THE COAL TROUBLE

Hokitika Guardian, 30 October 1920, Page 2

THE COAL TROUBLE

! AUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION] THE SETTLEMENT TEORjMS. ' LONDON, October 27. The miners will take a ballot on Tuesday on the settlement scheme. This is a compromise. The miners are to receive under the scheme 2/- rise from the date of resumption, but the Government maintain the principle that an increase in wages must be supported by an increase in production. It is arranged that advances in wages will be given on production at the following rate: 238 million tons per your, one shipping a day ; 242 million eighteen pence; 246 million, two shillings; 250 millions, Lalf-a-crown and 254, three shillings. / It is claimed by the Government and employers that these production rates mean that, instead of being based on output, as the datum scheme was, this method a plan familiar to the miners viz: that of the gliding scale based on profits. There are claimed to be no profits on the home coal consumption. Thus it is argued that profits are to be only calculated on the amount of ooal available for export* —that is the amount of coal in excess 210 million tons a year. It is considered a feature of the scheme that there is a sliding scale which applies to the coal owners’ extra profits as well as to miners wages.