COLLIERY CRISIS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 518, 27 May 1909, Page 5

COLLIERY CRISIS.

W SOUTH WALES.' • MANIFESTO BY OWNERS. DOUBLE SHIFTS AND AN EXTRA HOUR. VIII TELEIIUAI'II—ritESS ASSfICIATION—COI-TUIOIU.) (Roc. May 26, 10.35 p.m.) London, May 26. A number of South Wales coal-owners, controlling an output of 40 "million tons annually, in the course of a manifesto explaining why they have given notice to 160,000 workmen, state that only 61 hours' work is possible in many of tho older collieries, yet the workmen refuse to permit double shifts being worked, though tho Departmental Committee or the Homo OfDco expressly suggested these. The manifesto adds that tho effect of tho Act is to reduce tho earnings of day wage mon by 12£ per cent. If tho men assent to double shifts being worked where practicable, and" if they are willing to work nine hours on one day in the week, as the Act permits, tho owners will not insist on a reduction of wages before next March.

MINERS' HOURS AND WAGES. The Act provides that on not more than sixty days a year tho working hours may be extended, by not more than one hour a day. Tho Departmental Committee (chairman, Mr. Russell Rea, M.P.) was appointed by the present Homo Secretary in 190G to inquiro into the probablo economic effect of a limit of eight hours to the working day of coal miners, in the course of its report the Committee' stated: "An immediate advanco of prices, wages, and demand for labour would appear to be the inevitable consequence of a legal limitation of hours which involved an immediate reduction of output; the extent and duration of possible permanence of the equally inevitable reaction it is impossible to foretell, but it may bo assumed that both will greatly depend upon the disposition of employers and workmen to cooperate to minimise any inconvenience that may arise in the initiation of a new system to the general public, and especially to the manufacturers of heavy goods for export." With regard to coal miners' wages, it has Doen pointed out that they were by far the greatest beneficiaries under the. increased wages of tho year 1907. when, according to Mr. Wilson Fox, of ,tho Board of Trade, tho net rise per week in wages in the United Kingdom was .€201,000, an amount only J27000' lower than that of the record year, 1900. According to Mr. Fox, tho .large increase in wages in 1907 was almost entirely due to advances in tho coal mining industry, miners in every coalfield having received a net rise in rates of wages. All other groups of trades showed net increases [.during the year, but,.except in the textile group, tho amount of tho advanco was small. The aggregate recorded advance in industries other than'coal mining was .£27,300 per week, and of this, .£11,600 was due to advances in the textile group. Altogether over 1.240,000 workpeople had their rates of wages changed in 1907. Of this number about 1,243,000 received advances amounting per week, > and about • 3000 sustained decreases amounting to .£2OO per. week. '