COAL STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1399, 27 March 1912, Page 5

COAL STRIKE.

A RESULTLESS APPEAL.

MINERS REFUSE TO LISTEN TO MR. ASQUITH.

DISTRESS INCREASING. By Telesraph-Presa Associslion-Oopyrißht (Rec. March 20, 11.15 p.m.) London, March 26. lhe Premier has made a strong passionate appeal to both sides to come to an agreement. Sir Edward Grey's diplomatic pleading has boon equally resultless. The Government asked the miners to discuss exceptions to a live shillings minimum, such as Northumberland and- Durham] whore coal and cottages are often provided in addition to wages. The miners refused.

The price of coal in London has increased by five shillings a ton. The Denaby Colliery has sold the Cunard Steam, ship Company fifty thousand tons at 345, The colliery has a reserve of 200,000 tons, and is selling smaller quantities at 4Gs. a ton.

Tho public and municipal funds are unablo to cope with the growing distress. Tho masters are not asking the colliers rent for their cottages during tho strike. Out of 150,000 men at Middlesbrough, 50,000 are directlv affected by the strike. The lack of fuel is a worse hardship than the lack of food. Tho corporation is retailing coal and coko in small quantities.

The "Daily Telegraph" says the leaders of the Miners' Federation, state that they gavo too long notice, and enabled the nation to replenish its coal stores. They threaten that next time their action will bo swift and sure.

Three miners have claimed damages from the Lancashire Miners' Federation because the masters dismissed them in order to prevent the threatened strike. The Lancashire .Court has decided that the Federation could not be sued. BILL POSTPONED. SCOTTISH MINERS BREAKING ATVAY London, March 25. The Prime Minister (.Mr. Asijuith) had protracted conferences with tho owners' and miners' representatives separately. A joint conference will probably be held tomorrow morning. ' The Minimum Wage Bill has been further postponed. Tho men's leaders oppose an ultimate award by an independent chairman in the case of district boards not agreeing, as being tantamount to compulsory arm"! tration. The colliers at Chirk, North Wales, have obtained a minimum wage. Other collieries in North Wales aro offering a minimum wage, and are inviting the men to resume. Tho Scottish miners aro breaking away from the federation. A thousand have resumed work in Lanarkshire and hundreds elsewhere. FREIGHTS RAISED. ACTION BY GERMAN LINES. London, March 25. Owing to the coal strike, the Norddeut-sc'her-Lloyd and German Australian linos have raised tho freights to Australia and New Zealand by half-a-crown a thousand kilos (22041b.) for first and second-class goods, and a shilling for others. EFFECT IN JAPAN. COAL AT M A TON. (Rec. March 27, 11.40 p.m.) Tokio, March 20. Many orders for coal from Great Britain have been cancelled and transferred to Germany and tho United States. Japanese coal has risen to 40 sen (80s.) a ton.