BRITISH COAL CRISIS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15317, 13 September 1920, Page 3

BRITISH COAL CRISIS.

THE BIG STRIKE MENACE

.Eltc. Ttl. Coy.UigUt— Unitert press Assa ■ ' LONDON L'opt. 10. ' ' _ Cir" Robert Home, m aix iisterview, deolared that a strike was inevitable if the miners refused to abate their demands, which «were unjust. The Govern-ment-was menaced by an ihdustdial ■strike for political reasons.— ißeater. i The Trade Union. Congress has- appointed a committee to investigate- Mr omillie's charge i;i regai'd to bartering ,vote» between unions for candidates to the Trade Unions' 'Parliamentary Committee, which is looked Upon as Labor's I Cabinet. The. miners' candidate failed ; to get elected to last years committee I because of strong opposition to their agitation in' favor of direct action for political -ends. . ■ I The Trade; Union. Congress haa closed^ Mr THomas was head of . the Hat m the ; election of a Parliann|entai'y committee j while it is significant that Mr Smillie' who was not a member- of the old committee, was elected by . a big vote. Mr Thomas, mi his closing speech, emphasised'• the aieed for trade union unity irt view of the difficulties of the next few weeks. They must not allow prejudico or bias to influence their decisions. They were not enemies of their country. , They loved their country, ' but the country could ' not be made" great and happy by bloodshed on the battle-' field. That was best attained by giving comfort to cottage homes. Buiing the next few weeks every word and action should be thought out. Whilst 1 they were determined to do justice to their own; class/ they were equally determined to keep m mipd the -interests of the whole community. • •-. LONDON. Sept. 12. Mr C. A. McOurdy states* that while a strike m a great key industry like coal mining must lead to hardship, he was satisfied that giyen the loynl co-opera-tion of the community aiid a general determination to maintain civil order, the arrangements made will secure to the country adequate, if restricted supplies of food. ' '. ' ■

The News of the World and the Sunday Times urges the summonimg of Parliament m view^ol tho coal crisis. 'i!he miners', strike notices have been sent m, but a substantial percent<age of the Rhymney Valley withheld their notices, while considerable hesitation and indifference are shown m Yorkshire, and parts of Northiunberland.

Hopes are now centred' ire the miners' executive meeting m, London on Tuesday.

OTTAWA, Sepfe 12. According to a message from Calgai'y, the One Big Union convention received a-- cablegram from Mr Robert Smillie, demanding' simultaneous action with the English miners to bring about a general strike' on September 28. The convention iwiil appoint a 001111011 to consider the matter.

Both the Alberta amd the Nova Scotia miners have been advised regarding Mr Smillie's message. — A. .and rJ.Z.C.A. .:

criticism; by labor paper. . ; LONDON, Sept. 11; The Labor newspaper: Democrat, edited by Mr Appleton, secretary of the G,en- ; eral Federation of Trade Unions, states: "It is' not fair for Mr Thomas to say! that trusts and combinations of capital formed m self-defence should hot, exist to tlie prejudice of the public whehi vast Combinations of Labor, originally formed for self-defence, are rapidly becQmihig predatory bodies, making life impossible for. the rest of us. It is oaily , necessary to notice the number of strikes and the number of would-be producers who are, unable to produce becatise those im^' mediately m front or b^ehind .them;, have ceased work, m order to realise that Labor itself has. become a very serious menace to those sections of the workers who would work if given the chance. It is only necessary to listem to the. wild talk going on,. the threats of revolution and Socialisation, threats of anything and .everything except settling; dowm to work, to realise who has really stood m the i\vay of production at this critical time." .

Messrs Bromley and^ Williams and other delegates at the Trade Union Congress* have attacked^ Atr, Appleton, accusing him of scurrilous; abuse of the wage movement, persjstent attacks on the Triple Alliance, and vilification of Mr Smillie.— A. and N.Z.C.A;