COAL STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1380, 5 March 1912, Page 5

COAL STRIKE.

EARLY SETTLEMENT EXPECTED. HOLIDAY SPIRIT AND ORDER AAIONQ MINERS. MORE WORKERS THROWN IDLEBj Telccraoh -Press Aszoeiation-Oonirlgnl London, March 3. Owing to the strike, tho Orient Steam Navigation Company's steamer Orontes, which sails shortly for Australia, has arranged to ship a thousand tons of coal at Plymouth. The coal-porters demanded double pay, and the concession was granted. A feature of the strike in South Wales and elsewhere is tho miners' determination to maintain order. A holiday spirit prevails. Twenty-three thousand workers were idle at Swansea yesterday. Tho Newcastle branch of the Amalgamated Society of Eailway Servants asked the society to decline to. handle trains conveying troops during the strike, the duration of which is variously estimated at from a week to a fortnight. Mr. John Williams, Labour M.P. for the Gower Division of Glamorganshire, and general secretary and agent of the Amalgamated Society of South Wales Colliery Workers, speaking at Swansea, said he expected the dispute would bo mutually settled by Thursday next. Mr. W. E. Harvey, Labour M.P. for North-east Derbyshire, and financial secretary to the Derbyshire Miners' Association, speaking at Clowne, Derbyshire, said he would always fight against compulsory arbitration, which had absolutely failed in Australia. Tho Great Central Eailway, yielding to tho Sheffield manufacturers' appeals, has delivered coal to them. Mr. Ure, Lord Advocato for Scotland, speaking at Exeter, said the coal dispute must be mutually settled, otherwise the Government would not shirk the responsibility to give legislative effect to tho principle of a minimum wage. The real difficulty was tho men fixing a certain amount and refusing to discuss the situation, ne thought that, on ' reflection, they would not adhere to that position, lest they should lose the country's support.