GOAL STRUGGLE

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10354, 28 September 1926, Page 5

GOAL STRUGGLE

SECOND EDITION

NO SETTLEMENT IN SIGHT OPENING OF PARLIAMENT. (Received 11.10 a.m.) Electric Telegraph—Press Association LONDON, September 27. In view of the seriousness of the coal crisis there was a large attendance of Ministers and members at the re-assembling of Parliament. Sir Joynson-Hicks presented His Majesty’s message, declaring a continuance of a state of emergen ?y. Both Mr M acdonald and Mr Ifiovd George demurred at Mr Baldwin’s motion giving Government business preference for the remainder of the session, the former expressing the hope there would be an election before the House was due to 'meet on 9th November. Furthermore, the outlook was that the House must meet a month heme to pass a further emergency resolution. Mr Baldwin’s motion was agreed by 237 to 122. Mr Baldwin,- speaking to the adjournment, traced the recent coal negotiations. He said the Parliamentary experience of last year had shown that interference with Parliament in the past had done unqualified harm by generating a feeling that however great the difficulties of an industry it was possible for Parliament to settle troubles of two sides. That might be possible in times of prosperity and rising markets, but it was impossible in times of difficulty. Speaking generally, the Government endeavoured to assume an attitude mediator by negotiation rather than direct partisapant. Labour cries: “Eight hours Act.” Mr Baldwin went on to say that the Samuel memorandum might have offered a basis of negotiation but it had .been rejected. Although the Government’s last proposals shared the fate of many others, the Government was perfectly willing they should stand for a short time. He would leave Mr Churchill to tell his own story. The owners declined to attend the tripartiti conference, wherein they had acted with stupidity, and want of courtesy to the Government. The Opposition should remember that Parliament could not make the owners own the pits or make the men go down. The result of the long stoppage had been that the ordinary business man had felt he must know where he was before lie could make contracts. They now want a settlement based on something firm, rather than what could be achieved by dialectic skill. After 21 weeks, the men had practically reached a point they could have reached at the beginning of the strike, which was one more proof of the lamentable folly of this method of trying to settle industrial disputes, which gave satisfaction to no one except a small minority, which hoped to thrive on unhappiness and misery.