COAL DISPUTE.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9980, 10 July 1925, Page 5

COAL DISPUTE.

BRITAIN'S OUTLOOK APPEAL TO PUBLIC OPINION. Electric Telegraph—Press Association LONDON, July 9. It is understood that if no settlement of the coal dispute is reached very shortly, Mi- N. E. Bridgeman, on behalf of the Government will ask the owners and miners to meet him. This failing, the Government will refer the wages question i to an industrial court of inquiry, in order to inform the public of the respective view-points. INTERNATIONAL ACTION. LONDON, July 8. The executive of the International Miners’ Federation, in concluding its session in London after a discussion on the world-wide coal crisis, decided to call a further meeting of the committee in Paris on July 28 to decide a form of joint internationail action if settlement was not reached of the disputes in the various countries.

In the Commons, in reply to a question, Mr Baldwin stated that he was not considering granting a subsidy for the coal export trade. In replying to a communication from the president of the Mining Association, Mr Herbert Smith, of the Miners’ Federation, expressed the belief that no good pur [nose would be served by the respective sub-committee meeting on the mine owners’ proposals prion to the annual conference of the Federation next week, inasmuch as the Federation had already indicated there •was no room for negotiations there silent.

UNEMPLOYED ARMY GROWING.

LONDON, July 8. In the House of Commons, in. the debate an the Ministry of Labour estimates, Mr V. Hartshorm drew attention to the fact that whereas there were 38,000 unemployed in the mining industry last year, there were 301,000 last month. He contended that the industry must be efficiently equipped and organised. Mr G. R. Lane-Fox, in replying, quoted figrires in support of his contention that the level of efficiency was very high, because, although the wage per shift in Germany averaged eighty-one pence, compared -,with 128 pence in Britain, the pitiead costs were 208 and 226 pence •respectively. The cessation of almost cut-throat competition was necessary, specially in the export trade.