ers Prepared to Negotiate New National Agreement: to 2
Labour Costs: Owners Still Irrevocably Opposed to Any but District Arrangements London, Sept. 8.
A letter addressed to the Chan-collar of the Exchequer (Mr. Winston Churchill), signed by Mr. A. J. Cook, the Miners' Secretary, states that the Miners' Executive and the the available sums collected means of a levy on its members in addition to an advance on account of future levies.
The total remittance is Rbls, Delegate Conference request the Chancellor to convene and attend conference of the Mining Ass. tion and the Miners' Federation.
Owners Refusal to Believe in a National Agreement London, Sept. 6.
Mr. Cook declares that the Miners' Federation are prepared to negotiate a new national agreement with a view to reducing labour costs to meet the immediate necessities of the industry.
Following the receipt of this letter the Government has requested the Mining Association to resume negotiations.
Sept. 4.
At length there is a prospect of a settlement of the protracted coal trouble on lines which, it is hoped, will bring an enduring peace in Britain's basic industry, although the owners are still irrevocably opposed to the principle of a national agreement, holding that the freedom resumed by the districts on. the abandonment of control by the Central Council of the Mining Association should be main" tained.
It is declared that district asations of coal-owners will resist renewed abrogation of their powers of negotiation and wages settle: ments: therefore if a national wage basis is agreed upon between the Government and the miners it may be necessary to obtain legislative Jpower to impose it.
On the other hand it is possible that such a. situation may be created that the coal owners! nego-tinting committee may bring its fluence to bear upon the districts to modify their attitude.
A meeting of the Cabinet Coal Committee and repre of the Mining Asso this afternoon, anc hour: lasted for two A verbatim report, issued shows that Mr, Winston. Churebill and. other members of the Committee pleaded with the Association to meet the miners and discuss the qu tions at issue, including a national Agreement.
Mr. Evan Williams, President of the Association, in his reply, em-Dhasized that the Association would not enter into negotiations with the Federation on a national agreement. He declared that there never had been peace in the industry since they had had national agreements, Mr. Churchill emphasized that if the Mining Association decided never to nowotiate on a national basis then the Government would have to move forward upon its own course of action in the Association's absence. He earnestly hoped that the As sociation would seek from its conituents authority to enter a dis. cussion. Tt would be very seri for the Association to take up an unalterable attitude at the present time, Mr, Evan Williams said that they could' not seek powers to do what they felt was wrong, but they would subynit, the facts to a meeting of their Central Committee to-morrow and take their opinion.
Suggestion to Reorganize Their It is noteworthy that the Warwickshire coal owners have notified the miners that a national wage scheme would put them on a level with the lowest paid district: they ark the miners if reduction i rth fighting Yor. "Save your jobs," the owners covise, "and let other dists do the same."
Later.
Representatives of the Mining Association (i.e. the mine-owners) are meeting the Coal Committee of the Cabinet on Monday afternoon to discuss calling a joint conferance of Loth parties to the dis
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.