppose it. About 200,000 are idle, including surface workers. There is disappointment in Cardiff at the result of the card vote, by which 47,450 favour resumption and 59.550 favour a strike. Many of the delegates are mere youths, chosen owing to their violent syndicalist opinions. They said openly that they cared nothing for the effects of the strike on the Army or Navy. One delegate stated: "If we keep the collieries idle we will, get our terms In less than a week." Many non-official miners think the Government overhasty in proclaiming the district a munitions area. If Mr Lloyd George had acted as mediator there would have been no cessation of work. The men say: "It is no use for Mr Lloyd George to meet the leaders—let him come and talk to us straight."

The proclamation of the munitions area is posted In the colliery towns, but the readers are indifferent, the archaic phrases being meaningless to men used to colluquial language. The extremists are convinced that if the coal Is held up the employers and the Government must yield. No one doubts that the ballot of the miners will shew an overwhelming majority in favour of resuming work from day to day on contracts until the dispute is settled, but the ballot would not suit the extremists, who are seeking to force the Government to nationalise the mines.