BRITISH LABOUR CRISIS.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 April 1921, Page 3

BRITISH LABOUR CRISIS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. STRIKE PAY. , (Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, April 15. The Triple Alliance difficulties are ; increased by the lowness of trade union funds. The first distributions of ; strike pay were made to-day. Thus . Warwickshire miners received 15s and boys 7s. There was no distribution in , Yorkshire where tho union funds are ■ specially low. • Nottingham miners who can afford to ; aro being asked to accept vouchers rei deemablo in the future, in order that 1 the fund may be oked out. At the Government Conference, Mr i Hodges’ announcement of willingness ■ to discuss wages alone, was a dramatic turning in the situation. Ihc Commoners, tho great bulk of whom ai o Coalitionists saw immediately the importance and seized the opportunity of turning it to good advantages speedily. Hence- the extraordinary rapidity of tho midnight developments. It is pointed out the Miners’ Federation pre- ■ viously rejected similar proposals to Mr Hodge and are asking whether the miners are retreating or whether Mr l Hodge spoke without authority. TRANSPORTERS’ ATTITUDE. (Received this dav at 8 a.m.! LONDON, April 15. As the hour of putting the strike - notices into operation draws nearer, a divergence of opinion in the rank and file of the railwaymen and transporters is more marked. No enthusiasm is dis- j played regarding the strike, the feeling being that a ballot should have been taken first, but it is expected that lovi alty to the executive will make most members down tools, though a number of district meetings indicate that a considerable proportion of the men are against a general strike.” A BLACK OUTLOOK. LABOUR’S DECISION. (Received This Day at 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, April 15 A conference of the combined labour movement was one ot the most tormiel- . able in history. Labour was represented by t!u> Parliamentary Labour Party, National Executive of Labour Party, Parliamentary Committee of the Trade Union Congress, and with a deputation from the Triple Alliance, also Independent Labour Party. The meeting was bold in the evening. Tilt? tleclsioh was a great disuppoiniment as all day long it was hoped the conference aimed at successful intervention by bringing miners and coal owners together again. Such a proposition was actually c-on-sidered, but was summarily rejected on the ground that the Premier had earlier asserted that.the dispute was political, ami an attempt to employ direct action to enforce a species of nationalisation. The Conference appointed a standing committee to watch events. The decision is interpreted in some quarters to foreshadow a possible general strike by the whole Trade Union movement. OWNERS’ LATE OFFER. (Received This Day at 8.30 » m.) LONDON. April 15 Owners wrote the Miners Federation at midnight—“We have decided eleventh hour to extend a public invitation to miners’ leaders to sit down with us to see what can be done to improve the lot of lower paid men.” The “Central News” states this move is attributed to a had impression created by the owners admissions when addressing members. There is every likelihood the morning will see a resumption of negotiations on lines of Alt Hodges’ statement.