BRITISH COAL CRISIS

Hokitika Guardian, 31 July 1925, Page 2

BRITISH COAL CRISIS

[Australia it N.Z. Cable Association.] CONTINUOUS NEGOTIATIONS. 1,0X1)1 iN. July 29. Air Baldwin, the. Prime Minister, conducted continuous negotiations all day long, first with the miners and thmi with the coal owners, passing from one room to the other as any possibility of finding the basis of a settlement was revealed. It is feared that little headway was made, though, thus far. no details of the negotiations have leaked out from the conference rooms. No joint eon fere ne'e between the masters and the men is yet possible. AH' Baldwin i.s deferring the production of his trump card in the shape of the offer of a loan to the industry (to cover up any losses during the negotiations) as long as possible as there i.s a section of the Cabinet who are strongly opposed to such a. subsidy. The latest report announces that at six o'clock two attendants left the .Ministry of Labour and returned with a plentiful supply of bottles of Scotch whisky and syphons ot sotla. The report adds that the position is now considered more Impel ill. LONDON. July 29. The Special Trade Union Congress Committee has been jointly participating with tlie miners to-night in a renewal of the discussions with Air Baldwin, which subsequently wore adjourned until to-morrow.

FINDINGS OF INQUIRY. LONDON, July 29

The Central Committee of the Alining Owners’ Association of Britain have unanimously decided upon strongly protesting against the findings of the Court of Inquiry in connection with the mines dispute. 'I allege that the Court’s report gives an incomplete, and oven a distorted view of the ease. The Association Is pointing out that the report is not acceptable to the Association as an exposition of the facts or as proper deductions from the evident e. LONDON. July 29. In connection with the coal dispute it transpires that the miners refused to accept an offer by the owners ibis afternoon to guarantee minimum wage rate for each district on a percentage basis, on the ground that they are pledged to refuse to agree to any proposal involving the lowering of the wages in any distent. AIR COOK PESSIMISTIC. LONDON. July JO. “There is no gleam of hope.I’’ 1 ’’ said Air Cook (miners’ Secretary! late last night, in summing up the day's negotiations. Tke whole press agrees that the outlook is of the blackest. The only cause for satisfaction itliat negotiations have not actually been broken oil'. Air Baldwin again meets the miners this morning and the coal owners laier. BIG LABOUR CONFERENCE. LONDON. July 21. There was a great conference of Trade Fnioit Executives held during the afternoon. The Transporters and the Railwaymen have already been instructed how to act in the event of a mine stoppage. The “Daily Herald" says: “No coal will be moved or admitted to the country.”

There is activity also in Govern nient circles in connection with enter geney measures.

An official communication shows* that tin' owners, in offering to accept the principle of a minimum, stressed their contention that the industry show's a loss of two shillings a ton on tli<‘ average in June, while some districts .showed a loss of nearly four shillings. It was pointed out that, in these circumstances, any national minimum must he very low. and loss favourable than minimum percentages paid, district by district. The miners, in reply, commented on the present low wages and the high cost of living and affirmed -that they were not prepared to accept the dictum that the industry can only ire operated by placing the low wages at a rate insufficient to support the bare necessities of life.