COAL CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 20 September 1920, Page 3

COAL CONFERENCE

SEHJOI/ POSITION CONTINUES.

(Reuter’s Telegrams.) Aleceived This Day at 8.40 a.m.) LONDON, September 18

Owing to the fact that the coal conference adjourned with Mr Smillie s uncompromising insistence on an immediate 21- increase per shift, the situation is again general jy Regarded as one of "extreme gravity. \Spss circles believe the miners will push their distaste to V ap’fpiqujry fp extrgnje action, apd strike;. After ' a conference, memberg of the miners executive dpclarga jf Government had said the last word upon the wages question apd a strike y/as~"ipevita'hl o ! @1? ®* Serna says the questions of wages and Increased output are inseparable. Hitherto every fresh advance in wages had been linked up with a dinmished output, because it was declared every increase merely stimulated a greater number to absent themselves from work. Sir. 'R Horne desires to raise the output to the pre-u ai level of. 287 million tons, which he believes is easily attainable seeing that two hundred thousand more men are employed than was the case in 1914. is significant' that the sub-committee of file Tripje Alliance met after <he Conference, and discussed arrangements for co-ordir|ate action, in theleyent of a strike.

The pfla) Association in a statement ot)'coal hewers* wages for the period of June shows the first group averaged over £2O weekly, the second £ls and third £l2 and fourth £)(],