THE COAL STRIKE

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17114, 8 April 1921, Page 7

THE COAL STRIKE

BAR TO RESUMPTION OF NEGOTIATIONS. - MINERS REFUSE TO PERMIT PUMPING. (Bv Cable—Press Association—Copyright.) (Australian and U.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, April 0. The Prime Minister wrote to the Mine Owners' Association and the Miners' Federation, suggesting the desirableness of resuming negotiations, and offering the good offices of the Government to bring both parties together. Mr Lloyd George received replies from both the owners and the miners, agreeing to meet simultaneously. (Received April 7th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 6. In the House of Commons, after the resolution, sanctioning the Emergency Regulations had been agreed to by 270 votes to 60, Mi- Lloyd George said that earlier in the proceedings ho had reported to the House that he had received letters from the Miners' Federation and the Coal Miners' Association, indicating that they were willing to come together to resume negotiations. "Last night," said Mr Lloyd George, "1 stated the essential conditions under which negotiations were alone possible, and I though that members were in general agreement. (Cheers.) One was that the Miners' Federation should take the necessary steps- to resume pumping in the mines, and also to save the pit ponies. I much regret to say that the miners have come to a decision which will make it impossible, for negotiations to be resumed unless this obstacle is overcome. The Miners' Federation has just sent a communication that it cannot see its way to give instructions to resume pumping in the mines during negotiations.'-' Mr Lloyd Georgo said there was sibly some misunderstanding as regards the terms on which the pumpmen should resume work. They would be paid the old . rate of wages without prejudice; therefore, ho appealed to the members who represented' the miners _to get 4,thc -Federation to reconsider its There was nothing derogatory in giving instructions during the time negotiations'were going on, so that at the end tif the negotiations the miners would be there for the miners, the owners, and the nation. Mr J. H. Thomas (Labour, Derby) said he hoped members would keep clearly in mind that the first essential was to bring the parties together. Mr J. R. Clynes (Labour, Manchester) said his impression fiom Mr Lloyd George's remarks was that the question of working the pumps should be tho first subject for discussion at the conference. Mr Lloyd George intervened, and said: "I made it clear, and Mr Asquith agreed, that the essential preliminary to any negotiations, was that the enginemen and pump-men should resume work." Mr Lloyd George added: "I cannot believe that the view now expressed represents the final determination of the Miners' Federation—that, while the people concerned are discussing a national .settlement, the mines shall be allowed gradually to be-de- ' Mr Clynes resumed, and said tjw Prime Minister could be assured of the goodwill of tho Labour Party in the meeting of both sides. Later it wa* announced that Mi Lloyd George had written to .the Miners' Federation, asking them to meet him in the morning at No. 10 Downing street. ' Mr Frank Hodges, secretary of the Miners' Federation, states that the Federation considers the regarding pumping is unnecessary, and ought not to have been put m The men still desired a meeting with the owners. INTIMIDATION AT THE PITS. FLOODING CAUSES GRAVE DANGER.

LONDON, April C. A number of casualties followed encounters between the police and strikers at Cowdenbeath, Fifeshire. The miners repeatedly broke the police cordon. They dislocated the street lighting, plunging the township in darkness. Police reinforcements have been despatched. Mass meetings at Wattstown and Ynyshir passed resolutions expressing resentment at the withdrawal of the pump-men, the intimidation of tnc officials, and ticketing, which, they declared, the lodges had not authorised. According to other Welsh reports, _ several miners, in consequence of the flood damage, will require from six to twelve-months to roturn to working order. The oldest, which is expensive to work, will probably never be reopened Disorder continues in Lanarkshire. Many strikers have been arrested for interfering with the pump-men. Later. Widespread intimidation of the pumpmen continues, especially in Lanarkshire, where the police have experienced difficulty in protecting the enginemen. At one Lanarkshire pit a man on duty fired two blank shots from «a revolver, hoping to frighten «m invading mob. There was a rush of angry miners and much stone-throwing. Bread vans with supplies for the workers were-in-tercepted, and haystacks belonging to the collieries burnt.. A mob at the Dalbeath pit in Fi£e : shire captured Mr Spalding, manager of the Fife Coal Company and beat him about the face with sticss and tried to throw him into a pond, but others intervened and prevented this being done. Only one pit "in- West Fife continues pumping. Marines armed with machine-guns, are protecting the Rosyth naval dockyards. Tho Cambrian collieries at Clydachvale are in danger of destruction by fire, as the stoppage of the machines has reversed tho air current and fires have commenced. The miners afc Sirhowy Valley, M nmouthshire, invaded the mines and forced the officials, stokers, and winders to leave. The Rhondda pits are now at tho mercy of the inrushfng water. It looks as though the whole of tho South Staffordshire mines will be drowned out. as there is no plant capable of dealing with tho rush of water which has occurred. The collieries in the Tipton district are irretrievably "ruined thrcugh flooding. Many of the Derbyshire miners a;e loyalj and are keeping the mines dry and in repair. The position regarding t.he c.-ines in South Wales is becoming desperate. The extremists are winning the day in district after district. They are preventing pumping, and the owners declare 'that unless something is Uon-a without delay, 70}000 miners will ye unemployed for months. In most cases deputations of nrners sent ultimatums to the owners demanding the cessation of pumping. Some owners yielded forthwith, r.nd ethers when the miners threatened to use force. In a few cases mine officials were assaulted. Representatives of the Colliery Firemen's Association met at Cardiff and passed a resolution of strong protest against the Federation's, ptremptorv action, which ignores the Association's rights and existing connects. A further meeting on Friday will consider what policy will be adopted by the Association. 1

TRANSPORT WORKERS • DECISION. LONDON, April 6. The conference of transput workers in London deckled to give, the -.nia«is nl» the assistance iu their rcwer, to ••••! ttever extent is necessary. They are now negotiating with the' raibvayi.e.u And tike miners.