THE COAL STRIKE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10587, 19 March 1912, Page 5

THE COAL STRIKE

CABLE NEWS

(United Prat Auociation —By EUotrie Telegraph—Copyright.)

OVER A MILLION IDLE

'.Received Last Night, 10.15 o'clock.)

LONDON, March 18

No fewer than 1,312,000 men have been rendered through the coal strike. The loss of wages is estimated at £'5,643,000. The Welsh coal-owners have circularised the members of the House of Commons, pointing out that forward contracts for 23,000,000 tons of coal have been made on the basis of the present wages. The granting of the miners' demand would lead to a reduction of from thirty to fifty per centum in the output, and would close some of the large collieries, which were earning small profits, Mr Martshorri, at Maesteg, said that nff Bill would be ac- ■ ceptable to the miners if it deprives them of the right to strike. [ Mr G-. Roberts, M.P., speaking at 1 Sheffield, said the Labour party must watch the Bill from the standpoint of the general "Trade Union movement. They would not allow a national crisis to be utilised to deal a blow direct or indirect at the .general activities of/ the Trades Union .organisation. j The dockers at Middleborough have; refused to discharge a cargo of Ger-j man coal for the municipal gas-j works. | (Several pits near Swansea have been I flooded, owing to the suspension of [ pumping.

WILL IT EXTEND?

FURTHER OPIMONS OF LEADERS.

■Received Last Night, 11.13 o'clock.).

LONDG.N. March 18

Since the transport workers' strike, the membership of the Union has rapidly increased. A quarter of a mil-

I lion are now enrolled. The syndicalist element is fomenting a general strike for a minimum wage. ■'] Mr Thorne, M.P., speaking at. Blackfriars, said that if the coal strike was continued for six weeks,' all trades would be bankrupt. Mr Hall, a Labour M.P., speaking at Rptherham, said the miners would not resume until the Premier's Bill; was passed, and then only for a : month pending the fixing of district: figures.

Mr Victor G-ravson, speaking at C-rewc, said he had received a hundred letters, from soldiers, declaring that- they would refuse to shoot if ordered out. i

Mr Tom Mann, "speaking at Birmingham, said that unless the Government was prepared to compel mine owners to grant the minimum he would urge the railwaymen and transport workers to strike.