CAMBRIAN COAL STRIKE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7448, 24 May 1911, Page 7

CAMBRIAN COAL STRIKE

SECTION OF MEN MAY REPUDIATE AGREEMENT. By Telegraph—-Press Association—Copyright (Received May 23, 10 p.m.) LONDON, May 23. A minority of tho Council of tho South Wales Minors’ Federation has declined to recommend the Cambrian miners to accept the agreement arrived at last week with the owners.. Delegates from all parts of tho coalfield meet to consider the agreement on Saturday. If the agreement be rejected, contrary to tho advice of tho Miners’ Federation of Great Britain, tho latter may -withhold its weekly contribution of £3OOO to tho strike funds.

AN APPEAL FOR AID. Already the strike has cost the men over £2.250,0C0 in waues lost. Mr Keir Hardic, M.P. for Merthyr Tydvil, has written tho following letter to Mr D. McLaren, M.P., appealing *for funds to relieve the distress. ’The letter, under date April 13th, is a-s follows: "As you are doubtless aware 12.000 miners have been on strike in the Rhondda Valley. South Wales, since September last. Tho dispute arose originally over the cutting price to be paid for a new seam, which is being opened up. Tho men were ■prepared to have the point settled by an outside arbitrator, and the offer is still open. But the employers, knowing doubtless tho weakness of their case, refuse this, and so the diepnte goes on, and so far as can be -seen at present is likely to continue for some considerable time. As you can well believe there is a good deal of suffering. Nearly all the underground men are in the union, and are receiving strike pay, but this only provides very meagre fare, and there are a good many hundreds of various kinds of email officials and others who are not even in receipt of this. Relief funds have boon opened so as. to insure that the women and children of the non-union men as well as the union men shall not go hungry, and the committee have authorised me to make an appeal to the miners of New Zealand, Australia. and South Africa on their behalf. This I now make, a v nd trust the response may be prompt, as the need is great. Monoy-s may be sent bv cable addressed to me at tho Holise of Commons,- and will bo forwarded to tho relief fund treasurer immediately on receipt.” In compliance with this request Mr McLaren has sent to Mr J. Glover, secretary of tho New Zealand Federation of Labour, a copy of the above letter (three copies were sent out). Mr McLaren sugg«e«tfc that Mr Glover might send a copy to all the unions in the federation, and trusts he will be sucooeeful in procuring support from its members on behalf of ’'this very just cause.” Mr McLaren has also for* warded a copy to Mr James Young, eeofotary of the New Zealand Federation of Labour (Trades and Labour Councils), tad urges him to use all his powers in pushing tho matter. In conversation with a "Now Zealand Times” reporter Mr McLaren eta-ted that all the unions which are not affiliated to either of the above federations will be communicated with subsequently, so that th<o arvpeal will go to the whole of the organised workers throughout the country. "I think it is most likely also that tho members of tho general public will be glad to contribute to this relief fund, and I personally shall be glad to receive any donations and bav© them remitted .to Mr Hardic*” said Mr McLaren.