BRITISH COAL MINES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 439, 3 December 1930, Page 7

BRITISH COAL MINES

MB COOK’S STATEMENT.

6 LONDON, Dec. 1. Air Cook (secretary of the Miners’ Federation) stated that, despite the delegate conference’s decision, he was hopeful of a final settlement, and would do all he could to prevent a stoppage. He was sure the workmen were anxious, for a temporary settlement in view of the operation of the Alines.Act, and until next Thursday’s Federation Conference, when the miners, in the light of present facts, would have tho opportunity to reconsider the whole position. The Daily Herald, the Labour organ, expresses the view that, “if a respite can be gained by preventing stoppages on Monday, there is every ground for the hope that before next week is out the Government’s good offices will effect general settlement.’’

In certain coalfields the owners proposed originally to the miners that a spread-over of fivc-days of eight hours and a five-hour Saturday should be worked after December 1 instead of the 74-hour day laid down iu the Coalmines -Act. In Lancashire the proposal, tentatively broached in September, was formally laid before the Joint Wages Board a month later. In South Wales the owners preposed it to the joint committee of the Conciliation Board. It is indicated now that in South Wales an agreement has been reached on a fortnightly basis. At the height of war wages and for some time afterwards, until the great coal strike, the British miner was making in many cases from £lO to £2O a week, and families, not knowing what to do with the money, wasted a good deal on luxuries. To-day the miner, though his nominal wages may be higgler «than in 1914, is really, because of the cost of living, much worse off. .In 1914 the average for the country was 6s 54d a day; recently it has been estimated at 9s Id. Figures supplied from the mine owners of Lancashire, Cheshire and North Staffordshire show that the average daily wage in these counties before the war was 5s lid. In October of 1922 it was 8s B%d.

IDLE FIFESHIRE MINES

'-'ccived Dec. 2. 6.15 p.m. LONDON, Dec. 1. Throe collieries, one working only at half force, was the extent of the coalmining activity in Fifeshire to-day Communists persuaded bOO of 1500 employees of the Lewis Merthyr mine at Trehafod not to descend tho shaft. " Six hundred struck at Tareni Colliery, Swansea Valley, as a protest against tho terms of the South Wales Alincrs’ Federation settlement which most districts have accepted. The strike is expected to cease to-morrow. All North Wales pits resumed. Three thousand men at the Easington Colliery are idle owing to a hitch in the new agreement. An early settlement is expected. Air Shinwell conferred with representatives of the employers and employees in order to explore plans for a settlement to be permanent in South Wales and temporary in Scotland, whoroanent he declared himself optimistic.