THE MINES SAVED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17753, 12 April 1921, Page 5

THE MINES SAVED.

PCM PINO resumed! i AGREEMENT WITH STRIKERS' TRIFMPH FOR PREMIER. A DAY OF NEGOTIATION. \ LABOUR LEADERS HELP. By Tt*lfi'rauh —Press Aeeociation—Copyricht (Received 12.5 ' A ar-l N Z. LONDON. April 11. T)h> Miners' Federation notified it.s branches yesterday of the unconditional re- i sar.ip'M'' of negotiations with the coalowners on Monday. The federation acthe notification with an urgent ■ riv; utvi t.o its mem hers to abstain from art:on ;: ierfering with tho safety of mines or likely to necessitate the Government's ' ase of force. j M.r. J. 11. Thomas, M.P., secretary' of j the National Union of Raihvavmen, speakin.: (<> j meeting oi railway and transport j representatives, said that at the conferfice \M:.h the Prune Minister, Mr. Llovd ' < Je.-. -go 'nted out that it would be a •-.ruue if a great strike occurred becausethe parties could not first b<a brought t»v . .eu/ier. The deputation left Downing having succeeded in arriving at an agreement which removed the question regarding the pumpmen. He (Mr. I'homasj thought that the (Jo\ernment : was entirely right in its determination to i prvtoct the mines. i In consequence of the decision of the I Miners Federation, pumpmen in most ' areas have resumed work at the old rates ' of pay, not waiting for volunteers to re- i place them. The South Wales field has ! bean saved in the nick of time. Actual flooding has occurred in 20 pits in Seot.and, 18 in England, and three in Wales. Successive meetings of the Triple Alii- , a nee from morning till midnight on .Saturday debated the development of the negotiations between the Labour leaders acting as mediators and Mr. Lloyd i (George. The Prime Minister adhered to | his condition that the safety of the mines I must be ensured before wagas were dis- j cussed, and demanded either that the ! pumpmen should return to work or a com- j promise be accepted by which the miners | should guarantee not to molest volunteer pumpmen. ! The .Miners' Federation resisted the compromise despite pressure of the leaders i of the railwaymen and transport workers, ; bat eventually accepted, realising that there was dissension among the rank and tile of railway-men and transport workers regarding a sympathetic strike, and a 1 flanser of the strike collapsing owing to hundreds of thousands of unemployed being anxious for work. Mr. J. H. Thomas, secretary of the National Union of Railwaymen, and Mr. , Harry Gosling, president of the Transport Workers' Federation, the leaders of the moderate wing of the Triple Alliance, had their case strengthened by the disclosure of the Government scheme, which provides for a settlement of 1 the coalminers' wages on a national . basis. The Government will subsidise tho p>oorer areas in order to bring i wages there up to the national standard, J ■which will be less /drastically reduced than the owners, propose. These subsidies j will be regarded as temporary assistance 1 to tide over bad times. ! Mr. J. H. Thomas, in an interview. ' said that the resumption of negotiations was a triumph of common sense. The right atmosphere had been created, and it must be maintained. COST OF THE STRIKE. SEVEN MILLIONS A WEEK. £3,250,000 FOR DEFENCE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. '"Rood. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 10. It is estimated that the coalminers' strike is costing £15,750,000 a week, including £3,250.000 for defence measures. PITS IN JEOPARDY. SABOTAGE !N THE NORTH. A. and N.Z. LONDON, April 10. Water is rushing into the Glamorgam collieries at the rate of 3,000 gallons a minute. It is feared that the pits, which have the most up-to-date equipment in Britain, will be closed for ever. There is now only one pit in Fifeshire ■where pumping is proceeding. Hostile miners have compelled volunteers to desist m the others. Three armed and marked men bound and gagged two watchmen in a large store, formerly part of the aerodrome, at Ttrwnmoor, Newcastle, and then set fire to tho building, which was destroyed. iSeveral other incendiary fires occurred in Northumberland. One fire destroyed stacks of hay used for pit ponies. There were aii*.. several attempts to wreck telegraph wires. Peter Chambers, a miners' agent in Midlothian, and two miners have been arrested and charged with riotous behaviour at certain collieries. UNEMPLOYMENT PAY. 7 MINERS' APPEAL FAILS. A. and N Z LONDON, April 10. Ihe Miners' Federation appealed a/a;nst the decisions to withhold unemployment pay from the miners during the present stoppage. Sir John Simons, on behalf of the Federation, argued that the miners were unable to obtain suitable employment, in that the only offer was at a !"'>* t'.r rate of pay than that habitually obtained in their districts. r Gordon Ilewart, on behalf of the Ministry of La,l>oiir, said that no one f-Xf'-pt for controversial purposes could doi;!,t that a dispuit-e regarding wages is thn can: . of the stoppage. Clearly, this u trade dispute. ; Court disallowed the Federation's ciiura. CANADIAN LABOUR MOVE. BOYCOTT TO HELP MINERS. A and N.Z. MONTREAL. April 10. The executive of the Canadian Federation of the Trades and Labour Councils passed a resolution requesting the American Federation of Labour to urge all lump workers to refuse to mine coal for ax port to England, or for the use of Lngiish ahipa during tie British coal siaik©.