THE GREAT COAL STRIKE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12707, 9 March 1912, Page 3

THE GREAT COAL STRIKE

RIOTS IN MIDLOTHIAN. INCREASED PRIOEI OF BREAD. (Press Assn. — By Telegraph. — Cppyrlght.) LONDON, March 8. Foul' hundred thousand men connected with industries other than the collieries are idle. The strikers wrecked the buildings and burned the engine-house 6i the Tobrax colliery, Midlothian, where a few non-unionists were working. ; ' , There has been a general rise in the price of bread. The delay and disappointment over the Argentine crop was a controlling cause, but the coal strike hastened the decision to l'aise prices. The coal v exported in February, in view of the threatened strike, was 628,---655 tons above the export of February last. There is no appreciable change in the strike. The miners' executive will not yield without instructions from the National Conferences. The summoning of the Scottish owners' and the men's representatives to confer with the Premier is regarded optimistically. The Premier, in the House of Commons, stated that the exigencies of the situation were such as not to make Parliamentary discussion desirable. The Industrial Council, owing to the resumption of the Government negotiations, has suspended its meetings until Tuesday. It is reported at Cardiff that some of the leading South Wales owners, hitherto restrained by the extreme pressure of the "no-surrenders," will break away to join the English owners in a • settlement as to terms. (Received March 9, 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, March 8. Tt is significant that a. conference of coal-mine owners from all parts of the country has been convened at the Premier's invitation. . One <Sf ths features of the strike has been the small part played by the Parliamentary iJabov party. The Mayor of Stoke on Trent declares, that he is unable to cope with 'the distress, as 80,000 children are affected, and £140,000 weekly in. wages has Ixwm withdrawn. ' V' (Received March 9, 12.20 p.m.) LONDON, March 8. Mr McKenna has conferred with t.h« railway managers regarding the protection of property.