BRITISH MINERS GIVE WAY

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 42, 13 November 1926, Page 9

BRITISH MINERS GIVE WAY

PREPARED TO ACCEPT DISTRICT SETTLEMENT INCLUDING HOURS AND WAGES PROSPECTS OF SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTE HOPEFUL There has been a most important development in the British mining position, the miners’ delegates conference having decided to empower the. executive to resume negotiations with the Government unfettered, This is accepted to .mean.that the miners have given way on the question of hours, and are prepared to accept district settlements. It is.believed in London that the prospect of settlement is hopeful.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.—-Copyright.

London, November 11.

The miners’ delegate, conference split and the districts- conferred separately. When the delegates' reassembled aresolution was carried unanimously, giving the executive of the Miners’ Federation unfettered powers to resume negotiations with the Government.. Instead of referring the question to a. ballot 1 of the miners, the executive will inform the Government that they are now empowered to agree to longer hours and district agreements, but 1 that' thev will endeavour to secure in return a national tribunal safeguarding-national principles. ' . The executive will meet Cabinet tonight, and the Prime' Minister (Mr.Baldwin) has' consequentlv' cancelled* his visit- to Glasgow - '.—Sydney “Sun” Cable.

PROGRESS OF NEGOTIATIONS PROVISIONS OF FINAL MEMORANDUM (Rec. November 12, 10.30 p.m.) London, November 12. The position of the negotiations, when adjourned,.'was that, after a prolonged discussion, in which many objections. were raised on both sides, the proposals drawn up: were presented to ' the miners..'.’ . The Government informed .the miners that the memofall--■dum in,substance was final, but if there *wei;e alterations to the form these would be. considered. ' It must be emphasised that the miners gave iio pledge regarding agreement.':’ Certain owners were made acquainted with 1 the proposed terms, _ and indicated rieither approval nor disapproval.' ' "One of' the miners’ main contentions was that an arbitral tribunal should have jurisdiction over all agreements. The Government, however, contended that standard agreements were expressly excluded from the operation of the tribunal, because' the Government was in theory guaranteeing a minimum to the miners. MR. COOK ON THE POSITION., , Mr. Cook, in a statement, said: “We have done very little. We discussed the provisions of the memorandum for many hours, but I cannot say we have done anything to‘convince me ’that.' substantial progress has been made.. All- I can say is that a settlement . has not . yet been reached.” He added: “The will consider and I hope present the conclusions of the delegates at nooii.” A HIGHLY TECHNICAL DOCUMENT. The Government’s final memorandum of settlement, to which it is nnder- ■ stood the owners arc not committed, covers a three years’ peace. It is a highly technical document of ten clauses of which the first provides that the Miners’ Federation shall do everything /possible., to. promote ..the ‘immediate; re.^unipiiou., ’of work. by..district settleTnent.s, including, hours. The owners offer to pay temporarily not less than ■ 'before the stoppage as the basic rates in every, district except Northumberland, Durham, Cumberland and North Wales, and the same subsistence wage. The owners also undertake to reinstate workmen as opportunity offers, without prejudice to those at present employed; ... Provision is - made for: the '"determination of standard .'. ' district agreements, the establishment of district boards, with independent chairmen, the periodical determination of trading results by accountants representing both sides, and the regulation and division of net proceeds, between, the owner and miner on the lines of the 1921 agreement. THE ARBITRAL AUTHORITY. As soon as work is resumed the Gov.ernnient undertakes to legislate for the , establishment of a national arbitral authority,'which for : six months will hear ■appeals against any agreement not cotn- - - plvi'ttg with the standard agreements or those involving a day longer than seven hours;' The arbitral' authority will be appointed by the Minister of Labour front'among members of the Industrial Court iidt connected; with the coal in-dustry,-assisted' by two assessors, to be appoiiitfed bv the parties appealing. But no appeal'rs possible against any agreenicnt .coijinlynm with standard provi- ' sions. x ; .•. . BAN ON DERBYSHIRE MEETING "(Received Nov. 12, 7.20 p.m.) London, November 11. The House of Commons concluded nitlie report stage ,of . the Electricity B On the.- motion for adjournment Mt.' D. Kirkwood (Labour) raised the question of banning a meeting on behalf of tlte‘ miners in Derbyshire on Sunday, also the question ,of hts threatened’prosecution for making speeches cal- . ciliated to create a coal shortage. ne said the prosecution was due to a personal feud between himself and the Home Secretary. , .u Captain -Mackwood on behalf of the Home . Office, assured Mr. Kirkwood that the.last thing, the Home Secretary desired was. to see him locked up. He . was. sure that’ Mr. Kirkwood would receive. a fair trial, and wished him the best of luck. The House then adjourned.

(Rec. November .12/'7.20. p.tjl.) London, November IL The most important development in the mining position to-day was the deci- - sion of the miners’ delegate conference,, after a careful examination of reports from the districts, to empower, the executive to resume negotiations with theGovernment unfettered. This is. accept-ed-to mean that the miners have- given i way on the question of hours, and are prepared to accept district settlements, both on the matter of hours and wages, subject to the safeguarding of certain national principles which the owners are willing to incorporate in district.settlements. ■ . . Tn ' - the course 'of the dnv. the miners’ executive met Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Churchill, and after an hour’s discussion ' retired to ■an adjoining room for a" private meeting. TlieV returned later and met the full Cabinet Coal Committee, When' if is stated that the Government presented to the miners a revised set of proposals, defihitely including the principle of . a national appeal tribunal. These proposals .were considered separately by the miners’ executive,-pud various alterations were made. Thev then returned the amended draft. The Government 'intimated that it would further consider the. position and. Con-; suit the owners, ibefore'. meetingthe miners., at 10 o’clock to-night. SERIES OF CONFERENCES ' OPTIMISTIC FEELING (Rec. November 12, 8.55 p.ra.) London, November 12. - The miners came to grips with the Government after what Mr. Cook, secretary of .the federation, described as-' a one-way conference. All the • districts agreed to secure the best terms possible. Then began a series of conferences at the House of Commons. The. Government agreed to establish anations! tribunal on purely judicial lines, for -the purpose of deciding questions arising out of district- settlements. It was suggested, that a famous city cliar-. tered accountant should- be ■ chairman, ■ Mr. Baldwin, Mr. - Churchill, and LoKlftirketihead first' saw : the miners,' then., the owners, and then the miners-again. Thev also lind a conference themselvesregarding the points raised. Fmaliv. the Ministers and miners assembled shortlv after 11 o’clock last night and berar. "hammering’ put details. -: : - The PafUamentarv draughtsmen, .were, summoned to draw' up documents. Representatives of the owners in the. meantime were standing by in another;., room. . , £'•?. The conference continued until o.la a.m.,:with an intervalfor refreshments.: When it broke up the feeling'in Government and other circles - was optimistic concerning tile -miners’ eventual acceptance. ■' .-. ■"'■■ Naturallv there was no enthusiasm among the miners’ representatives. Even Mr. Cook : however, when asked, denied that the negotiations had broken down. He said,. “Until the delegates have decided we ourselves cannot sav the negotiations are irr'evocablv off.” ? . It was noted that the Government carefully left the door open for further representations. Though . they are unwilling to alter-the fabric of. the, document the owners are known, not to favour any arbitral tribunal, but the Government counts on their acquiesMr.’ Herbert Smith,-Mr. Tom Richards and others looked worn out and went homeward in silence.