BRITAIN'S COAL STRIKE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 450, 23 March 1912, Page 5

BRITAIN'S COAL STRIKE.

MINIMUM BILL REJECTED. FURTHER STRUGGLE EXPECTED By Telc(?rapli.—Preßs Association.—Copyright London, Wednesday. The Miners' Federation Conference, ! contrary to the executive's advice, ■ passed a resolution that the Govern* ment's Minimum Wages Bill was not acceptable unless it provided for a minimum of 6s for adults and 2s for boys, together with the schedule rates for hewers. The Labour party was requested to move the necessary amendments. At the start there were differences regarding the inclusion in the schedule of hewerß, but the Welsh and Scotch delegates combined and carried the point by a majority of a dozen out of 140. Mr J. Haslatti, Labour member for the Chesterfield division of Derby, interviewed afterwards, said: "We are as far from a settlement as ever." , A conference of surfacemen in Yorkshire and Derbyshire, representing 10,000, resolved that unless the Bill included a minimum the surfacemen strike shall continue. A MAKESHIFT MEASURE. The owners generally consider the measure a' makeshift. The masters in the federated area, who conceded the minimum in the autumn, are discouraged. They believe that the question will be fought out again shortly. Many miners regard the Bill aB satisfactory, especially in North Wales, where there is much distress. In introducing the Bill into the House of Commonß yesterday, Mr Asquith said long before the active stage of the dispute was reached the Government had carefully considered legislative action. It realised the difficulties to which the best of legislation would be expose, and therefore it persevered with the negotiations for a settlement between the parties, thus hoping to escape along the better path. But the ever-growing Buffering and the impossibility of a mutual settlement had made legislation inevitable. He believed that, with good Benso and fairness on each side, there would be no difficulty in settling the minima. That was all that the Government could do. FEEDING STRIKERS' CHILDREN. SPEECH BY MR HALDANE. Received March 23, 8.6 a.m. London, Friday. Schools are feeding thousands of children daily in the Pottery districts. Twelve thousand are fed daily at Leeds. Vigorous relief measures are being organised. Mr Haldane, speaking at the fishmongers' dinner, said the Government intended to proceed, looking neither to the right nor the left, of what the Bill defines. They had no power to make miners resume, but if any desired work the Government would secure their liberty.