The Timaru Herald MONDAY, MAY 3, 1926. THE COAL STRIKE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 3 May 1926, Page 8

The Timaru Herald MONDAY, MAY 3, 1926. THE COAL STRIKE.

A.l though 'l'lk*, coal conference has broken down and work lias ceased on the coalfields, hopes are yet cherished that a gigantic industrial upheaval will lie ; avoided and wiser counsels will | prevail- The rock on which the ' conference was wrecked was the question of hours of work in the mines. The owners insisted - on longer hours, but the miners urge that ample coal to- meet all requirements can bo secured in seven hours, while it i's unfair to ask..men to engage .. in . such clangorous, and laborious- ryork for more than, seven hours.daily. It cannot be said that Mr Baldwin has:failed in Ids'duty as tbe spokesman of ...the- nation. Froiiuthe. outset he has appealed for a. realisation, of the* sense of responsibility resting upon all parties. After, the earlier negotiations,. flier Prime Minister 1 issued the- following list of recommendations in the Commission's' -report, which ■ would require. Government- action: 1. Further hssi.stunc-c by Government in the investigation of processes of lou'-teinpemture carbonisation. 2. Establishment of a .National Fuel and Power Council. Provision for res’earcli to he largely extended by the industry with the support of tile State, y 1 ■i: 1 The promotion of desirable iirtinlgamation.s by provision for compulsory transfer of interests under existing leases where desirable amalgamations are prevented by the dissent of some of the parties or their unreasonable claims. I). State ptirchnse nf royalties. 1 6. Royalties to / contribute to the Welfare Fuhd. 7. Thp. granting of powers to local authorities to engage in the retail sale of c-oal. 8. A .standing Joint Committee of the Ministry of Transport amt Mines Department tV'promote measures to .secure the adoption of larger mineral wagons on the railways and a greater concentration of ownership of wagons. 9. Profit-sharing schemes providing for tbe distribution to the workmen of shares' in the colliery undertakings, to be made obligatory by statute. 10. The Government to make such modification in the J.-tw governing hours as the owners and men may | agree to. . 11. Government" to .facilitate the transfer of displaced labour and to provide funds for the purpose. 12.. c 'Cofi.sddrfatinVi to- be'-given- to the regulations governing- the qualification of mi lie managers.-. 13. Pithead- baths to, ho compulsory and to be*financed from .-the-Welfare Fund. ’ . - - 14.', Joint- Pit Committees to bo established ..gemerally. “If' I may jmt tbe whole in one sentence,” Mr Baldwin said inth.o Ilqiise of Commons on March 24, . “ife is that we accept, the uepoid, -provided- .that the other parties do so.”'Burin#; due, of the first, con versa tioiis with - the niiners, tlm .Prime Minister said: “The subsidy comes to an end on April 1 -MO. It must come to an end. But I recognise that in some districts if a. settlement is to be arrived at, the sacrifice tiiat may be required must be heavy, and if an agreement can be reached by May 1 I shall be willing to equsider what temporary assistance may be required to- case the position.’’ The Conference has failed, the coal subsidy has eomo.t-o an end, but Mr Baldwin has not given up hope. The fourteen points quoted above, if put into operation, would unquestionably make an immense advance towards an equitable solution of the coal problem. It is not to bo expected bat the mining industry can he ic-stored to former prosperity in a day, but it will be found that a return to prosperity must he made along the lines sug-g-ostod by the Coal Commission’s report, but whether the prize is won by constitutional methods or the settlement delayed by recourse to the barbaric weapon of a general strike, depends entirely on the leaders) representing the human, and material interests invoLved . in tho critical negotiations now being conducted"with the Prime Minister.

