April 9, 1914.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

797

LABOUR ASD t£A3Ea.

North of England

An adjourned meeting between representatives of the
Northumberland coalowners and of the Miners’ Associa-
tion was held on Friday, at Newcastle, in respect to the
proposal for establishing a sliding scale for the regula-
tion of miners’ wages in the county.—Mr. Straker put
forward proposals on behalf of the men, and various
aspects of the suggested sliding scale were discussed.-T-
The chairman submitted the views of the coalowners,
after which there was a brief adjournment. The chair-
man afterwards intimated that the proposals before the
meeting were of too important a nature to be decided
upon that day, and it was therefore decided to adjourn
the meeting until Saturday, the 25th inst.

Another strike occurred in the Northumberland coal-
field on Tuesday, when about a thousand men and boys
ceased work at Newburgh Colliery. The colliery is one
of the Broomhill group, and the dispute hinges on the
question as to whether the hewers shall be paid piece
rates or a datal wage whilst working in a certain seam.
The men claim that for fifteen years the hewers
have been paid by the shift when working in that
seam, and they are striking against the attempt of the
management to introduce piece work. The manage-
ment intended to make the change last quarter, but the
matter was not pressed. Officials from the Northumber-
land Miners’ Association are to attend a mass meeting of
the men.

Work has been partially resumed at Bowburn Colliery,
near Coxhoe. The colliery has been idle for nearly a
fortnight owing to an inrush of water in the Shin-
cliffe district. The pumping operations have met with
a large measure of success, and some of the 350 idle
miners will be restarted. It is thought probable that the
whole of the district will be cleared in a short time.

At Crawcrook on Saturday morning a mass meeting of
miners passed a resolution expressing “ detestation ” of
the awards of Sir Robert Romer and Lord Mersey, and
calling for drastic action to secure their annulment.

A settlement has been arrived at with regard to the
dispute at Morpeth Moor Colliery. A deputation from
the headquarters of the Northumberland Miners’ Associa-
tion succeeded in inducing the men to return to work,
pending negotiations on the question of the rates for a
new seam. If local negotiations fail, the matter is to be
referred to arbitration.

The “forward” movement of the Durham Miners’
Association has just issued a lengthy document to the
lodges of Durham. It is signed by Mr. W. P.
Richardson, chairman of the movement, and Mr. John
Lawson, C.C., secretary. The document begins by
stating that, despite the good work of the Miners’
Federation to improve the award of Sir Robert Romer
under the Minimum Wage Act, the only satisfaction
they have gained is that Sir Robert Romer has resigned
from the position of chairman of the Board. It is a
mistake, it continues, to think that Durham has accepted
the award as the last word on the matter, as discontent
is rife in Durham. The movement claims it to be their
duty to see that the Minimum Wage Act is amended
next year when it comes up for discussion. “ Who
would trust an umpire after the experience under Sir
Robert Romer ? ” is one of the questions asked in the
document, which goes on to claim that the average wage
should be the minimum rate, and should be laid down in
the Act. The movement is calling a conference to be
held at Horton Colliery on April 25, to be followed by a
mass meeting in the evening.

The members of the Durham Miners’ Association
have elected five Parliamentary Labour candidates, in
addition to the president, Aid. House, who was
elected some time ago. The five are Councillor Joseph
Batey, check weighman, Southilla Colliery, South Shields;
James Gilliland, checkweighman, Birtley'; * W. P.
Richardson, miner, Us worth, president of the Durham
Miners’ Forward Movement ; James Robson, Durham,
agent ; and County Councillor John Lawson, check-
weighman, West Belton, secretary of the Forward
Movement.

The following somewhat unusual resolution has been
passed by the Wallsend Rising Sun branch of the
Northumberland Miners’ Association:—“This lodge,
seeing that it is intended to introduce a measuie to
amend the Coal Mines Act, 1911, strongly urges those
responsible for the new Bill to insert a provision making
_ it compulsory that every mine shall ‘rest ’ for a period
of not less than four hours per day, so that the air may
be purified. We, as practical miners, are strongly of
. opinion that the alarming growth of nystagmus is
entirely due to the unjust methods which prevent the
mines from being cooled and cleaned every day.” The
resolution goes on to call upon the Labour Party to
attempt the carrying out of their resolution, and
concludes : “ The fact that the atmosphere in mines has
been made worse by the poisonous fumes arising from
high explosives now in use is an additional reason for
providing a rest period for all mines.”

The Easington Colliery workmen have decided to
publish notices warning men from other collieries coming
to Easington for work in response to advertisements.
The men allege that by the publication of an advertise-
ment they are being unfairly treated, as about 30 men
are on the funds since notices were served on them in
November, when alterations were commenced in the
North pit. .	.

Owing to the stoppage of the Solway Ironworks and
the closing down of the Ellenbro Colliery, there are a
large number of unemployed in Maryport and district,
and the distress is becoming most acute. At the meet-
ing of the Cockermouth Board of Guardians on Monday
a letter was read from Mr. William Collins, secretary of
the Maryport and District Trades and Labour Council,
urging them to open out some relief work at Maryport.

Federated Area.

