COAL CRISIS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 18 June 1926, Page 5

COAL CRISIS

MR BALDWIN'S STATEMENT LABOUR TO UNSHKATH THE SWORD BITTER COMMENT BY LABOUR MEMBER (By Eloctrio Telegraph—Copyright) (Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.) •LONDON, June Hi.. "Instead of bringing peace,' Mr Baldwin's statement will cause Labour to unsheath the sword in defence of itp standard of living," declared Mr A. ■). Cook, Miners' Secretary, in a bitter declaration commenting on the Premier's speech in the House of Commons. He added: "Mr Baldwin lias confirmed what we always thought, namely, that he was nothing' more or less than a coal owners' advocate. He sided with the owners in the face of his own Coal Commission's lindinjj against an increase in hours. He must have known. that such a suggestion would be fought to the last-ditch by the miners, and probably by the whole of organised Labour. No attempt legislatively to lengthen working hours will be agreed to. Even if starvation drives back miners to conditions which they have always resisted, there will be strong, solid opposition to working more than seven hours. No arrangements, said Mr Cook, had been 1 maide to recall the 'executive of the Miners' Federation. it was obvious that while the situation continued as it did there would be no solution. LABOUR OPPOSITION LONDON. June 10. A meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party, presided over by Mr Ramsay MacDonald, passed a resolution condemning the Government's policy in the coal dispute as declared by Mr. Baldwin in tho House of Commons yesterday, and decided to offer a strenuous resistance to his proposals, NEW WAGES SCHEDULE FRESH NOTICES TO BE POSTED LONDON, June 17. The coal owners are working out a new wage schedule based on eight hours. Indications are that the next development;, after the passing of the liours bill, will be the posting of fresh noticos in the collieries announcing that work can be resumed immediately on these terms. The opinion is held in some quarters that whatever the leaders may say the. men will then he ready for resumption and once a breakaway begins it will progress irresistibly. The Daily Telegraph Labour correspondent says that in districts producing f'O per cent of coal out-put the owners have undertaken to pay the pre-strike rates on an eight hours' day for the next three months'. SCHEME FOR RE-OPENING ""London, June 16 It is understood that the mine owners are preparing a scheme for r-eopening the pits on a 8-hour basis, the coalfields to be divided into three categories: Firstly, pits where wages will not be reduced j secondly, pits where the reduction will be under ten per cent; and thirdly, pits where a reduction if possible is not to exceed ten per.cent. The Iflis't-iianied will probably, include the three export districts, Durham, Northumberland, and South Wales. Most of the pits as possible will be • in* eluded in the first category.