THE COAL STRIKE

Wairarapa Daily Times, 8 September 1926, Page 5

THE COAL STRIKE

\ {•• i SETTLEMENT EFFORT. ,i : ■ : OWNERS OBDURATE. Press Association-Electric Telegraph-Copyright. LONDON,' Tuesday. Mr Winston 'Churchill"and the Cabinet ' Strike! Committee./hail" a long discussion with a delegation from the Mining Association without result, the Association declaring its inability to hiSk-e n, national agreement. - T-fife 'gdflit 1 •ering broke up without arrangenienV for -a' further meeting, but th’ij. jm'lneU owners arie now consulting repjescntn- . : rives of the associations, i-The meeting lasted two hours. The Official: i report . Shows , that Mr Churdiillf arid other.members of the Committee pleaded*• with the ! association - to meet the miners and discuss the: questions at •issue, Including a national agreement. . :M'r ..Williains emphasised: that the' associationnyiil not enter, into negotiations .wiilijittiot. Miners’: Federation ( fora national agreement.- die declared that’'there never -had bSehßeitce in the industry since "they, had national-agree-ments. . ... . • . Mt ,empliasise<£.,that if the Mining• Association" i finally decided. .nciV.cr to negotiate eh,.a, national (basis, tlienthe ■Government-would have to moye forward upon its own course of action in' the associatipn’s absenec. ll'e; earnestly hoped .the association ■would seek (from its constituents authority to enter upon a discussijpnif.- It would be a, very serious disaster if o r the association > to take’ up an unalterable attitude at present. . • - Mr' Evan 'Williams . said that they could not seek powers to do what they felt was-wrong, but they would submit the fact's to a meeting of their central committee to-morrow, and take their opinion. Mr -Churchill contended that the Government was-justified in believing that when it introduced the Mines Eight Hours Bill there was no question of departing from the negotiation for a national agreement. He was quite sure that had the Government known that after' the passage of ' the Hours Bill flic National agreement door to peace 'would be closed, they would never have passed the Bill. lie' earnestlyasked the mine owners to consider most carefully their attitude to the Government’s request, and then meet the men iii an open and unprejudiced discussion. He honestly believed that "there had been a change of heart on the pait of the miners, and that there was an earnest wish for peace- and a willingness to discuss the position on its merits, with a .sincere desire to secure the greatest beenfits for all concerned in every aspect of the question. The expression, “’reduction in labour costs’Mn . the n'inier's” letter to the 'Government had been' deliberately chosen, .and covered %ry | g£S, AT' 0 r £ a -‘ isatioiji. : iC-i..’ f I's-v ’'"Mr ‘Evan .Williams that ybe Government had never suggested tna. tile Eight Hours Bill was conditional upon a national agreement. It was clearly understood between them that there was no question of a general resumption of work, but that it would be by district's. Sir A. Stcel-Mnitlnnd, Sir L. Werih-ington-Evaiis and Mr W. C. Bridgiinan argued in favour of putting district agieouients in a form which conn. In ratified by the representatives of fhe men and owners nationally.

FURTHER RUSSIAN MONEY.

LONDON, Tuesday. Mr A. .1. Cook, secretary of the ers’ Federation, speaking at Parkstone, near Bournemouth, 'said he had received a telegram that morning from Russia, sending another £IOO,OOO. He added that lie was unabashed, and made no apology for the stand oi the last nineteen weeks. He- would gladly sign an agreement for a ten shillings minimum daily wage. MAY RECONSIDER ATTITUDE. (Received Wednesday, at noon.) LONDON, Tuesday. Following the conference, with the members of the Cabinet, the MiningAssociation to-day decided to refer •tho question of reconstituting the Association as a national negotiating body to the districts. It is unlikely that their decision will be available before Monday. • A number of coalminers’ associations still -oppose a national settlement, but the- threat that the Govern - -men may create an industrial court, is likely to cause them to reconsider the matter. The “Evening Standard” is of opinion that Mr. Churchill will ask the miners to negotiate district settlements on condition that the Government will undertake to give the -agreements a national status by means of legislation.