COAL TROUBLE.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 June 1926, Page 2

COAL TROUBLE.

LONGER HOURS BILL. [Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.] LONDON, June 21. The Government has postponed its Eight Hour Coal Mines Bill for a week. This is in order to enable the miners to have tfme to resume negotiations with the coal owners. LONDON. June 21. The Government’s decision to proceed with the Miners’ Registration Bill before the Eight Hours Bill, is regarded in some quarters as a gesture to the miners and others indicating the possibility olj negotiations on the basis of the Miners’ Federation President, Mr Herbert Smith’s week-end hint that a slight wage reduction is preferable to longer hours. Developments are now being awaited. LONDON, June 22. The Miners’ Secretary. .Mr Cook’s; latest is a challenge to Mr Baldwin to git to the country on the Eight Hours Bill. Mr Cook is sure that the Premier would find the public on the side of the nimers. Ho said at the Trade Union Congress on Thursday, they could reorganise Labour to tight as never before. He told the Labourites that they must lie carried dead from the House of Commons before the miners were carried dead from the pits as they would he carried if the Government proposal were accepted.

In the House of Commons Mr Baldwin declined to allow a free vote of the House on the question of Russian money to aid the strike. He also stated that he had no reason to believe that compulsory 1 arbitration has been found practicable in industrial disputes, though he was prepared to consider favourably any proposal designed to avoid a stoppage of work.