The Timaru Herald SATURDAY, MAY 1, 1926. THE MINING CRISIS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 1 May 1926, Page 8

The Timaru Herald SATURDAY, MAY 1, 1926. THE MINING CRISIS.

‘.‘lf- I may pul. the Govennnenf.s answer to the Coal Com miss inn’s report, .in a sentence,'" said the I’lhnei Minister, “it is that, we accept the report provided that the other two parties do so." Nearly six weeks Jiavo hern occupied in more or less secret nef>’o tin lions, but the eleventh hour finds the parties still engaged iu what gives e'-'ery appearance l of being the most fateful discussion in recent industrial developments. The last day shift lias gone down the mines; by the time they rcthin the die will be cast for peace or for war. From the outset Mr (Baldwin has made it plain lliat while the conclusions I 'cached by the Commission; do not. in ail respects accord "'with the *, iews held by the Government, and some of the recommendations contain proposals to which taken by themselves, the Government are known to-be opposed. Nerertheless, in face of the unanimous report of the Commission ami for the sake of a general Kolfiemeut, the Government for their part is prepared'. To undertake such measures as may be required of the Stale tr> give the recommendations. .effect, provided that tlro.se engaged in this 'industry----with whom the decision primarily rests—agree to accept the report and to carry, on the industry on' the basis of .its. recommend a. thins. It is interesting to enumerate at’ this juncture llio outstandiug : recommendations of the It ova l Commission: No subsidy after .April 30. .'lt ■should never be repealed. Seven-lmur-day to remain. deduction ol the minimum percentage addition to .standard wage's fixed in 1924. Tl iis is csscur.ial to prevent “impending disaster.’.' Owners must look to reorganisation and improved method's for profits which .suggested reduction in minimum percentage'cannot give. Revision of method of nscerraining proceeds of industry, pniLieularly in regard to price of coal. National agreements with varying district rates as at present. _ Future of the industry.--AYliiie the above deal ' with, the immediate jiroblem before "the industry, the Commission looks to complete reorganisation- for the return to prosperity. ' ' .

. Both nationalisation (the miners' remedy) and lengthier, hours and less wages, (the . owners’ suggestions) are rejected. It is urged that:. Coal rights and mineral rights should be acquired by the State and administered by a Coal Commission. (hosing of. certain pits seems inevitable. Amalgamation of many -mines is desirable and - practicable, but there .should be no compulsory amalgamation. ' Government should have plans prepared to assist necessary transfer of labour on a considerable scale. . Reform in coal distribution is necessary, and co-operative .selling . agencies should be set up—especially in export trade: Local authorities should be empowered to engage in retail .sale of coal. Family allowance system.—Sweepug changes in the relations between owners and men and in the miners’ welfare are advocated. The recommendations include : Pit committees to be established go no rally. Family allowance system introduced. Profit-sharing schemes. General establishment of ail.-hcad • baths and provision for housing. Annual holidays with pay “when p ros pe ri ty returns.” The Commission strongly urges State aid to experiments, oil - a commercial scale, in low temperature carbonisation; and the co-ordination or the Government’s electricity scheme with the generation■ of electricity at the mines, under the control of a Fuel and Power Commission. The Commission's report- is unanimous.

Altium«'h many of- ibe CotmiiL:sion's rccoinimMulation savour of t’ae- tin’ll cud of tko wi'il.c , o of •Socialism, and arc op-p.oseil mi principle, by the majority ‘.f llio (jovei miumt’s. suppoi’l-ers, Ah' Baldwin has intimated that Cabined, is ]>iojxiied to moot the vital needs of the liour l:y making- a considerable com])iomisc. ALoicover, the. (lovemmont has undertaken to ex toad the subsidy for a lew days iinr.d any now aiTangemenis that might bo concluded, can bo brought into operation. bo •a . .-kesmeu of (lie miners Imve ];crs!stcntly maintained since the publication of the report,- nearly six weeks ago, that, the se-com-mendations of the Commission do not. piovuie any sort, of solution of the coal problem; and the iepo:l, it is alleged, “docs rot carry us very tar in what is. fundamental namely the standard ol hie. of the miners , hemselves.' It is also urged that, many miners have been on starvation wagers long- enough—their standard, of life cannot he further depressed. To ■educe wages fm 1 her will :ma ko it an impossibilitv |<>r miners to live.” YCI lieli is all very true- as far as many districts are concerned The cable messages this morning’. however, give, a gloomy touch to a menacing- situation, and it is not easy to look beneath tim surface'. It is nevei t he less most, depressing’ to learn that mi the. last day of the coal subsidy, a conference of delegates in Loudon recommended a strike, of forty thousand men in London migmeeiing trades to enforce a demand for a wage increase of if per week. Ls there- collusion ? it so, .Britain is on the eve of a declaration of war on the community, in which multitudes of workers will be involved. . The decision of the engineering’ trade to go on strike is deeply significant. since if might be discovered that, the breakdown of the coal negotiations lias been njitieij'.itcd, and will be seized upon by the well organised ims.ls of workers who are being’ led-into wan ing .upon the community at 1 l>e instigation of the dupes of Atos cow. The next few boms are

heavy wills Laic, and within a day or so tliei'C may come a clai ion call io it 11 true cit Rons m the Homeland who love-' 1 hen country, lo participate in the defence ol British inieiests against the machinations ol nos<j‘i tided and unscrupulous plotters.