The joint committee of the Coal Conciliation Board
met at the Westminster Palace Hotel on Friday for the
purpose of attempting to settle the Yorkshire minimum
wage dispute. The members of the joint committee of
the Conciliation Board present were:—Owners’ side :
Mr. F. L. Jones, Mr. R. Richardson, Mr. J. Parker
Rhodes, Mr. Chas. Pilkington and SirT. Ratcliffe-Ellis.
Men’s side: Mr. J. Wadsworth, M.P., Mr. Albert
Stanley, M.P., Mr. Stephen Walsh, M.P., Mr. A. Hoskin
and Mr. T. Ashton. At the close of the meeting, Sir
Thos. Ratcliffe-Ellis and Mr. Ashton, the joint secre-
taries, issued the following brief statement:—“ A long
discussion took place, and the material points were
reviewed and considered. Substantial progress was
made in respect of one of the points of difference, and
the committee adjourned until Wednesday, the 8th
inst.” It should be mentioned that at the previous
meeting also Mr. Pilkington was present, and not Mr.
Hewlett, as reported.

An important conference of delegates from the
federated mining districts included in the Conciliation
Board area of England and North Wales was held at
the Westminster Palace Hotel on Tuesday. The primary
purpose of the conference was to receive reports from
the miners’ members of the joint committee as to the
progress of the negotiations with the coalowners
respecting the minimum wage dispute in South York-
shire, and from the Yorkshire delegates as to the
position of the men in the county, and to decide the
policy to be recommended to the national conference for
adoption by the Federation. Mr. Stephen Walsh, M.P.
(Lancashire), who presided, reported the progress of the
negotiations with the coalowners oh the minimum wage
question, and the recommendation of the committee of
the Coal Board to the Yorkshire miners to suspend the
strike notices until the negotiations with the coalowners
had been completed. That recommendation was not
acted upon by the Yorkshire miners, but the negotia-
tions had been continued, and practically an agreement
arrived at on the question of adding the percentages to
the minimum wage. The crucial point of the ■ 6d.
granted by Sir Edward Clarke was to be discussed at the
adjourned meeting on the following afternoon.

Mr. John Wadsworth, M.P., Mr. Fred Hall, M.P., and
other Yorkshire representatives, reported on the position
in Yorkshire, the overruling of the recommendation of
the Conciliation Board for the suspending of notices and
the closing of the pits. The Yorkshire delegates com-
plained of the manner in which coalowners in Lancashire,
Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Durham, and Stafford-
shire were rushing supplies of coal into the Yorkshire
market, thus prejudicing the position of the men on
strike. It was urged that the men in the other districts
of the Federation should be balloted for the purpose of
saying whether they were prepared to join in a national
strike in support of the Yorkshire miners.

A general discussion followed the reports, from the
chairman and the Yorkshire delegates. There was
unanimity on the part of all the districts in favour of
giving the Yorkshire miners “ all moral and financial
support ” in their fight for the payment of the full
minima fixed by the district chairman (Sir Edward
Clarke), but the suggestion of a general strike found
little or no support outside the Yorkshire delegates. It
was pointed out that the cause of the dispute was
limited to Yorkshire; that the coalowners in the other
districts were paying the minima to the three percent-
ages added to all those workmen who failed to earn
their wages and, consequently, no grievance existed
outside South Yorkshire.

Following the general discussion, the Conciliation
Board Committee met and drafted the following two
resolutions, which were unanimously adopted by the
conference :—

“ That this conference of representative delegates
from the Federated area expresses its strong indigna-
tion at the action taken by certain colliery owners in
South Yorkshire in bringing about a reduction in the
workmen’s wages, notwithstanding the award of Sir
Edward Clarke, raising the minimum by 6d. per day,
and being of opinion that the principles involved in
the dispute are such as vitally affect all districts
within the Federated area, pledges itself to render to
the Yorkshire Miners’ Association all moral and
financial support.”

“ That information having been given to the con-
ference that colliery owners in other districts are
supplying the Yorkshire owners with coal, we strongly
condemn such conduct, and call upon each district in
the Federated area to take effective steps to end the
practice.”

The executive of the Miners’ Federation afterwards
met to receive the report of the meeting and to consider
their recommendation to the national conference.

Wednesday’s meeting of the joint committee, after a
three hours’ sitting at the Westminster Palace Hotel,
was adjourned until Thursday, April 16. Though no
definite result has been obtained, the continuation of
the negotiations for a settlement of the dispute is a
favourable omen. A member of the sub-committee
informed our reporter that the meeting had been a
useful one, and from another source he hears that there
remains but little between the parties.

