BALLOT RESULTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1404, 2 April 1912, Page 5

BALLOT RESULTS.

DIVISION OF OPINION. TROOPS FRATERNISE WITH STRIKERS. i London, March 31. Tho Miners' Oonfercnoo >at Glasgow has recommended a return to work. The South Wales owners, at a meeting, declared the Minimum Wage Act unsatisfactory both to thovOwners / and the ' miners. Mr. John Wilson, Liberal M.P. for Mid-Durham, speaking at Durham, said tho Act had given the. miners all they had asked for in February's ballot. Tlu men's duty to their families and to cognate traders demanded resumption, cf work forthwith. Delegates representing thirty thousand men in Rhondda Valley, Wales,' have advised resumption of work. The speakers critic-iscf the Miners' Federation for not giving a definite lead. In Lancashire tho ballots , are unfav- ; ourablo to resumption. Mr. Fred. Hall, Labour M.P. for tho Isormanton Division of Yorkshire, speaking at Doncaster, said the men had not sought the Minimum Wage Act; it hal been forced on them. He regretted that somo had resumed work instead of waiting for a, complete settlement. The Lothian Miners' Federation resolved that tho .men shall not resume work until a Wages. Board has settled tho minimum rates for the respective districts. Troops in some of tho coalfields are fraternising with the strikers. A football match was played at Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, " between soldiers and strikers. Soldiers at Bryan-Kinallt, Wales, subscribed ,£2O for the widow of a miner killed at Chirk. Tho "Statist" estimates that the Minimum Wage Act will lower the price of coal by forcing the introduction of scientific mining. Mr. Robert Blatchford, in an article in,his paper tho "Clarion," opposes Mr. Tom Mann's ideas. He urges tho miners to give no provocation; they can fight within the- law and win. Mr. Keir Hardie, Labour M.P., speaking at Leicester, said ho hoped the next strike would be for nationalisation of the mines. Tho sentence of nine months'' imprisonment each recently passed on Benjamin and Charles Buck for having incited soldiers to mutiny if ordered to fire on strikers lias been reduced to a mouth each. Tho sentence of six months' imprisonment with hard labour passed on Guy Bowman, similarly charged, has been remitted. IF TOM MANN IS SENT TO GAOL. TRANSPORT STRIKE THREAT. (Rec. April 1, 9.15 p.m.) • London, April 1. An official of the London Carmen's Union, in addressing a Labour demonstration, declared that if Tom Mann was sent to prison for a single day, tho transport workers would strike. NEW SOUTH WALES AID. APPALLING DISTRESS. Sydney, April 1. The Premier (Mr. M'Gowen) has received a cablo message from the AgentGeneral in Loudon (Mr. Coghlan), stating ' that the contribution sent by New South Wales for tho relief of distress was greatly appreciated. Tho distress in England, says the cable, is appalling— almost beyond belief. People are actually dying of starvation in "the Potteries" district. \ ONLY A SMALL SYMPTOM. BRITISH INDUSTRIAL UNREST. (Kec. April 2, 0.10 a.m.) Sydney April 1. Mr. Bell, organiser of the British Scamrn's Union, who is visiting Australia, says (he coal strike in England is only a small symptom of tho immense, advance that has begun in the British Labour 'movement. DUNEUIX SUBSCRII'TlON. IBy TelesrapU-rrcsa Association.) Dunedin, April I. On Saturday morning (Ik; "Otago Daily Time-." <.i|ioiird _n fund lor the relief of women and children who are suffering as a result of liie minors' strike in England. The vesnonso has been very gratifying, and up till to-nieht subscriptions amounting to about .£O7O had been received. A sum of .C 330 was siml lo the. Prime Minister this morning lor transmission lo England.