April 18, 1913.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

815

LABOUR ANO WAGES.

North of England.

The resignation of Mr. Thomas Burt, M.P., from the
office of general secretary to the Northumberland
Miners’ Association is to be considered by the union
executive at this week’s meet ng. Proposals will be
brought before the executive for the abolition either of
the general secretaryship or the corresponding secre-
taryship, held by William Straker, and the adoption of
the principle of one man one job.

A meeting between the Cleveland mineowners and
the Cleveland miners’ representatives was held at
Middlesbrough this week, Mr. A. F. Pease presiding,
when the question of wages to be paid to the miners
during the ensuing three months was considered. The
chairman intimated that the amount of advance to
which the men were entitled, according to the recent
ascertainment, was 3’55 per cent., which the owners
offered. The men’s representatives said they would
place the offer before the men, and the meeting was
adjourned until the 28th inst.

The strike of surfacemen at Lowca Colliery was
satisfactorily settled on Monday, pending the decision
of the enquiry which is to be held at Workington this
week. The Lowca Colliery Company have decided to
reinstate Cartmell, the bunker hand, who was dismissed
12 weeks ago for refusing to join the Cumberland
Miners’ Association, and the whole of the men started
on Tuesday morning.

The National Federation of Trade Unions have been
•considering the dispute between the N.A.U.L. (which
has affiliated to it the Cumberland Miners’ Association),
this week, and has deputed Mr. T. H. Watkins, of the
Amalgamated Society of Engineers, and Councillor J.
Taylor, J.P., of the Midland Federation, to hold an
enquiry into the circumstances at Workington next
week. About 300 surfacemen received strike pay from
the N.A.U.L. on Saturday.

What were described as test cases under the Minimum
Wage Act, brought at the instance of the Cumberland
Miners’ Association, were heard at the Wigton County
Court last week. The proceedings were an echo of
the great coal strike of last year, the hewers suing the
All Hallows Collieries Limited for balance of wages due
for the first week of the resumption of work. On behalf
of plaintiffs, it was stated that the manager of the
defendant company held the men were not entitled to
the minimum wage rate for the first week, work only
being resumed on the Tuesday, but that, on the dispute
coming before the Cumberland Joint Committee, he
altered his position, and restricted the dispute to the
first day of the first week. The joint committee
accordingly merely awarded a three-quarter day’s pay for
the first day, and ignored the remainder of the week.
It was the enforcement of this award, and a further
claim in respect to the remainder of the week, that came
before the judge. On behalf of the defendants, it was
argued that a county court judge had no jurisdiction to
deal with a settlement under the Minimum Wage Act.
His Honour Judge Taylor, ruled against the colliery
company on every point, and gave judgment for the
workmen for the amount claimed. He refused leave to
appeal.

Mr. Charles Thompson has been appointed president
of the Durham Cokemen’s and By-product Works
Association, in succession to the late Mr. R. Hansom.
The post carries with it the presidency of the Lancashire,
Durham, Yorkshire and Derbyshire Federation.

Federated Area.

The Conciliation Board for the Federated districts in
England and North Wales on Tuesday unanimously
agreed to a further 5 per cent, in miners’ wages. This is the
third advance of 5 per cent, which has been granted in a
period of six months, and brings wages up to 65 per
cent, above the standard, the maximum wage fixed in
the agreement, which continues until March, 1915. This
will be the highest wage which has been paid in the
Federated mining districts of England and North
Wales since the establishment of a Conciliation Board
in the spring of 1894, as an outcome of the Rosebery
agreement. It is stated that the Board at its meeting on
Tuesday had the figures of the average selling prices at
the representative collieries in the area. These worked
out at an average of 9s. 3 32d. per ton, as compared
with an average of 8s. 7’32d. when the last advance was
granted. Both parties held meetings previous to the
joint Board meeting. The actual sitting of the Con-
ciliation Board was brief, the coalowners conceding the
advance asked for, the only matter requiring adjust-
ment being the date from which the advance was to be
paid.

The following is the official report of the proceedings :—
A meeting of the Coal Conciliation Board for the federated
mining districts in England and North Wales was held at

the Westminster Palace Hotel, to consider an application
for a 5 per cent, advance in wages.

