LABOUR TROUBLES.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3576, 11 September 1920, Page 5

LABOUR TROUBLES.

BRITISH COAL CRISIS. LONDON, Sept. 9. The conference between'the Miners’ Executive and the Minister of Labour, from which so much was hoped, failed. Mr. R. M. Smiillie informed Sir. R. H. 'Horne that the Executive was of opinion that there were no new proposals in his statement which in their judgment would lead to a satisfactory settlement of the miners’ claim. The conference then terminated. STATEMENT BY MR BARNES. LONDON, Sept. 9. Mr Barnes, speaking at Glasgow, said the miners’ demands that coal prices be dropped was an Illegitimate demand outside the sdope of any sectional body in the country. It would not mean a present to the consumers of coal, as it would have to he paid for by taxation. The Government might reasonably say "Let things go on for two or three years, during which nationalisation and wages might be fully and freely considered.” SATURDAY WORK. AN ULTIMATUM. *' SYDNEY, Sept. 10. The Federal authorities at the naval dockyards have issued a proclamation to the employees stating that if the men cease work on Saturday to hold stop-work meetings the works will close on Monday.

THE BOLSHEVIK IN AUSTRALIA. SYDNEY, Sept. 10. A pamphlet circulating amongst the ironworkers states: “We do not desire this fight to be a 1917 fiasco. Example is given to us ’ey our oom * rades in Italy.” The pamphlet continues: “Let us have no starvation strikes. Why should yon and your wives and children starve when there is plenty of everything in Australia, and produced by you?” AN UNSETTLED STRIKE. SERIOUS SITUATION. CAPEOWN, Sept. 9. Latest advices from Lorenco Marques states that the report of the setlement of the strike was unfounded. The Governor-General appealed to the population to sacrifice personal interests in the hour of the greatest public and social danger. Trains to the border are rim by naval engineers. The commercial community of the English colony is supporting tre Government. BRITISH AND AMERICAN MINERS. A REMARKABLE COMPARISON. LONDON, Sept. 10. The Coal Association circulates a remarkable comparison of miners’ output and pay in Britain and. America. The pithead price in America is 12/10 and in England 31/3. The output per shift, is 3.12 in England and .77 of a ton in America. The average weekly tvage in America is 160/ and in England 100/.