MINERS' CRISIS.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 September 1920, Page 5

MINERS' CRISIS.

COMING TO A DECISION, RESULT PROBABLE TO-DAY. By Telepaph.—Press Assn.—CopjTigtt. 1 Received Sept. 21, 7.20 p.m. > London, Sept. 20. After Sir Robert Home (President of the Board of Trade) had unavailingly appealed to the miners' representatives at the cflal conference to accept an impartial tribunal with reference to wages, the miners' executive met privately, but dispersed' without again meeting. Sir Robert Home, wticj was waiting, assumed that the whole matter would be placed before a national conference of miners' delegates at a meeting in London to-morrow, when the executive would put upon the delegates the responsibility of deciding on their future action.—Reuter Service.

AN IMPROVED OUTUSOK. WELSH MINERS COMPLICATE MATTERS. Received Sept. 21, 5.5 p.m. * London, Sept. 20. It is expected the conciliatory tone of the week-end meetings Will strengthen the hands of those working for peace in the coal crisis. It i 3 known that a number of the leaders favor the Government's final offer being submitted to a further ballot of the men.. Sixty thousand Rhondda raiders protested against the national executive dropping the price of coal demand, and instructed their delegates not to participate in conferences pending a South Wales meeting to decide the course to be adopted. The Mid-Rhondda. railwaymen rescinded a resolution pledging their support to the miners, owing to the abandonment of this demand, which involved a reduction in the price ol household coal by 14s 2d.

. Mr. Brace has written that it was impossible to go forward with the full demand, in view of the great fall in the output for the June quarter. Mr. Brace asks, the miners to give the executive fair "play.—Aus.-N.Z/ Cable Assn.

, A FATEFUL ,TIME. •'STRIKE QUICKLY AND WIN" ... London, Sept. 20. The foal situation did not change during the week-end, but the next few days will be charged with most fateful consequences for the country, whose economic life is threatened by a shattering Wow, involving inevitable destitution and misery for millions. In some quarters hopefulness is expressed; based on the reported readiness of the Government to provide a ..rush court of inquiry to investigate and report upon the wage -advance in a few days. These quarters declare that Sundays meetings in the milling districts indicated that the men were not anxious to strike and it is admitted that the publie generally is agiainst the milters. On the other hand the meetings showed that the men will support their leaders. To-day's resumed conference between Sir Robert Home and the miners' leaders is regarded as most critical and as the key to the situation. To-morrow there will meet ill London a national conference of the miners' leaders to decide the question of a strike at the end of the week, while on Wednesday the railwaymen and transport workers will meet to determine their attitude in the event of a strike.

A dangerous factor as regards the railwsymen ia_ a widespread belief that their union funds will be as hard hit by the miners' strike, owing to unemployment doles, as if the 'railwsymen struck themselves and the fund carried strike pay. Consequently, this is encouraging the leaders to say "Let's strike it over quickly and win."

Meanwhile it is authoritatively declared that the Government will not depart from its present policy, namely, that arbitration and inquiry must precede any grant of increased wages, although slight modifications in- detail are possible.—Reuter.