INDUSTRIAL UNREST.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 74, 23 March 1912, Page 5

INDUSTRIAL UNREST.

THE ENGLISH COAL STRIKE. (By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (United Press Association.) London, March 22. The Bill was read a second time by ;,4-j to 225, the Natior alists and Labourites voting with the Government. Mr Balfour was greeted with Unionist cheers and counter • Ministerial cheers and shouts of “Under which King?” Mr Balfour said the impression created by the opening debate was that neither on the Treasury Bench nor elsewhere was there anyone satisfied with the Government's solution, which hold out no finality, but sanctioned a principle which Svoukl be' a precursor of perpetual future trouble, such as the country never had before; in fact the peril was of such a character that its magniture was portentiolis. It provided a spectacle of an organisation acting without regard to any rights and threatening to paralyse the whole community. The leaders were not tempering their power with any consideration or policy of mercy. No feudal baron exercised such power as the miners’ leaders wore exercising. He was unable to understand how harmony could be preserved industrially when agreements were allowed to be broken. /The Government had deceived themselves and the House in adducing arguments based on abnomal places, which w’ere not arguments for the minimum wage. The miners desired to compel Parliament and a reluctant Government to adopt a principle which would render opposition to the universal application of the minimum wage impossible. The Opposition was compelled to test the opinion of the House of Commons, but at the same time would do.its best t(j) secure the Government’s policy, bad as it was, if the House approved.

The Premier denied that the Government was responsible for the crisis. It had hover yielded to pressure. The proposals contained in the Bill were identical with those offered to the'miners and owners three weeks ago. While he would not say that the miners ’representatives had acted wisely or considerately, ,he challenged the likening of them to feudal barons, and the comparisons with the American trusts were unfair. . He, asked the Opposition whether legislation was unnecessary. Mr Balfour had hot produced an alternative, but had only propounded barren' negatives and impracticable platitudes. In the Scottish and Welsh agreements the masters and men had, deliberately reserved the question of abnormal pla’dcs for future consideration. Therefore it was not reasonably ,to allow the agreements to way of ,h\settlement. The failure of the conference compelled the Government to obtain Parliamentary sanction. The reasonableness of'the Minimum Bill would be. the means of ,T from P ffclic crisis without the Government sacrificing its primary duties to society. Mr Enoch Edwards regretted that the Government had to' legislate to settle the dispute when the Federation had not asked for it. He realised that the Government would be lacking in its duty' if it did not grapple with the question. There (was nothing criminal in asking for the minimum wage where the men failed to earn the proper wage through causes which were beyond their control. Miners were most industrious, and it was an insult to require safeguards. The minimum sought was not extravagant. Sir Edward Grey said the miners should not ask Parliament to include a schedule which was impossible without exhaustive investigation. This was best left to district boards. If the Bill failed and the strike was prolonged, the Government would not neglect means to secure coal, which ought not to be withheld from the nation. SUGGESTED MINIMA. (Received 23, 8.5 a,in.) London, March 22. Mr Ivor Herbert, coal owner, has given notice of an amendment to insert five shillings and two shillings for men and boys respectively. It is reported that the miners arc willing to leave the schedules to district boards if Mr Herbert’s minima are included in the Bill. The “Labour Leader” advises the miners to accept the Bill and resume, pending a settlement of schedules by district committees. It asserts that when the miners secured a minimum '■vther trade would insist similarly. An inflammatory Socialist leaflet has been circulated among, the Yorkshire miners, warning them against betrayal through acceptance of meaningless minimum principal. The “Times” states that the Cabinet has refused to accept any of the miners’ amendments. Some Liberal papers anticipate the acceptance of Mr Herbert’s suggestion. THOUSANDS BEING FED. (Received 23, 8.5 a.in.) London, March 22. The schools are feeding thousands of children daily in the pottery district. Twelve thousand arc fed daily at Leeds. Vigorous relief measures are being organised. Lord Hald'ane, at the Fishmongers’ dinner, said the Government would proceed, looking neither to right or to left. The Bill defines no power to make the miners resume, but if any desired to work, the Government would secure them liberty. AMERICAN MINERS. Now York, March 22. The demand of the Cleveland miners

for an increase of 10 per cent, was rejected. A strike is imminent unless the arbitration proposals put forward on behalf of the operators are adopted. THE BRISBANE STRIKE. Brisbane, March 22. A case arising out of the strike was heard to-day, when Munro, organiser of the Australian Workers’ Union, was charged with attempting to procure persons to do grievous bodily harm to non-unionists, and also with publishing seditious matter. It was stated that he urged the strikers to see that non-unionists met with accidents. He was found guilty of sedition and sentenced to six mouths’ imprisonment. N.S.W. ARBITRATION BILL. Sydney, March 22. The two Houses agreed to a conference re the Arbitration Bill. ATTITUDE OF THE FARMERS’ UNION. Auckland, March 22. lii a letter to the Press regarding the attitude of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union in the Auckland province in the present labour deadlock, the president says that the farmers have no quarrel with the Labour Federation and wish to have none. “Do us,” he continues, “no injury, and we will do you no wrong, but if you endeavour to damage our trade then, in self-defence, wo must go dead against you, and I may say straight out that the farming community will not allow anybody to interfere with or destroy' their business, and are quite prepared to assemble a sufficient number of stalwart young farmers, not only to secure the handling and transport of their goods, but to maintain law and order in the city while doing so.” SOUTHLAND THRESHING MILL DISPUTE. Invercargill, March 22.

The secretary of the Southland General Labourers’ and Drivers’ Union, who is at present in the Winton district in connection with the threshing mill dispute, has furnished a report to the president of the union, stating, that he has visited three mills and was holding a meeting at Winton to-night. He states that the men ho has spoken to are standing solidly for Is per hour and that a number now', putting in time at ordinary labouring work will not engage in pat threshing under that sum. So fa'i the work of organising the, men has gone smoothly. ■ .n :!;j{ )i *llsa ; -(■. , (ABNORMAL DISTRESS. t 1 i.i m ■ (Received 23, 11.35 a.m.) London, March' 22. The miners in North Wales an arranging to return to work on Monday. There are Indications .that many colliers will leave the Federation owing to early exhaustion of funds. A hundred thousand tons of shipping has been rendered idle at Southampton and twenty-eight steamers An'd eighty-six trawlers arc laid up' at Hull. Two million workers, including minors, aro idle.

The miners have lost five million pounds in wages, not one-eighth oi which has been returned in strike pay*

The Vicar of Burshem has served forty thousand meals. The relief in many places is inadequate.

The Government is considering measures for increasing guardians’ power. The distress at Cardiff, Swansea. Nottinghamshire, Hartlepool and in Scotland is growing acute.