BRITISH COAL STRIKE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19906, 28 September 1926, Page 11

BRITISH COAL STRIKE.

THE NATION’S BILE. WIDENING CIRCLE OF INJURY. (From Oje Own Correspondent.) LONDON, July 30. Some startling figures showing the losses caused by the coal strike and the general strike were given by Mr Walter Kunciman in the House of Commons during the final stapes o£ the Budget debate. His figures were as follow; Loss. Miners’ wages £25,000,000 Other workers’ wages . . .. 10,000,000 “Big heavy” industries, home and exports 46,000,000 Manufactured goods, exports 17.500,000 Manufactured goods, home .. 20,000,000 Shijjping trade 700,000 Total loss £119,200,000 He estimated the losses caused by the general strike at another £30,000,000. Colonel .uane-Fox, Secretary to the Mines Department, said that 1,345,000 tons of foreign coal were imported between July 1 and July 17. He estimated that the' railways have lost £2,000,000 —a smaller sum than was nticipated. There has been an almost sensational fall of nearly £10,000,000 in the pig iron and steel trades. Exports of cottons dropped £7,700,000, woollens £1,600,000, and other textiles £250,000. The amount of shipping tonnage laid up has alpi° st doubled. “All this,” he said, “affects an everwidening circle of other industries. The losses will become greater as the stoppage continues.” CAPACITY OF BRITISH INDUSTRY. Against this, more hopefully, but leaving the contrast to make its own effect, he set the picture of the commercial community—the reat manufacturers and their foreign salesmen eager to engage, in the trade of supplying the world. No one who made a survey of British industry could doubt its capacity. “There are up-to-date and skilful,, methods of salesmanship to sell the products of up-to-date machinery,” he stated. “Engineering skill and ingenuity are rapidly increasing. Britain makes the finest mining machnery and the finest textile machinery, and some of the best motor engines are built independently of foreign invention.” Mr Ronald M'Neill, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, referred to Mr Runciman’s analysis as one which left the doubt whether it was under-estimated rather than over-estimated. He recalled Mr Churchill’s former declaration that if the stoppage lasted 12 or 14 weeks it would probably take the country two or : three years to recover.