Mr. F. J. Jones, South Yorkshire, presided, and there were
present, representing the coalowners, Messrs. J. J. Addy,
South Yorkshire; C. B. Crawshaw and J. F. Warrington,
West Yorkshire; W. H. Hewlett and L. E. Pilkington,
Lancashire and Cheshire; A. Leslie Wright. W. B. M.
Jackson and H. Westlake, Midland counties; D. Dyke
Dennis, North Wales; Col. A. H. Heath, North Staffs; Col.
W. E. Harrison, Cannock Chase; and Sir Thos. Ratcliffe-
Ellis, secretary. The miners’ representatives were Messrs.
W. E. Harvey, M.P., vice-president; S. Walsh, M P.,and T.
Greenall, Lancashire and Cheshire; J. Wadsworth, M P.,
H. Smith and S. Roebuck, Yorkshire; W. Johnson, M.P.,
Warwickshire; A. Stanley, M.P., Cannock Chase; J. G.
Hancock, M.P., and W. Carter, Nottingham; B Kenyon,
Derbyshire; G. Hughes, North Wales; W. E. Buckley,
South Derbyshire; and Thos. Ashton, secretary.

The following resolution was unanimously adopted:—

“ That an advance of wages of 5 per cent, on the basis
rate of 1888 be paid to all underground workmen and
those on the pit banks and screens manipulating the coal.
Such advance to commence as from the making-up day
in the week commencing April 27, and be paid on May 9
and 10, as the case may be. That the above advance be
applied as regards boys and day-wage men either on the
basis rat 2 of 1888 or on the list rate, as has been the case
hitherto. Where workmen are paid by contract, and are
not earning the minimum rate fixed by the Joint District
Board for the district, there shall be paid to such
workmen and to those employed by them, in addition to
the minimum, a further 5 per cent, on the 1888 rate, so
long as the wages remain at 65 per cent, above the basis
of 1888. In the event of a reduction of wages the above
is to be subject to such reduction.”

The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the presi-
dent and vice-president.

The decision of the Board granting a 5 per cent,
advance in the rate of wages and bringing the wage-rate
up to the maximum of 65 per cent, on the standard is
marked by a new departure in the method of granting
such advances. Hitherto the practice has been to
arrange for an advance or a reduction in the wage-rate
to take effect from a fixed making-up day. The result
has been to give a varying date at which the advance or
reduction was paid to men. For instance, if the
making-up was on the following day to that fixed, the
advance in wages became immediately operative ; if the
making-up was on the previous day, the change in
wages did not take effect until after the next making-up
day. As in most of the counties the collieries have
different making-up days, it happened that the men
employed at one colliery were receiving their advance
of wage a week or more earlier than at other collieries.
On this occasion it was mutually agreed between the
parties to fix a day at which the advance should be
paid at every colliery. Consequently all the under-
ground workmen and those employed on the pit banks
and screens manipulating the coal will receive the 5 per
cent, advance in their wages paid on May 9 or 10, as the
case may be. With the 5 per cent, advance granted on
Tuesday, wages have reached the maximum of 60 per
cent, under the existing agreement, which continues
until March 1915, and is then only terminable at three
months’ notice.

A general stoppage of the collieries in South Stafford-
shire and East Worcestershire is threatened unless
there is a termination to the agitation which the
colliery enginemen have been carrying on for nearly
12 months. Their demands for an eight hours day, a
6s. 3d. minimum, and 6d. a day additional for stokers
were discussed at a conference of masters and men at
the Priory Offices, Dudley, on Monday. A scheme of
settlement was formulated, and this was considered at
a conference of colliery enginemen and stokers held on
the following day. It was stated that the terms of the
offer of the employers, although representing a sub-
stantial increase in wages, were not altogether accep-
table, and counter proposals had been formulated. The
adjourned conference with the employers was fixed for
Monday next at The Priory.

The difficulties arising out of the “ home ” coal
question under the Butterley Company and Fords’
Limited (Ripley) were discussed at great length at the last
council meeting of the Derbyshire Miners’ Federation,
and Messrs. Harvey and Hall were instructed to meet the
coalowners at the earliest opportunity, as the men have
decided to hand in their notices unless the dispute is
settled immediately. The question arises out of the
settlement of a minimum wage for the banksmen of
4s. 2Jd. per day. Since the agreement, it was said, the
two companies have stopped 3Jd. per day for every day
worked, to cover the cost of home coal, which the men
declare is altogether outside the agreement.