KATES OR 'PLAYING FIELDS. In view of tlie: avowed policy of the Eonnigh Council 10. provide and pmiiM'vo limitin'no- spams, .'•■ludi. aw jauk.Si and playing ''■l-mnid.s within tho borotH;!), ii;e retiiHal of tho Council, to-.help the South. Canlenbury Rugby 'Union in i is • la.ml a h le, (>,tfqrtst to’ eon vert tl’o Athletici Grounds into an up-to-date playing- {‘•round, and jhoyi.de . eotl‘iortiabh>' tippo-i n linents for patronsi of winter and summer games, haw come as a 1 ndc' shook to football and cricket enthusiasts. Mnirowr, the baling- is growing- that if tine Council is so bard-pressed lor revenue! that no rebate of ’ales can be given on genuine! playingfields, it would bc'i grossly inconsistent of the Mayor’ and Councillors to urgej tiu'i purchase of the Maori Reserve, which would add ve.-y materially lo the financial obligationsi.of the borough }>y way of interest, as well as increase the animal obligations of the Council to provide for the. improvement and maintenance of borough reserves and parks. It. may savour of heresy to say that if the choice must be made between the retention and improvement of the Athletic Giomuls as a playing area, or flie purchase and planting of the M.aoii Re ;erve as a jila.ee to leisure away a, few hours, that the majority of the. citizens would assuredly plump, for the former. ' If the finances, of the borough cannot, hear the strain of the small torsi of the revenue which the remission of the* rates on Urn Sou Hi Cant erbury KYigb.y Gniuu's grounds would involve, then the.- Mayor and Councillors have no right lo m ge the acquisition of another park which

would involve I'vq l'orouf>'lL in n per mini out. c>l tango (A*.' gonei til fund lon ' ini pin voinenls, and payment for ninny years of inierosl .and sinking fund charges on the. purchase loan. We. suggeHt- to Ike Council that the question be faced without delay, in view of the poll ol 1 utepavers to ho taken within loss titan a fortnight on - the proposal to purchase the Maori Reserve.. Section 27 of the Rating' Amendment Act, .191.0, provides l< tlmt the l power to remit rates may be exercised in the case, of rates on show grounds vested in or under the control, 'of agricultural and pastoral societies., or in the case of rates in respect of land held by any body or persons exclusively for the -purpose of any outdoor sport and not for profit or'-gain.'” Thus ample le.gislat.ire ]rower is afforded the Council to grant such relioF as the tSoutli Canterbury. .Rugby Union" needs this year. Wfcare quite satisfied that t-hoi Council have no desire to penalise ■ Idle entluisiaslic endeavours of the South . Canterbriry Rugby Union i.o dischargr l a duty to the .town and. district which - the. .niunicipal authorities har e neglected, namely: the 'provision of air up-to-da.te and wellequipped Rugby football giouhtl. Neverllieless it if-S manifestly plain, that flip. Council. showed deplorable lack of . vision when ij:. rejected without arty explanation the application for relief fry wav ■of remission .of rates'' vfhich the Rughv Union uirnde. ITnquesfionahly; the. local administrative authorities- who are entrusted with the- control and. development oj New Zealand's national winter pastime were en- ! i(led... t.c> - mqree (ymsideUitiimV at the hands of tin' civic authorities. Even “courteously expressed suggestion", that. the ('ouncil should receive a deputation -which would stale the. case for the Union, was coolly ignored. If the Union were in a flourishing position financially, the Council might - lmve been excused, hut. iii view of the heavy expe-ii'dititle' on improvements and ’ the. . obligations recently entered into by the Union--to -provide -inoTe"oorufortahlei' Accommodation for .football patrons,, -the Union ..is entitled to sqmo consideration during the current yeai. Tim position of the" Cbrmcil ply 'safeguarded in tll'&t application for remission of lutes must.'he made, annually, and any relief 'granted applies mily.-,to the c.urrqut- year. We

would not'like to* suggest that the Mayor and Councillors are out of touch, with the field, games of ti)6 ~ 'fl-ominunity, but we do say r i.bat'.'ihe, cjyionintho.v.ities do nob‘giyei'ltir© impEessioir oft being very r sympathe-ticiilly disposed to w a i'll s _ football,„ an d ini (dee t organisa(lions. Only the othe.r day, the Council agreed to refurf the Park wicket, (which is in a deplorable condition, ■ and lias never been properly prepared for cricket) on the understanding that the Cricket Association footed the hill, and yet. the cricketers would have no. control over the wickets, the preparation of which they are coolly asked to pay for, except for the few hours the teams* occupied the ground on Satuuhw aflernopn. We suggest that the Council should give Hie foothall and cricket applications further consideration. No public-spud tod citizen . .offers objection to '-'tlupolicy. of the Council in . relation to the acquisition.,-of breathing .spaces within .thq .borough, hut. we make the incontestable claim that the athletic side of the community’s activities which help to mould the character of our future citizenship is no .](>*.-■. important from the viewpoint of civic responsibility than t.l<» gratification of (he aesthefio sense o.f; the lovers of-the- ritv beautiful