A national conserence of the coalmining industry,
called by the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain, was
held at the Westminster Palace Hotel, on Wednesday
morning, to consider the minimum wage dispute with
the Yorkshire coalfield. Mr. Stephen Walsh, M.P., as
vice-president of the Conciliation Board for England,
reported the negotiations which had taken place between
the joint committee of coalowners and men for the
settlement of the dispute. There had, he said, been an
agreement arrived at by the joint committee for the
adding of the three percentages voted by the Concilia-
tion Board to the minima fixed by the district chair-

man. Thus the principle which affected all the districts
in the English Conciliation Board area had been
mutually arranged. The point which remained unsettled
was the advance of 6d. per day given by Sir Edward
Clarke in his award of January 30. The conference then
adjourned until Thursday morning, so that it might
be in possession of the result of the joint meeting of
coalowners and men before coming to any decision on
the policy of the Federation towards the Yorkshire
strike. Our correspondent states that the opinions
expressed by delegates confirm the impression that the
national conference will endorse the policy recommended
by the delegates of the English Conciliation Board area
to support the Yorkshire miners by financial help rather
than by a national stoppage. The policy of financial
support, which is likely to be adopted, will impose a
heavy strain upon the resources of the Federation. The
Yorkshire Miners’Association has 130,000 members, of
whom it is estimated that 90,000 will be eligible for the
Federation allowance of 7s. 6d. per week. Accepting the
figure of 90,000, the weekly cost would be £33,750. If
we take the membership of the Federation outside the
Yorkshire area as 500,000, it would require a weekly
levy of Is. 4d. a member to finance the strike.

In view of the complicated nature of the question in
dispute, a letter of “A Colliery Owner ” contributed. to
the local Press on Tuesday is perhaps worth quoting.
The writer remarks that in the latter part of 1912,
representatives of the owners and workmen met to con-
sider the question of a renewal of the Conciliation
Board for a further term. An agreement was come to,
and one of the conditions was that the men should have
an immediate advance of 5 per cent, on the 1888 basis
rate of wages. The men claimed that the 5 per cent, then
granted should not be employed by the owner to make
up the difference between the men’s earnings and the
minimum wage. If a man earned, on the 1888 basis rate,
4s. per day, plus 50 per cent. =2s., = 6s., the employer
would have to give him 9d. to make him up to the
minimum rate of 6s. 9d. Five percent, on the 4s. equals
about 2Jd., therefore 4s. plus 55 per cent. = 6s. 24d<;
to make the man’s wage up to the minimum of 6s. 9d.,
the employer would.have to give him 6^d. instead of 9d.,
as was the case previous, to the advance of 5 per cent.
This the men objected to, and after discussion the
owners agreed to the insertion of the following words
in the resolution, viz.:—“ 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, in addition to the minimum,
5 per cent, on the 1888 rates ;so long as the wages re-
main at 55 per cent, above the standard of 1888.” The
same agreement was made for the two succeeding
advances of 5 per cent.

The question of the above principle being applied to
those who did earn the minimum and over was never
discussed, nor even mentioned. The writer continues :
“ When it is realised that what the men are now asking
for is equivalent to each of the 5 per cent, rises being
made into 10 per cent., it can be well understood that
the employers would have never consented to such an
arrangement. The agreement is clear, that the advances
are put on to the man’s earnings on the 1888 basis rates,
and not on two-thirds of the minimum rate. If the
advances were added to two-thirds of the minimum rate
of 6s. 9d., it would make that rate 7s. 5d. The miners are
wanting an additional 6d. on the top of this, alleging this
is due under Sir Edward Clarke’s last award, making the
minimum 7s. lid., a figure above the average wage of
many South Yorkshire pits, and if granted would spell
‘ruin’ to many of them. The miners speak of the
anomaly of a man whose earnings are under the existing
minimum receiving the percentages twice over, and the
man earning the minimum and over not having those
percentages, and thus creating an inducement to reduce
his output; but the same anomaly will exist if the
minimum is fixed at 7s. lid. A man earning under
7s. lid. would want to be made up to that figure, but ;a
man who did earn it would get just what he earned, and
no more. . . . It is outside the province of the
chairmen of the respective district boards for dealing
with minimum wage questions to have anything what-
ever to do with the Conciliation Board arrangements.
They are two distinct and separate bodies.”

The council of the Derbyshire Miners’ Association, on
Saturday, pledged itself to contribute financial assis-
tance to the men on strike, subject to the approval of
the various lodges comprised in the association.

The West Yorkshire Coalowners’ Association is stated
to be undertaking an exhaustive enquiry into the
methods of payment of the minumum wage at the
various collieries with a view to straightening out
possible causes of the difference so as to put in operation
a uniform system of payment in all the districts. The
questions which are put to the management of the
various collieries show the scope of the enquiry and the
value of the information when obtained in the prepara-
tion of a uniform system.

Our Doncaster correspondent writes .—The coal strike
has, of course, been the principal topic of conversation
in the Doncaster district the last few days. Nobody
wanted it, neither masters nor men, and everybody will
be only too delighted when news comes that it is at an
end. The unwillingness of the men in the Doncaster
area to throw down their tools has been exemplified in
many ways, and in one district the disposition to ignore
the instructions to strike was so strong that a collision
occurred between the last shift to come out and the
afternoon shift, who wished to descend and keep the pit
running in spite of the Barnsley injunction. At the
Maltby Main Colliery the notices did not expire till
Saturday last, and consequently this colliery was
running all last week, while others were idle. The men,
indeed, had hopes that the dispute would be
settled before they were due . to come out,
and that they would have been able to have worked on
continuously. Those who are best informed in regard