THE COAL STRIKE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10416, 21 March 1912, Page 1

THE COAL STRIKE.

FUNDS EXHAUSTED. United Pr«sa Association—By Elcctrio Telegraph- -Copyright. LONDON, March 20. The North Wales miners' funds are exhausted. The smallness of strike pay in South iWales occasions some dissatisfaction. A week's strike pay to four thousand miners at West Lothian exhausted the funds. . There were minor riots at 801 l s Hill, Lanarkshire, South Derbyshire and St Helens. The railway losses through the strike already exceed half a million.

DISCUSSION ON THE BILL. LONDON, March 20. Mr Asquith stated that the Government, long before the acute stage, carefully considered legislative action. It realised the difficulties to which the

best legislation was exposed, and thus promoted negotiations, hoping to secure esca-po along a better path. The ever growing suffering and the impossibility uf a mutual settlement made legisla-

tion inevitable. Ho believed that with good sense and fairness there would be • no difficulty in settling the minimum. That was all the Government could do. Mr Bonar Law said that the remedy, perhaps, was worse than the disease. Jt was evident that, as the Miners' Union was powerful enough to obtain a boon, every trade would strike ahd strive similarly. The guarantees were not sufficient, and there was nothing to prevent a recurrence of the trouble. In response to Labour heckling as to what he would do, Mr Bonar Law said that three courses were open. The Government could have taken steps before the strike to make either a strike or a lock-out illegal before arbitration; secondly, it could allow the strike to /un its course, effectively protecting willing workers; thirdly, it might have declared that the strike must end in the use of all pressure to force the owners to open the mines and compel the men to resume. The means the Government adopted certainly were not ■ the Opposition would have employed. Mr Ramsay Macdonald said that the . [Labour Party would prefer to have the minimum expressed in cash, but would Oisist that Boards should not have . power to reduce existing wages. The only compulsion was that owners would have to pay the minimum. The Govsrnment wisely had not impaired the right to look out or the right to strike. Compulsory arbitration had not given security in panada, New Zealand or ' Australia. Lord Robert Cecil coupled industrial ■ troubles with the rise in the cost of living and Mr Lloyd George's speeches. . He eaid he believed that the Bill would ' inflame and embitter the industrial con- . kroversy. He urged encouragement of co-partnership. Mr Lloyd George said that he did •pot regard syndicalism as a real danger. Xhe minimum wage was not a syndicalist demand. The Bill was a temporary expedient necessary to avert disaster. A drastic measure now must precipitate ; ft perilous situation. The debate had , revealed much criticism, but little conftnictive suggestion.* ( The Bill was read a first time. Sir Frederick Banbury gave notice to move the rejection of the Bill. Mr Claude Lowther gave notice of an amendment insisting on the inclusion of compulsory arbitration. ' j.i J.-, ' n an interview, said 1 that the Bill did not deal with the underlying cause of the trouble, and did not Becure finality. He'regretted the absence of pecuniary penalties.