Papurau Newydd Cymru
Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru
14 erthygl ar y dudalen hon
WHY MINERS STRIKE. __
WHY MINERS STRIKE. 147 ———— Plain Talk to the Government. e. The Limitations of Coercion. -e.. —— We reproduce below, from "The Manchester Guardian," the leading Liberal newspaper in the country, a striking leading article dealing with the coal crisis:- We trust (says the "Guardian") that the public will view the action of the South Wales miners with the greatest possible coolness and for bearance. There is every temptation to a very different attitude, but' to resist that temptation is the best way to avert a serious peril to the country. What has actually happened, and why has it happened? The South .Wales miners, in view of the rise in the price of coal on the one hand and I of the cost of living on the other, put forward certain demands for increases of pay. i These demands were considered by a Conference arranged by the Board of Trade bet ween representatives of the fmen on the one side and of the Government on the other, and propos- als were agreed upon which did not give the miners all they asked, but nevertheless amounted to substantial advances. < MINERS NOT UNPATRIOTIC. Delegates then met directly repre- senting the men and rejected these proposals, threw over the plan of work- ing from day to day pending negotia- tions, and decided by a majority on a strike to begin on Thursday. The Government. departments are well supplied for the time being, but no words are needed to paint the ser- jous nature of the results if the strike should be of long continuance. We are not to suppose that the South (Wales miners are either ignorant of these results or indifferent to them. Like the rest of us, they have sons and brothers at the front. We have no reason to think them less concerned for the safety of the nation than other sections of society How then can we understand their action ? "BREAKDOWN OF TRADE UNION- ISM." Wo may remark first that we have before us a fresh instance, not of the social dangers inherent in trade union- ism, but. of the dangers consequent up- on that partial breakdown of trade unionism which began about five years ago. This is not the first occasion by many on which the men have either revolted against their leaders or carried them along against their better judgment. The representatives of the men came to an agreement, with the Board of Trade. The Executive-of the Miners' Federa*- tion met on Monday, and earnestly -called upon the South Wales men to continue work pending further nego- tiations. It was thd men themselves who in- structed their delegates to reject all compromise and stand upon the pleni- tude of their demands. The fighting element in trade union- ism that had been tamed awhile by the grimmer fight in which all Europe is engaged has come to its own again. It recks of no consequences, but goes full steam ahead for whatever it takes for the moment to be its right. r BAD ECONOMIC TEACHING. I But how does this spirit obtain as- cendancy at such a time as this over a great body of men ? For answer we must look to the kind of education that the men have re- ceived from the press, the economists, and a, section of the business world. They have been taught by too many a scribe that the whole economic duty of man consists in buying cheap an selling dear. I They have had this lesson impressed on them when they were under the market. They are applying it now that they are on top of the market. They have seen prices rising in all directions to the immense advantage of sellers. They were told by statesmen when the question was raised in February that this process was economically necessary. and that Government could not interfere. Again they have applied the lesson. COERCION USELESS. I Now the fundamental remedy is tllat ) this lesson should be unlearnt. Coercion in such a case as this will not hew hundredweights, where persua- sion will hew its tons. The Government, of course, has pro- claimed the South Wales coalfields under the Munitions of War Act, but they will have to be very careful lest the administration of the Act should only exaspera to. They have not to do with a strike artifically fostered by a small committee of leaders which might he hamstrung by the destruction of its central organ- isation. They are faced with a mass movement which needs very lit-tie in the way of overt organisation to make itself effectual. Indeed, even if men can be forced into the pits by fear of repeated fines, no human power can make them put forth their full energy at the face of the coal if they prefer their resent- ment to their wages. GOVERNMENT MUST BE IM- I PARTIAL. Once again it must be said we must gain the men's minds if we would seek a radical remedy. The Government must recognise, and let the miners see that they recog- nise, underlying a policy which is both unreasonable and disastrous not mere greed of gain but a rankling sense of injustice which is intelligible enough in itself, however lamentable in its ex- pression. In a word, they must show that they are seeking to hold the scales evenly as between employers and employed. At the last moment a step in this direction has been taken by the Government in the announcement by Mr Runciman of a