BRITISH STRIKE INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1219, 30 August 1911, Page 5

BRITISH STRIKE INQUIRY.

RAILWAY GRSEVANCES. NATIONAL CONCILIATION BOARDS URGED. INTERESTING EVIDENCE. By Telegraph—Press Association—CoDyright (lice. August 21), 11.5 p.m.) London, August 29. Testifying before the Strike Commission, Mr. J. Williams, Lalxmr M.I 1 , and secretary of the Amalgamated Society o£ South Wales Colliery Workers, advocated a National Board, consisting of employers and railway men, as a Court of Appeal, and tho appointment of on arbitrator in tho event of its disagreeing.

Mr. Williams complained of the lack of uniformity in the procedure of tho Conciliation Boards. Tho delay in establishing machinery in various arbitrations had cost 'tho Kailwaymen's Society .£30,000.

Tho hitch in tho scheme was duo to the companies claiming the sole right to'interpret awards, and declaring that tho men had nothing to do with it. That was ono of the causes of tho strike. Another was tho limitation of the present machinery to questions of hrfurs and wages, which were only a small portion of tho grievances that had brought about tho strike.

There has been great delay in reaching awards, and in sonio instances from fifteen to eighteen months had elapsed between the initiation of a case and its settlement.

Mr. Williams suggested that thero should bo a board for each company instead of tho sectional boards, for which it was costly to preparo evidence. The failure to arrive at a settlement of the disputes was largely duo to tho went of freedom in urging the men's claims where tho secretary was in the employ of tho company. A National Board was required, equally representative of tho companies and tho men, and with an independent chairman.

Such a board would settle disputes when the individual boards would fail. The recognition of the unions was tho kernel of tho situation. MINERS AND A MINIMUM WAGE. (Rec. August 30, 1 a.m.) London, August 29. A section of tho South Wales miners have issued a manifesto urging that tho present is an opportune time to mako a bold stroke for a minimum wage.

MILITARY LEAVE LIVERPOOL. (Eec. August 29, 11.35 p.m.) London, August 29. Tho military havo been withdrawn from Liverpool, and work is now proceeding normally. UNIONISM AND SPORTS. London, August 2S. Tho Trades Council's sports at Dublin were abandoned because, resisting tho committee's decision, tho mob insisted on a clerk who did railway duty and a porter who did not striko being allowed to compete. NON-UNIONISTS BOUGHT OUT. Sydney, August 29. Tho Townsville Wharf Labourers' strike has been settled. After conferring with tho Adelaido Steamship Company's manager, tho ' freo labourers agreed to accept «£lO each to leave, tho Watcrsido Workers' Union agreeing to find the money—fifty to two hundred pounds—required to pay them. Tho unionists resumed work at' midnight. NEWCASTLE MBTERS' RATES. Sydney, August 29. The Newcastle Miners' Delegate Board has decided to ask the proprietors to increase tho selling price of coal (tho increase, beginning next year) from 11s. to 12s. a ton, with a proportionate increaso in tho hewing rate.

BRITISH WAGE CHANGES. (Ree. August 29, 9.45 p.m.) London, August 29." The Teport of the Labour Department of the Board of Trade for 1910 shows that wages iucreased by ,£1.1,500 weekly, as compared with decreases in tho two* preceding years. While there was a general decrease in working hours, tho general wages level was the highest since ISO 3. Conciliation Boards and private arbitration effected 70 per oent. of the wago changes. '