TIE GOAL CRISIS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3512, 5 July 1921, Page 14

TIE GOAL CRISIS.

EARLY RESUMPTION OF WORK. LONDON, June zd. The coal miners and the coal owners have arrived at an agreement on the wages question, enabling work to be resumed on Monday, but they will meet Mr Lloyd George at 10 o'clock to-night regarding the Government’s £10.009,000 subsidy. In the House of Commons Mr W. C. Bridgeman (Secretary of Mines) stated that the coal imported into Great Britain since April 1 was as follows:—From America, 335,000 tons ; from France, 430,000 tons; from Belgium, 395,000 tons. GOVERNMENT’S CONDITIONS. LONDON, .Tune 27. The conference of miners and owners with Mr Lloyd George broke up at midnight, after two hours’ deliberation, without result. They will meet again this morning. Mr Llovd George is willing to grant a subsidy, bat insisted that the men return to work immediately and enter into an agreement to continue the present system for an indefinite period. The Miners' Executive took a most awkward view of the Government’s statement.—A. and N.Z. Cable. An official statement regarding the coal conference reports that Mr Evan Williams informed the Prime Minister that he had reached an agreement with the miners which he hoped would to-morrow be put into definite form with all differences settled, but without Government assistance they could not apply the agreement to actual practice. ’Therefore we associate ourselves with the miners, and ask the Government to reconsider the position regarding the subsidy of £10,000,000. It the Government will help till the end of ■September it is arranged that the period will begin on October 1, and run definitely for a year, subject thereafter to three months’ nolice, thus not terminating before December, 1922.’’ Mr Hodges confirmed the statement, and added, “to the quickest resumption of work we must have the clearest statement to place before our people. If the £10,000,000 is not restored the settlement outlined cannot be reached.’’ Mr Lloyd George said: “There is undoubtedly most serious opposition m Parliament to the reconsideration of the £10,000.000 subsidy. I cannot give an answer to-night. I require fuller information regarding wages and districts.” THE STRIKE SETTLED. LONDON, June 28. The coal strike has been settled. The miners have agreed to the Government’s terms, and will resume work immediately.

The Prime Minister will ask the House of Commons to grant the £IO,OOO,AGO subaid v. The Miners’ Executive has circularised the members of the various unions, saying : M e have provisionally agreed to the terms of the wages settlement. This responsible step of taking the power to negotiate after the recent ballot was due to our knowledge that the national pool could not be secured by a continuance oi the struggle. Every economic and political factor was badly against ns. This settlement represents the maximum that can he secured under the present circumstances, and is an improvement upon the terms which were submitted in the last ballot. When normal trade returns new principles will be embodied in the settlement to provide lor a more just method of fixing wages * ban we have ever had before in the industry. We strongly urge upon you to accept the agreement. The House of Commons was crowded when Mr Lloyd George announced the terms of the coal settlement. lie said that the demand for a pool was definitely abandoned. The executive had decided to recommend the men to resume on Mondav next. The Prime Minister said he thought that the arrangements would ensure peace for a very long period. The main feature of the permanent settlement was that it fixed a new system of remuneration, whereby the workmen would share the proceeds of the industry. Thus the men had a direct incentive to produce. Wages would form the first charge on the industry, and would not fall below 20 per cent, above the 1914 standard. For other costs of the industry the employer would take £l7 out of every £IOO paid to the workmen as standard wages, and the balance of the proceeds were to be divided in the proportion of £l7 to the owner and £33 to the workers. The settlement would last till December, 1922. It was then terminable on three months’ notice. In order to mitigate the severe fall of wages in some districts the Government proposed to offer the £10,000,000 subsidy. It was suggested that the reduction in July should not exceed 2s, in August 2s 6d, afid September 3s. Then the permanent arrangement would be m operation. The owners agreed to forgo profits for three months. Mr Lloyd George added that a National Board, comprising representatives of the owners and men, would be <r.:t up, aiso district boards, to decide controversies. He hoped that the settlement would create new relations between Capital and Labour. He believed that if the new system was worked in a spirit of goodwill it would more than repay the damage the. nation had suffered, and would open un a new era of co-operation. Mr Asquith said there was no reason why the principle of co-operation should not be extended. He supported the grant of £10,000,000. Mr J. R. Clynes (Labour) said that be approved of the scheme. REJECTED BY WIGAN MINERS. LONDON, June 29. Six thousand miners at Wigan (Lancashire) rejected the settlement proposals and instructed the delegates* to vote against their acceptance. The National Executive was described as traitors, who had surrendered to terms which mean slavery. LONDON, June 30. Tile miners of Staffordshire, Worcestershire, South Wales, and Leicestershire have accepted a settlement, although m several instances meetings denounced the executive for flouting the recent ballot. Lancashire, Cheshire, and Bristol districts rejected the terms. July 2. A meetin" of the Miners’ Executive, in view of the overwhelming vote favouring the acceptance of the terms, instructed the miners to resume without delay. The House of Commons passed a vote not to exceed £10,000,000 to assist the miners.