SITUATION IN RUHR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18298, 15 January 1923, Page 7

SITUATION IN RUHR.

». ECONOMIC DUEL. p;//-"- ■•:■.-' ..•■';■: /.r\->; ; , :/:.;■:•: •,/•;/: ;■-.;.- ; I * _*. . r INDUSTRIALISTS' TACTICS. CONFERENCE DECLINED. . COAL DELIVERIES STOPPED. DEARTH OF FUEL AT HAND. FRENCH ISSUE WARNING By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. ,• -. (Received 4.5- p.m.) •' A. and N.Z. / LONDON. Jan. 13 General '. Simon, commanding the French troops in occupation of the Dusseldorf bridgehead, instructed the German authorities to summon the heads of Krupp's and Thyssen's works, . Herr Kierdorf and other leading industrialists to a conference at either Dusseldorf. or Essen in order to discuss the methods of carrying on industry in the Ruhr. The authorities replied that they would . v communicate with the Coal Syndicate. ■". .---whose/headquarters; had been -removed.; ... ' ; Tile- firms xeadiiy responded, but refusedto send their chiefs, appointing as their representatives the Mayors of Essen and Dusseldorf. ''Allied.: engineers were; also present. The Berlin of the Morning Post states that when the German industrialists and coal-owners did not appear at the meeting, which was held at Essen, General Devigncs addressed , the Germans present and said that unless the mines proceeded forthwith with deliveries of coal for all parts of Germany, including the unoccupied territory,: .sanctions ■would.be imposed. ;,.,... The correspondent adds that this means that in a few days -the mines wilt be, unable to pay wages unless the French commission decides to pay the - miners itself. Herr Stinnes, Herr Thyssen, and - other German industrialists are trying to ~ checkmate the French commission by iL applying to English, coal-owners for a coal Mm credit to enable. Germany to be. independ- J WM. ent of - Ruhr, coal.. * - • j "'"; Other advices from Berlin state that : vwithin a/week the whole stocks of coal in v '■:/■' Germany -will 'be. exhausted if; the Ruhr supplies are stopped. Hundreds ofthousands of workers will /bo.:, thrown on* of .'■ employment; • The -.-workers, in the Ruhr V region are spending lavishly Owing to the '■'••'.' rapid fall /in value of ■the mark.;,; ./At . Krupp's works 40,0Q0 . workers continue at their posts. • - ■■;.:■} " : c ; '"-..•' The price of 'German coal is being increased immediately by 50 per cent., and * miners'wages by aboaV per cent. ;,_/,/;■ ■■''■''■'■ ;'■' ; The railwayman in the Ruhr region are -.'.: joining the strike ; thai; has : been decided '■''..; ■upon for Monday next as a protest against ..'the French action. All ; :-tlie employers are "... suußOrting the workers in this method of ■ .making a protest. - The Mayeuce correspondent of the Echo .' de '.-states, that : Herr Thyssen, declares that the action of. the Coal Syndicate in - , . ' removing its headquarters to' Hamburg was ' '"■ ';. taken with: the approval of the German Government.' '. '~.,/ • /■ 1 The Berlin correspondents of the Petit *,'- Vparisien states that the : Germs*! Cabinet. ;-'"'; ordered -the Coal Syndicate-to';cease: coal deliveries .on account -of ■ reparations.\ : .. . A; member, of the syndicate states that there has been a . notable decrease in the output of : coal, and a- dearth of fuel .in, } Germany must 'be expected. It- is prob- , able that -there will' be large importations - : ci coal from England. , -. , .■,■-..•■ '" . ■':-. The Ammonia Syndicate, following the '•■; example of the CoafoSyndicate,: has transferred its , ' ; headquarters from Bochum to Hamburg. •,■'-.,,''•'• It is reported that the banks carrying ■/■■ on business in the Ruhr region have followed the example of the coal companies, and have'.rushed;off,' taking: their, deposits '. .','■ with them. -.-. - . ' ■ ' . .;.. Owing to the French occupation of,: the Ruhr region '/ the agricultural;, districts;-, of . Hanover are crowded with agents buying : .;■;/.-' * Tip cattle,-butter^and milk: forthe- newly- ■-. occupied area' on such a scale • that: the '■;■■• supply. for'cGivman towns is endangered.: , !AERAN(MM^ RESUMED > DELIVERIES. " pi FRANCO-GERMAN CONTROL. £& Australian and: N'.Z. Cable" Association. ■« '■ (Heed. 12.30 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 13. :.' Accdromg' to reports : from v-Ttsseii Germany Has agreed to resume • coal deliveries ; under tentative arrangements controlled by a rrancb-German Commission." ... ': : '/ '■■ A ..Cologne correspondent says that the inter-Allied Bhirieiand "■Commission decided not to prohibit/a- /half-hour strike in tTie occupied territory on January 76 because it. is ; purely* a mourning obser- '■..;: : vance. This is; the . first time the -com. Mission has waived its anti-strike ordinance. .-■■'•-■ - " : The -:V<.hyae..'ts . states ■■-.; tii.it a --'French.--- . fag hoisted -by the occupyTng- troops on . a steeple was torn down by a crowd. The : burgomaster apologised- to v/ the .French' commander. '•- • ' ' >• ~ BRITISH MINERS PROTECT. EFFECT ON COAL INDUSTRY. LARGE ORDERS ' EXPECTED, Australian and N.Z V Cable Association..' (8ecd.4.5 p.m.) . LONDON, Jan. 13. The British Miners' federation has protested against the "French occupation of. the Ruhr region, believing that the world's, peace is threatened by this display of military force. It calls on the Al- . lied Governments to settle the reparation . question by arbitration under the League of. Rations. Meanwhile, \ the British Miners' Federation will keep in touch with the German miners in order that the facts of the Ruhr occupation may be made known to the world. British coalmine owners, anticipating ■ "'',■ an increase in orders from the Continent owing to .the dislocation of supplies from the Ruhr as a result of the French occupation, 'are considering a suggestion for . .... the miners to revert to an eight-hour day / : in .order to "meet'the new: demand. '-. * ; V-• EFFECT ON EXCHANGE. ■■. A'' STERLING STRENGTHENED. •/>•'"■:■ ■■'.Australian , and N.Z. Cable ;" Association. ... (Reed." 3.30 : i.;.m.) ,' NEW YORK, Jan, li '-; .-.■:.''-:'. The international, development if" any. . thing is strengthening sterling, .which oh . . Friday remained steady at 4 dollars 67., cents, after a jump of three cents during ' ' ' tha week. - - ■ -~; ;-r ... - : /- [■ - '-.;. _ r - , - -..•-:-. • /■--;- ■ ,; j v;:./-;-;^;li®;;;";::--;-::;;.;; 'v