STATE AND THE COAL CRISIS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19502, 4 December 1926, Page 11

STATE AND THE COAL CRISIS

LABOUR PARTY CRITICS. MOTION TO BE DEBATED. THE EMERGENCY REGULATIONS. CESSATION" DECIDED UPON. By Telegraph—l?re3s Association —Copyright. (Received 5.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON. Dec. 2. The Home Secretary, Sir William Jovnson-Hicks, announced in the House of Commons to-day thaf the emergency regulations, except those which prevent the export of coal, will be lifted at- midnight. The Prime Minister, Mr. Stanley Baldwin, announced that Wednesday next will be set apart for the Labour Party's censure motion on the coal crisis. This motion complains of the disregard of the findings of the Coal Commission, the Ministry's alleged partiality to the mine-owners and the imposition by the owners of terms which are characterised as harsh, and the only remedy for which, Labour considers, consists in the nationali sation of the coalmining industry. COOK GOES TO MOSCOW. EXPLANATION OF DEFEAT. TRADES UNIONS BLAMED. A. and N.Z. LONDON. Dec. 2. The general secretary of the Miners' Federation, Mi*. A. J. Cook, left London to-day for Moscow. In an interview with a representative of the Daily Express he said: " The Russisms want answers to various questions. I shall tell them exactly what I know, namely, that the defeat of the miners was due to the policy of the Trades Union Congress, firstly in calling off the general strike, secondly in refusing to enforce the embargo on foreign coal, and, finally, in leaving the miners to fight alone. " I shall tell them in Russia that the inaction and opposition of British trades union leaders, particularly Messrs. J. Bromley and H. Thomas, M.P.'s, prevented a levy being made on the earnings of workeirs Russia will regard the absence of a delegate from the Trades Union Congress as a rebuff to Russian workers. " Nevertheless, I shall tell Russia that in spite of Britain's trade union leaders the rank and file are heart and sou! Russians; also that the increased bitterness of the British Government is due to the fact that. £1,250,000 was sent to England by Russia."