LABOUR IN BRITAIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19530, 13 July 1925, Page 7

LABOUR IN BRITAIN

THE MINERS’ DISPUTE, REFUSAL TO CONFER. Pre«» Association—By Telegraph—Copyright, LONDON, July 11. (Received July 12, at 5.5 p.m.) Mr Bridgeman (First Lord of the Admiralty) liae failed in his efforts to bring, tlie coal-owners and the miners together again. The miners told him that they were not prepared to confer unless the owners withdrew the notice terminating the national agreement and also their new proposals. Mr Bridgeman sounded the owners, who declined to withdraw the notice, but they were ‘agreeable to resume the negotiations at the point where they were left off. The Miners’ Federation finally intimated that as their reasonable request had been refused they would not agree to a conference. It is generally believed that the next step will be a “national inquiry into the condition of the industry.—A. and N.ZCable. The executive of the Miners’ Federation conferred for an hour with Mr Bridgeman, Sir A. Steel-Maitland, and Mr Q. R. Lane-Fox, to whom, ,it understood, they made it quite dear that it was absolutely impossible for the miners’ representatives to meet the coal-owners on the owners’ present proposals.—A. and N.Z. Cable. PROBABLE APPEAL TO UNIONISTS. LONDON, July 11. (Received July 12, at 5.5 p.m.) The Daily Herald states that after the conference with Mr Bridgeman the miners’ executive laid the men’s case before the General Council of the Trades Union Congress, Which later held a lengthy deliberation. The Herald understands that the council has resolved to appeal to the whole movement to support the miners.—A. and N.Z. Cable. TRADE UNIONS SUPPORT MINERS. FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS SUGGESTED. LONDON, July 11. (Received July 12, at 11.1 p.m.) The General Council of the Trade union Congress, after meeting the executive qf the Miners’ Federation, issued a manifesto endorsing the latter’s refusal to moot the coal-owners until the latter’s proposals are withdrawn, undertaking to co-operate wholeheartedly with the miners in their resistance to what they term the degradation of the standard of life. A committee was appointed to maintain continuous contact with the negotiations now proceeding, ‘with power to summon the general council if necessary. Mr Bridgeman. has sent a letter to the Coal-owners’ Federation saying that he has seen the president of the coal minors, who, while declining to withdraw the notices to terminate the agreement, recommended a continuance of the negotiations. The federation has replied regretting that the coal miners have refused a reasonable request —namely, the withdrawal of the notices. —Reuter. SPEECH BY MINERS’ SECRETARY. OBJECTION TO ROYALTIES. LONDON, July 12. (Received July 12, at 11.5 p.nj.) Mr Cook, the miners’ secretary, amid cheers, took off his coat when he addressed a meeting at Sutherland. He said his contention was that so long as a penny waa going in mining royalties they were not budging from their demands. If a struggle occurred it would be an international struggle. “Don’t let us destroy the pits,’’ he added. “They may be ours before long.—A. and N.Z. Cable.