London, June 4.
Notwithstanding the miners' rejection of the Government's proposal, there is a firm impression that the protracted dispute will be settled at an early date. It is believed that the air is likely to be considerably cleared by the owners' reply to the Government which indicated the points whereon an agreement can be built. The reply, besides laying down the owners' reply to the Government, enters into particulars which elucidate the terms of their previous offers, and moreover. contains a plan providing improvements on them which will increase the colliers' pay under revised conditions. The owners further agree to a subsistence wage for low paid workers.
The miners will hold another meeting to-day when they are likely to consider the foregoing proposal and also the well-supported proposal from Northumberland that a national conference should be convened to discuss the position.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.