COAL TROUBLE.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 September 1926, Page 3

COAL TROUBLE.

[Australia & N.Z. Cablo Association.] (Received this day at 9.0 a.m.) LONDON, September 20. The Miners’ Executive will consider the Government decision on Monday, also a conference with Labour mcniof the Commons. M r Ramsay 'MacDonald, in an interview with the “ Daily Herald,” said the Government must be made primarily responsible for tile situation tile industry is now facing, but Labour members would continue to secure a settlement. Mr Cook, speaking at the Memorial Hall, wished Mr Baldwin to remember that be was the Prime Minister, not a coal owner. The fact that over 300,000 miners seldom brought home £2 per week was at the bottom of the present, struggle. The coal owners would have been beaten long ago but for the protection of the State. It would be many weeks before the struggle finished. Starvation might do it but a settlement thus imposed would he broken down us soon ns possible. He concluded that every Labour member would be bis place in the Commons on Monday and Tuesday and there would be an historic scene. (Received this day at 12.25 p.rn.) LONDON, September 20. After tabling the emergency regulations the Government intends tomorrow to move an adjournment in order to provide opportunity for a general debate on the coal dispute. Mr Baldwin will make a general statement dealing with the recent negotiations. Dir MacDonald and Air Lloyd George will lead the Labour and Liberal attacks. It is an open secret that the majority of the miners executive has concluded that the time 'has come to obtain some sort of settlement in order to save the existence of the Federation. The Executive meets the Parliamentary Labour Party on Monday, the Council of Trade Union Congress Tuesday and Miners’ Delegates’ Conference oil Wednesday.