MINERS’ STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 June 1921, Page 5

MINERS’ STRIKE.

STOPPAGE TO CONTINUE. THE DECISION OF THE MEN. 810 MAJORITY IN FAVOR. o‘ By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright Received June 19, 5.5 p.m. London, June 17. The miners, by a seventy per cent vote, favor the continuance of the strike, and the miners’ executive has notified the Government and the coal owners that the stoppage continues. Only sixty-four per cent, of the miners voted. The miners’ executive considers the situation to-night. The coal-miners’ ballot has placed the miners’ executive in a dilemma. They expected an adverse vote, but not the two-thirds majority required for the continuance of the strike. They refrained from giving the men a lead, desiring to throw upon the rank and file the responsibility of terminating the strike after the failure to secure a national* pool. The solidarity of the federation is endangered, as many miners intend to resume work.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE TEN MILLION OFFER. PREMIER ANNOUNCES WITHDRAWAL. Received June 2f, 12.10 a.m. London, June 18. Mr. Lloyd George, acknowledging Mr. Hodge’s letter notifying the' rejection of the terms and the continuance of the strike, said he regretted the miners’ decision, and notified the termination of the £10,000,000 offer on Sunday. The miners’ executive decided to request the executives of the various trade unions affected by the wages dispute to confer with a view to taking national strike action to secure the mutual demand. Many miners in Notts, Warwickshire and North Wales decided to ignore the result of the ballot and resume work. MANY ABSTENTIONS. London, June 16. Thus far 325,000 miners have voted against acceptance and 128,000 for. A feature of the voting was the im- : mense number of abstentions, apparently due to the men’s disgust at the way the negotiations were handled, the absence of any advice from the leaders how to vote, and a desire to show other parties to the Triple Alliance that the miners are able to win alone. There were overwhelming majorities against acceptance in South Wales, Scotland, Durham, Lancashire, Cheshire and Staffordshire, but returns from Nottingham and Yorkshire, where it La believed the men favor a return to work, have not yet been received. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.