THE COAL CRISIS

Hokitika Guardian, 10 March 1921, Page 1

THE COAL CRISIS

BRITISH DECONTROL BILL

.MINERS STRONG OBJECTION

BV TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION

LONDON, March 8

With the second reading of the Decontrol Hill the coal problem has reached a crisis.

The Executive of the Miners Federation met before the debate, and it is understood they are now reconciled to the mensuiv passing through, but are making a desperate last effort to persuade the Government to abandon it. Coal owners to-day decided to give fourteen days' notice throughout British coalfields of the termination of existing contracts of service, thus gaining full freedom to negotiate new toi-ms. The Miners Executive is now doubtful of the wisdom of the strike policy asthey fear a national lockout.

When decontrol is legally established, the Cabinet will step out of tip. ring and leave the miners and owners to settle the matter.

The Miners Executive accordingly propose to appoint a negotiation committee to make the best terms. The reduction of wages 7/- to 10/- a shift L being discussed. Mr Bridgman in moving the Coal Decontrol Bill’s second reading, said the amount of tip. coal pool at the end of December was about HR millions. The owners and Government agreed to use (be whole sum to finance the industry. At the present quarter, the owners would claim nothing above pre-war profits. Nationalisation was not practical polities at the present time. The alternative was a subsidy of at least five million per month from now to September. He did not believe even the miner* would advocate this during the three worst months of the year, that Govei-n ment should practically subsidise coal No other industry received such high wages and profits. The Government could not be accused of a breach ol faith with miners ns their representativeboycotted the Bill when Itoforo the Commons.

Mr Walsh moved the rejection ol the Bill. He stated wages to-day were l<" low to provide a standard of living. The maximum a miner could earn was 9(1 per week, and the minimum was I/O pm day lower. Two fifth were receiving th t , minimum. Walsh concluded -Hungry men are angry men. He begged Government to withdraw the Bill and not. press into a maelstrom of danger.

Mr Clifford Cory attributed the cri sis to Hooding the market with American coal.

Mr Hartshorn urged that before tin industrv was decontrolled, that nation wages agreement with a national poc h t . created. The miners were oppose’ to the Bill, because it would result i chaos. By the end of the month 1.20 thousand minors would be unemployeo AN OWNER’S ADVOCATE. LONDON, March 8. fn the House of Commons there wadiscussion of the Government Bill to remove State control from the miners. One spokesman for the miners declared that the owners wanted an agreement for the fixing of wages it; each separate district. A settlement however, was impossible except on ; national basis.

Mr Gould in a lighting speech for the owners asserted the country was suffering through rapacity by the coal miners in demanding wages beyond the pcs sil.ility of the industry to bear. Hi declared: ‘T have shipped coal from Australia to Sweden cheaper than T pro duced it in South Wales. Under Hies, circumstances wo could not expect tc retain our foreign markets. Any unification of tin 1 wages scheme would he a whip with which th t > Miners Federation could scourge the backs of the rest of the community.” He Raid lie would counsel the Government to “deal firmly'' with the miliars. Ht’ advised the House to “stand by” the Government LONDON, March 9

In the House of Commons, the Labour member, Mr Walshe, submitted a motion for the rejection of the Government’s Bill for the returning of the mines to the owners' control. The House negatived the motion by 2< > votes to 72.

A BULLER PROTEST WESTPORT. March 9

At a meeting of the Bullet' (oimty Council exception was taken to tile Government ordering 150,000 tons of coal from Wales when there are boundless supplies of coal on the West Coast of New Zealand. It was resolved to write a letter of protest to tbc Prime Minister.