Mr. Eustace Mitton, agent for the Butterley
Company’s Derbyshire Collieries, has since stated that
the agreement entered into in April 1912 in connection

with the Derbyshire banksmen and the Midland Colliery
Owners’ Association settled a uniform rate of wages for
banksmen in the county of Derby without any reference
whatever to any further allowances in the shape of
house coal or anything else. As it had been the custom,
up to the time when the agreement was entered into, for
the Butterley Company Limited to supply householders
at their collieries with free coal, except the charge for
carting, a sum of l^d. per day has been deducted from
the banksmen, which was confirmed in a meeting on
January 28 by a committee appointed by the owners
and workmen to settle disputes in Derbyshire, and it
was also agreed that from September 5 any amounts
deducted in excess of IJd. should be returned to the
men, and this was done early in February. He maintains
that it is quite unreasonable to expect the Butterley
Company to continue to give free coal when they have
to pay the same rate of wages as the neighbouring
collieries who charge for the load of coal.

A report was made to the recent conference of
the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain that attempts
had been made in Staffordshire and other districts
of the Federation to recruit miners for the Cumberland
district of British Columbia. As it is understood
that a strike is prevailing there, Mr. Ashton was
instructed to cable at once to the general secretary
of the United Mine Workers of America to obtain
precise information as to the exact state of affairs, and
then to communicate such information immediately to
the various districts of the Federation.

Miners’ Federation of Great Britain

The executive of the Miners’ Federation of Great
Britain met in London on the 11th inst, Mr. R. Smillie
(president) in the chair. At the last annual conference
of the Federation it was resolved to endeavour to bring
into the Federation all the surfacemen engaged in
manipulating coal, who were not already members, with
a view to obtaining for them the benefits incurred on
underground workers by the Mines (Eight Hours) Act,
and by the Minimum Wage Act. The committee had
before them a report regarding the position of matters
at the mines in Cumberland, and having heard this
report, it was resolved to endorse the action of the
Cumberland miners in carrying out the annual
conference resolutions on the subject of surface
workmen.

Scotland.

A meeting of the Scottish Coal Trade Conciliation
Board was held on the 14th inst. in the North British
Station Hotel, Glasgow, the business being the arrange-
ment of a new wages agreement. At the meeting of. the
Board held on March 25 last to consider a claim by the
coalmasters for a reduction of wages to the extent of
12J per cent., it was decided to defer the question at
issue and to hold a meeting with a view to arriving at a
new wages agreement. After considerable discussion,
the meeting was adjourned until Monday, 21st inst.

The Minimum Wage Act.

The following decisions have been made by the chair-
man (Rt. Hon. Sir Robert Romer, G.C.B.), of the Joint
Board for the Durham District:—

1. Putters—Question of Bonus in addition to Minimum Wage.

** With regard to these putters it seems to me that the
bonuses were something in addition to the ordinary
wages, and therefore I think they ought to be paid in
addition to the ordinary wage.”

2 Powers of Local Umpires to determine whether any parti,
cular persons are entitled to house and coals.

“ As a matter of fact, it is clear to me that such a
question as you have been discussing does not arise under
these rules at all, and will have to be settled in the
ordinary way.”

3. The Laid-Out being deducted from Minimum Wages.

“ If a workman has not in any respect forfeited his
right to the minimum wage, then if, after deducting laid-
out, it does not come up to the minimum wage, he is
entitled to the minimum wage.”

A meeting of the Lancashire and Cheshire Joint
Board was held on the 14th inst. at the Queen’s Hotel,
Manchester. After the meeting it was officially reported
that several matters relating to the working of the
Minimum Wage Act had been discussed, and the
meeting was adjourned until April 28. Among other
things to be decided by the board was the appointment
of a new independent chairman, in succession to the
late Judge Bradbury. It was unanimously agreed to
ask his Honour Judge Mellor, the judge of the Manchester
County Court, to accept the position.

Regulation of Output.

It is announced that the executive committee of the
International Miners’ Federation has decided that the
time is not ripe for the adoption of any scheme for
the regulation of the output of coal. The committee,
however, has recommended the miners of all nations to