SOUTH WALES OWNERS AND THE ACT

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13381, 2 April 1912, Page 5

SOUTH WALES OWNERS AND THE ACT

PROGRESS OF THE BALLOTS.

RESUMPTION OF WOFK ADVO-

CATED

London, March 31. The South Wales owners at a meeting declared that the Minimum Wage Act was unsatisfactory both to tho owners and tho miners. Mr J. Wilson, M. P. (L.) speaking at Durham, said that the Act had given the miners all they asked for at February's ballot, and a duty to families and cognate trades demanded a resumption forthwith. Delegates representing 30,000 miners at Rhondda Valley advised resumption. The speakers criticised tho Federation for not giving a definite load. ; The Lancashire ballots are xmfavour- j ablo to resumption. Mr F. Wall, M.P., speaking at Doncast&iy said that tho men had not sought tho Act—-it was forced on'tTiom. He regretted somo had resumed instead of waiting for a complete statement. Tho minors' conference at Glasgow recommended a return to work. The Lothian Miners' Federation resolved not to resume until tho Wages Board settled the minimum rate for the respective, districts. The troops on some of tho coalfields are fraternising with the strikers. A football match was played at Cannock Chaso between soldiers and miners. The soldiers at Brynkinalla subscribed £'20 for tho widow of a miner killed at Chirk. The "Statist" estimates that the Act will lower the price of cud by forcing tho introduction of scient^ic mining. Mr Robert Blatchford, w Viting in tho "Clarion," opposes Tom MAjin's ideas. He urges the miners to give no provocation, and says that they can fight within the law and whi.

Mr Keir-Hardie, speaking at Leicester, said ho hoped that the next strike would be for the nationalisation of the- mines.