BRITISH COAL MINES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21196, 29 November 1930, Page 13

BRITISH COAL MINES

A STOPPAGE IMPROBABLE. OUTLOOK MORE HOPEFUL. ' (British Official Wireless.) * (United Press Association;) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) RUGBY, November ,27. (Received Nov, 28, at 5.5 p.m.) It is widely anticipated , here that 'the threat of a. coal stoppage next week m the South Wales and Scottish, orca3 _ will be averted, as both -sides in' the dispute are stated to he hopeful.. The immediate problem is a solution in South Wales. The National Wages Board will to-day hear an appeal from this area, where owners posted notices of wage re-, ductions, to take effect on Monday. A conference of miners’ delegates will be held to-morrow, and it is suggested in some quarters that it will be asked to consider a proposal to acquiesc» in a spreadover of hours and ja. postponement Of the shorter working day until the marketing schemes are in operation. Meanwhile .the central council for the coal marketing scheme, on which the i coal- " owners in every producing district are represented, has met to determine the tonnage of production which will be allocated to every district for the first quari ter of 1931, and it'decided that, in view of the reduced demand for coal, the figures of the maximum output to be produced in various districts must bo dras-. tically reduced below those of the corresponding period of the present year. figures arc being communicated to the district executive boards so that allocations can be made by them among individual collieries. The agreement was reached without recourse to arbitration, a procedure for which the scheme provides. Miners in several coal districts, including Cumberland and North Wales, agreed on th» spreadover scheme, , and Lancashire is holding a ballot on the question to-mor-row.