BRITISH MINERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20056, 20 September 1920, Page 7

BRITISH MINERS.

POSITION ACUTE. SPLIT ON WAGES QUESTION. MINERS’ EARNINGS. By Ttlagrnyh—Proa Association—Copyright. Iteuter'a Telegrams. , (Received September 20, 8.45 a.m.) _ 'LONDON, September IS. Owing to the fact that the Goal Lonferenco adjourned with Mr Smillies uncompromising insistence on an immediate increase of 2s per shift, the Situation again is generally regarded as one of_ extreme gravity. Some circles believe that the miners will push their distaste to an inquiry to the extreme action of a strike. After a conference of miners the executivo declared that if the Government n:ul said tho last word upon tho question, a strike was inevitable. Sir Robert Horne .says that tho questions of wages and increased output arc inseparable. Hitherto, evervtresh advance in wages has been linked up with diminished output, because it ivas declared that every increase merely stimulated a greater number of men to absent themselves from work. Sir Robert Horne desires to raise the output to tho pre-war level of 28/,000,000 tons, which ho believes is easily attainable, seeing that 2D0.C00 moro men are employed than was'the caso in 1914. ■ It is significant that the sub-com-mittee of the Triple Alliance met after the conference, and discussed arrangements for co-ordinated action in the event of a strike. Tho Coal Association, in a statement on the coal hewers’ wages for the period of June, shows that the first group averaged over £2O weekly, the second £ls, the third £l2 and the fourth £lO.