BRITAIN'S COAL TROUBLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 July 1919, Page 4

BRITAIN'S COAL TROUBLE.

The action of the British Government in raising the price of coal by six shillings a ton has produced remarkable results. The miners regard it as a challenge to them in connection witli their demands for nationalisation, and they threaten to reply thereto by asking the forthcoming miners' conference to call a general strike over the nationalisation .question. They maintain that the coal situation pan be met without, increasing the price to consumers. Sir Leo Chiozza Money takes the same view, and the coal owners declare that no part of the increase will find its way into their pockets. That the matter has assumed the dimensions of a crisis is evident from the fact that three hundred members of 1 Parliament have signed a 'memorial to the Premier against [nationalising the mines, and more signatures are expected. It is distinctly disconcerting to find that after the immense labor spent some while back in arriving at a settlement of the miners' troubles, this bombshell has reopened the antagonsim of the miners. Unfortunately the affair is not confined to the interests of miners and mineowners, but it, affects the general public, the gas companies, and nearly every industry on which Britain depends. Already, it is stated, the Birmingham iron market is paralysed, Sir Hugh Bell stat- j ing that British steel will not be able to compete in the market a of the world. Six shillings a ton may not appear a large increase from the viewpoint of New Zealanders, but some idea of its effect may be gleaned from the fact that it increases the gas companies' coal bills by six mlilions sterling a year. When announcing the increase Sir A. Geddes stated that it was caused by the higher wages and shorter hours of the miners, but on this point he has raised a conti which threatens disastrous results. Apparently the whole country is alarmed over the increase, which the Daily News describes as a political manoeuvre to discredit the nationalisation movement. If, as Mr. Smillie contends, the extra cost of producing coal should have been met by the previous advance of half a crown, then the action of the Government is totally incomprehensible. Who will benefit by the increase? The inkers have got wlrnt they tuked for

in wages; the owners appear to consider they will not participate in the six shillings, and it is preposterous to) suppose that the Government would risk a general strike of the miners, besides dislocating every industry in the kingdom, and forcing the price of iron and steel above that imported from abroad, The position is one that seems to defy all reason, especially in view of the need for greater production and increased export trade, which will be seriously affected by such a big increase, coming, as it does, on top of the previous increases, which made coal just double the price it was in 1914,