STATE OFFER TO MINERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19453, 8 October 1926, Page 11

STATE OFFER TO MINERS.

ISSUE WITH DISTRICTS.

WITHDRAWAL IF REJECTED. m. BALDWIN DEFINITE. MEN TO MEET AGAIN. 'APPEAL BY ARCHBISHOP. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received 8.55 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON. Oct. 6. The miners' delegates will again meet in conference to-morrow, when they will Tocoivo the results of the. district voting upon tho Government's proposals for a settlement, of the coalmining dispute. In view of the conference the Prime "Minister, Mr. Stanley Baldwin, has written to the general secretary of the Miners' Federation, Air. A. J. Cook, pointing out that the Government has already extended tho time limit for tho acceptance of its proposals and cannot make a further extension. Consequently, says Mr. Baldwin, tomorrow's conference must accept or reject the proposals. If they are rejected they must be regarded as having been •withdrawn. Refusal of the Offer Expected. Mr. Baldwiu's ultimatum is not only connected with the conference of miners' delegates to-morrow, but also with a conference of the Conservative Party, which is being held at Scarborough. The Primo Minister is to address the latter to-mor-row evening. Mr. Baldwin is aware of tho growing disfavour among Conservatives of Government, intervention in industrial disputes and he wants to know where he stands with regard to the miners. Tho general expectation is that to-mor-row's conference of miners' delegates will not be conclusive, which will mean the total withdrawal of the Government's offer and the gradual dribbling back of tlio men to work under the best local settlements possible. The, executive of the Miners' Federation, realising the hopelessness of the struggle, may suggest the taking of a ballot over the whole of the coalfields, and it may in the meanwhile ask the Government to extend its offer for a fortnight. Responsibility of the Citizens. In the. coarse of an address to a diocesan conference tho Archbishop of Can terbnrv referred to the deadlock. He said "Are we simply to form a ring and stand helplessly around it, hoping that the combatants will come to terms? Or have all of us, as citizens of a country of which ccal is the key industry, an inevitable share in the responsibility ? "Let no man say without challenge that industrial problems can safely be left to experts and the play of economic forces.' Those who feel keenly that moral principles are involved in such disputes have a keen watch to keep and p. relevant opinion to express. This is the. first occasion on which the Archbishop of Canterbury has intervened since the general strike. Commenting on the statement of the Archbishop' Mr. Cook said he welcomed his utterance. A negotiated peace would be better in the country's interest than terms enforced by coercion and starvation. The proposals of the British Government, which tho district mining associations were asked to vote upon, were made on September 17- Broadly they were that district settlements should be combined with national supervision. "If tho miners are at last ready to face the economic facts and to resume work under provisional district settlements, said Mr. Baldwin at the time, "the Government ia prepared to introduce legislation to ensure these principles being properly applied by a National Appeal Tribunal. It is necesary to say that this, offer is made out of a sincere desire to arrive at an early settlement of the dispute. The Government expects a decision to be made ivithout delay." Accompanying tho letter was a memorandum which explained that a National Arbitration Tribunal would bo established when work generally had been resumed under provisional settlements. Any settlement which provided for longer hours might, bo reviewed by the tribunal if it consisted of matter which formerly would have been dealt with under a national seut.ement. Since the offer of the Government was made the Miners' Federation has been considering a partial return to work by the minors in the better paid districts in order that funds might be available for carrying on the strike elsewhere. Speaking at Kadstock, Somerset, on September 26. Mr. Cook said: "Wo have got to face a compromise now. We must stand four-square and t;o back together. Mr. Baldwin then wrote to Mr. Cook statins that ho and tho Cabinet Coal Committee were giving their earnest attention to the miners' latest proposals. These were: An immediate return to work for three months at reduced wages whilo an Arbitration Board, with an independent chairman, assessed the value of the reform under the report of the Coal Commission and decided on the ultimate wages to he paid to the men in the different districts. The men demanded tho retention of the seven-hours dav. V[r. Baldwin said that while recognising the advance contained in these proposals. the Government did not feel that it, could afford this means for an earlyarid lasting settlement. fhe Government, therefore, was not prepared t.o fro beyond its proposals of September 17, wb cb could not remain open indefinitely. Tlie federation was still free to avail itself of those proposals, however, by ordering district negotiations to be opened, subject to review by an independent tribunal. Mr. Cook made a statement to the effect, that )hf>, executive of the federation would consider Mr. Baldwin's letter in the following week. 1 his it did and it decided to leave the issue to the districts.