THE COAL REPORT.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 March 1926, Page 3

THE COAL REPORT.

WAGES THE ISSUE. LONDON, March 2(i. The coal owners and miners held meetings yesterday in secret, but tho Miners’ Federation Secretary Mr Cook, made a. statement that a delegate to the miners 1 conference will not he called until the coal owners formulate a wago proposal.

Tliero are indications that a substantial majority on both sides arc willing to accept the Commissioner's report. Everything depends on the wago issue. In the meantime, the “ Daily Express's ” political correspondent outlines a. striking idea which might render the recommendations acceptable. The details are still nebulous, but it is understood that the -Miners’ Federation and the Coal Owners' Association have now reached a line of agreement as to the future of the industry ivhercunder it is proposed that a Cartel shall be established similar to the Cartels ill France and Germany, the miners abandoning their demand for nationalisation, while the employers would accept a modified measure of working control in tho form of pit district committees.

Tho effect of tho Cartel would ho to weld tho industry into a homogeneous whole. It involves a drastic regrouping of the pits, file establishment of a central soiling agency and the common ownership of the coal wagons. Possibly it would involve municipal trading in coal and the elimination of the worst evil of the system—the middleman.

Tho Cartel would also seek a European agreement on the matters of wages and hours, and the miners would have, say, housing, baths and welfare schemes.