THE COAL SITUATION

Hokitika Guardian, 29 September 1920, Page 1

THE COAL SITUATION

f AUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION

UNEMPLOYMENT. y LONDON, Sepf. 27

In consequence of the trade slump and uncertainty of the coal position, the unemployment problem is becoming more acute. It is estimated that two hundred thousand are idle in London. The unemployed in Birmingham, and Manchester is increasing by over a thousand weekly. Government decided to hasten plans for relief work.

BRITISH COAL QUESTION. LONDON, Sept. 27. The coal situation is stated to he brighter than it has been for some weeks, it being claimed that general satisfacton s manifested by owners. A joint conference of the coal owners and the miners sat for three hours to-day and they discussed the cause of the reduction in the output. Then they adjourned until to-morrow, for the purpose of enabling the miners to consult with their respective eonimittess. It is understood the negotiations are proceeding in a frendly manner, and there are grounds for hoping a mutually satisfactory settlement may he reached immediately. It is expected that a definite decision will he submitted to the National Conference of miners delegates in Londo on the 30th of September, for acceptance.

WELSH MINERS DEMAND. LONDON, Sept. 27

Meanwhile, however, a meeting of the y Executive Council of the Souih Wales Miners’ Federation, at Cardiff, litis passed a resolution declaring that in view of the very general protests from the districts against the committing of the miners in the present negotiations to the precedent or principle for a. future regulation of wages by the output, the Council of the Foderation has decided to telegraph the Welsh representatives on the Committee of the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain, stating that the Council are unanimously of the opinion that the present demand for increases in wages should be settled at once without going into the output for the present, and that the whole matter of the consolidation of present wages and the method of the regulation of future changes^ should he subject to an investigation and to further consultation with the whole of the workmen.

, THE COAL TROUBLE. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON Sept. 28,

While it is believed the eoalowners and miners have reached' a. provisional agreement regarding the new output basis, the action of the Welsh mineis executive has introduced a serious complication, which means that if Welshmen insist upon an immedate grant of the 2s demand before the output basiß is fixed jt points to a possible separate' strike if the action of the Welsh objectors is not sustained.

For Children’s Hacking Cough. Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure T/9, 2/9