THE STRIKE BILL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 230, 27 March 1912, Page 5

THE STRIKE BILL.

CONSIDERATION" POSTPONED. Lt ,» MEN RESUMING WORK. Bj[ Cable—Press Association—Copyright. London, March 25. The Premier had a protracted conferwee -with the owners and miners separately. A joint conference will probably be held to-morrow morning. The Minimum Wage Bill has been farther postponed. The men's leaders oppose the provision for an ultimate Award by an independent chairman in the case of a district board, not agreeing to it as being tantamount to compulsory arbitration. The colliers at Chirk have obtained Ihe minimum wage, and other Nortn Wales collieries are offering the minimum aud inviting the men to resume. The Scottish miners are breaking away, and. a thousand have resumed work in Lanarkshire and hundreds elsewkere. 1 RISE IN FREIGHTS. •' ' London. March 26. Owing to the coal strike the Nord Deutscher Lloyd and German-Australian lines have raised freights to Australia and New Zealand by a half-crown per thousand kilogrammes for first and see-ond-class goods and a shilling for other*. MINERS PERSIST IN THEIR DEMANDS. » FURTHER RISE IN COAL. m *;~" FUTURE STRIKE TACTICS. "'" Received 2"6,11.40 p.m. London, March 26. The Premier made a strong passionate appeal to both sides to come to an agreement. Sir Edward Grey's diplomatic pleading was equally resultless. The Government asked the miners to fliscuss the exceptions to the five shillings minimum, such as Northumberland and Durham, where coal cottages were often provided in addition to wages, but the miners refused. Coal in London has increased five shillings per ton. The Denaby Colliery has sold the Cunard Company 50,000 tons at 34s per ton. The colliery has a reserve of 200,000 tons, and is selling smaller quantities at 4Gs shillings pi-r ton to the public. "

The municipal funds are unable to cope with the growing distress. The masters are not asking the colliers any. rent for cottages during the strike. Out of 150,000 in Middlesbro 50,000 are directly affected by the strike. The lack of fuel is a worse hardship than ihe lack of food. The corporation is retailing coal and coke in email quantities.

The Daily Telegraph says that the leaders of the Miners' Federation state that they gave too long a notice, and so enabled the nation to replenish its coal stores. They threaten that next time action will be swift and sure. ' JAPAN CANCELS COAL ORDERS. * Received 26, 11.40 p.m. Tokio, March 26. Many orders for coal in Britain have been cancelled and transferred to Germany and the United States. Japanese coal has risen forty sen a ton. • MINERS SUE THE FEDERATION. Received 27, 12.50 a.m. London, March 26. Three miners claimed damages against the Lancashire Minera' Federation because their masters dismissed them in order to prevent the threatened strike in Lancashire. The court oriered that the Federation could'not be sued.