BRITISH COAL CRISIS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 March 1924, Page 3

BRITISH COAL CRISIS

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. OWNERS OF Eli DISCUSSED. LONDON, March 13. . ~ The Miners’ Federation delegation » conference has adjourned till to-morrow after a discussion which revealed considerable oposition to the owners’ offer. OWNERS’ TERMS REJECTED. LONDON, March 11. The .Miners' conference rejected the owner’s terms and adopted a resolution urging the Government to pass the Miners’ Minimum Wage Bill. LONDON. March M. The Miners’ Federation delegates' Conference has decided to transfer the coal owners’ terms to the districts. Tt is officialy stated that it will he open to the districts to consider the owners' terms in intervals before the 26th. March if desired, hut, so far as the conference is concerned, it has no official reference hack to the districts, as it has decided that the owners’ terms are inadequate. The adjournment of the conference till March 2fith. is for the purpose of seeing what can he done meanwhile to secure an improved wage for the miners b.v legislation, and if the Minimum Wage Bill which will come up for discussion in Parliament on March 2tst. is not proceeded with, or defeated there is little doubt that the miners’ delegates will, on March 26th.. decide •to take a ballot of the coalfields with regard to a national strike, after the present agreement expires on the 17th. April.

WAGES LEGISLATION PROJECTED LONDON, March .15. The “Daily Herald" in explaining the position regarding the coal miners points out that the present wages agreement ends on April 17th. Thu second reading of the Minimum Wages Bill in Parliament is fixed for March 21st. This is a private members' hill, hut in the meantime, the Government have decided to take all the private members’ time, owing to the congestion of the public business. The Government, therefore, have decided to either adopt the Bill, or to introduce its own measure on similar lines. This must have passed all stages before April 17th.

MINERS’ DEMAND. LONDON, March 15. Tho miners’ rejection of the employers’ offer and their demand for the passing of a Minimum Wage (Jill are regarded by the press generally ns

placing the onus on the Government of averting a strike. The “Daily Express" sa.vs: The Minimum Wage Bill will he fought by the Liberals and Conservatives strenuously. It will possibly involve the defeat and resignation of the Government. The Bill would give the miners higher pay than the employers offer, and would he based on the increase in the cost of living, which is now 79 per cent, above 1914. LONDON. March Id. It is understood that the Government decided to introuec its own miners’ minimum wage bill at the end ot the financial year.