COAL MINES’ TROUBLE

Hokitika Guardian, 6 April 1921, Page 3

COAL MINES’ TROUBLE

CABLE NEWS.

BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT,

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION

LORD DERBY’S ADVICE

(Received this day at 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, Apiril 5. Lord Derby addressing Liverpool com

mercial men advocated a ltionths exten-

sion of coal control, in order to prevent an extension strike and enable the public to become fully enlightened on toe situation. The public paid and suffered and ought to be arbiters.

MR CLYNE’S APPEAL

(Received this day at 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, April 5

In the Commons, Mr Clynes stated the struggle could be fought out, but it would be better to think it out. He urged the Government to bring the parties together. Intolerable reduction had been proposed in miners wages am ounting in some c nses to fifty per cent. Government ought to have insisted on the two parties coming together before decontrol was introduced. He insisted that there must either be nationalisation or some method of unification of Government control.

AN UGLY POSITION

STOPPING THE PUMPS

SEVEN Ad COLLIERIES AFFECTED

(Received This Day at 12.20 1 )•''■>.- LONDON, April o.

There is an increasingly ugly temper especially among the younger men. The pumps at the naval collieries at PenyCraicr have, hjeen abandoned and the pics left to their fate, in consequence of the miners threatening officials. The men’s leaders also warned the officials tending the pumps in Cambrian collieries, mid Rhondda, that if they crossed the bridge to the colliery m future, the leaders would not be responsible for the consequences. A thousand miners processioned the pitheads at Ocean collieries and demanded a cessation of pumping, which was accordingly abandoned. Headed by a piper, a party of young miners marched to Levin collieries, 1- ife shire and demanded that the furnaces be put out in ten minutes. The agent protested that the pomes were still underground. The miners insisted, and the pumpers were withdrawn. Wellesley colliery which has ' seams under the Firth of Forth is also out of action for several months. german COAL offers. (Received This Day at 10.40 a.m.) LONDON, April o. Offers of steam coal at. f>4s per ton c.i.f., iave been received at Liverpool, from Ruhr district. MR ASQUITH'S VIEWS. (Received This Dav at 12.25 p.m.ji LONDON, April •). In the Commons, Mr Asquith urged that some steps be taken to avert an overwhelming national disaster, f urther deliberation between the parties, with the assistance of Government might show the gap between the national and district wage basis was not so unbridgeable as it appeared. He could conceive the accepting of the principle of a national standard while providing for elastic variations in accordance with local conditions. An essential preliminary to any discussion was that the mines should not be destroyed. He was almost in complete agreement with SirIt. Horne regarding the cessation ol control of mines and impossibility of the State calling upon the taxpayers to maintain the solvency of any particular industry, by means of a public subsidy.

transporters decision . (Received this day at 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 6. Special importance is attached to tlndecision of the transporters which tie raihvaymen await before themselves deciding. The stevedores delegates do not favour a strike, because manj I *’ already unemployed and are receiving the State lienefit of one pound weekly. If they strike the Union will not pay them so much, therefore it pays better not to strike, but to assist the miners financially. MINERS USING FORCE.

Received this day at. 2.3 G p.m.,)

LONDON, April 5

Large bands of Scottish miners led by pipers are forcing the absolute closing of pits in Larnarkshire. Five hundred ovepowered the police guard at West Benhar, injuring four, and also attacked emergency workers and smashed the machinery. They left twentyfive pit ponies to their fate.