THE COAL CRISIS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3511, 28 June 1921, Page 20

THE COAL CRISIS.

POLICE PROTECT SAFETY MEN. LONDON. June 22. The only development of the coal dispute ;'s the fixing of a joint conference for Saturday between the Miners’ Executive end the other trade unions threatened with wage cuts. The miners are not building much hope upon a general strike. It is more probable that an effort will be made to secure bigger financial support for the miners. Speaking at a mass meeting at Merthyr. Mr Noah Ablett advocated the withdrawing of the safety men from the mines to hasten the end of w hat will become a trial of endurance. Stocks of coal in the country will soon be exhausted. The miners would still win if they stuck together. Strikers tried to prevent toe safety men from working in a West Lothian mine today, but a detachment of Royal Scots was summoned, and escorted the safety men to the pits. Exciting scenes were witnessed at Hollybe: k colliery, in Staffordshire. Five hundred miners started to work, and a big body of strikers attempted to prevent them, but 100 police arrived and guarded the colliery, enabling the 500 to work unmolested, though they were subjected to hostile demonstrations when returning to their homes. Since the New Year 70,000.000 working days have been lost owing to Labour disputes. For the first time in the history of the industry in Great Britain, not a single blast furnace is operating. Normally 300 should be working. It will cost £SOOO to rekindle each furnace, so at least £1,000.000 must be expended to re-estab-lish the industry, in which 325.000 workmen are now idle. MYSTERIOUS SUPPLIES. LONDON, June 24. The engineers and transporters have declined to participate in a conference regarding a general strike, which is doomed. A patched coal peace is likely to Ire realised. The only practical question now is how to assist the leaders and persuade the miners to cut their losses. Meanwhile the railways are receiving mysterious extra supplies of coal, and are resuming many of their cut services. HOPE OF SETTLEMENT. LONDON, June 24. Owing to complete failure to secure support for a general strike or anything beyond vague expressions of sympathy from the other trade unions the miners to-day decided to again approach the owners and the Government with a view to arriving at a wages agreement they could recommend their members to accept. before this decision was made Mr Home, in the House of Commons, hinted that negotiations were recommencing and he added - that now there was a real chance of settlement. The owners and miners have agreed to meet on Monday. The miners anticipate that Government will compensate them for the abandonment of the national pool by a condition reinstating the £10,000,000 offer. It is believed in other circles that this question will not be allowed to obstruct a permanent settlement.