Bill for the regu- lation of the price of coal. DILATORY MR. RUNCIMAN. I It would have been far better if this better if this action had been taken act-ion had been taken earlier. The questions involved are complex and technical, such as ought to be dis- cussed with coolness and deliberation rather than rushed through on the eve, or perhaps on the morrow, of a strike. The case of coal is not as that of wheat, where it was possible to show that the bulk of the rise in prices oc- curred abroad, and to argue that the rise would correct itself and lead to an increased production, which would tend to safeguard the sufficiency, of our sup. ply in the months to come. Coal is produced entirely within our own shores, the price is controlled ex- clusively by British owners and mer- chants, and there was no question of any shortage except such as arose from the diminution of available labour by recruiting. FIXING PRICES. I Prices might have been fixed to the advantage of the poorer householders a.nd to the enhancement of the reputa- tion of Ministers for dealing evenly with employers and employed. Not that the Government can stop at coal. If in the case of other in- dustries it is not convenient to fix prices it is possible to tax profits, and the Government would do well to mature their plans for this object. There is a widespread sense of irri- tation in the labour world, which is with some difficulty controlled in most cases, but has come to the surface in South Wales. It is based on the belief that certain sections of trade, not the war indus- tries alone, make a profit out of the national calamity, while labour is hard- worked, lectured for (slackness, and re- quired to sacrifice important privileges. CURTAILMENT OF PROFITS. I There a.re reasons which the labour world itself appreciates, we believe, for the demands which Government has made upon it. But what it wants is assurance that equal opportunities for the exercise of patriotic .self-restraint should be ex- tended to the employer and the middle- man. The Government has partly met this demand in the case of the manufacture of munitions by a curtailment of profits. It makes another effort to meet it now in the case of the coal trade. It must develop, systematise, and complete t,his policy if it wishes to heal the breach with labour which began when the demand for a limitation of I prices was summarily rejected without any attempt at an alternative pro- gramme.
[No title]
The adjourned meeting of the An- thracite Miners' Association was held at Swansea on Saturday, under the presidency of Mr W. Walters, J.P., Abercrave. There was a lengthly dis- cussion on the non-Unionist question, which is again causing considerable annoyance, ar.d ihe application made by Gwendraeth. Blaen-Hirwain, Wernos, 'and Diamond Collieries for permission to tender notices was acceded tû. and will be sent on to the Central Execu- tive Council. The agents, Messrs. J. 1. D Morgan and John James, presented I a report of the negotiations regarding the new agreement. The meeting passed a resolution expressing confi- dence in the South Wales Miners' Executive.
!————4-0 MOND NICKEL CO S.…
———— 4-0 MOND NICKEL CO S. PROFITS. I At the annual meeting of the Mond Nickel Co., it was stated that the profits for the year amounted to £300,296, which with £ 91,917 brought forward, totalled au increase of £ 39,000 over the amount for last year. The value of property owned by the company in Canada. now stands at £ 1,527,000.
HOW GERMANY WILL BE BEATEN.
HOW GERMANY WILL BE BEATEN. NEUTRAL MILITARY EX- PERT'S VIEWS. (The following article is repro- duced from the New York "lVorld," which described it as presenting "An analysis of the war and its prospects by a mitli- tary expert whose name is known from one end of the country to the other. The name is omitted in obedience to the order of President Wilson, which stops oiffcers of the Army and of the Navy from pub- licly discussing the war.) I think there is a general miscon- ception of the war situation. People in this country appear to have lost their perspectives. They have become accustomed to looking at only one part of the map at a time. They appear also to have forgotten that the various enemy forces are working in accord and that every movement is a. part of a general programme. No man can keep the war situation well inj mind unless he keeps always before him the fact that this war will be won by men and iron and by nothing else. What I mean is that the armies which have the greatest number of men and the greatest amount of iron are likely to win out in the end. Up to the present time neither set. of Allies has really tested its resources of either kind. GERMANY ON DEFENSIVE. I When the war began Germany was I in the pink of condition. Her great stroke—the drive to Paris—failed. Not- I withstanding small victories here and there Germany has been strictly on the defensive since the battle of Marne. Unless Sine begins a great offensive movement in the very near future, the war will develop into a test- of re- sources, with Germany permanently on the defensive. I said that Germany is on the de- fensive everywhere. This may not sound correct in view of the recent activities on the Russian line, where the Austrians and Germans have been constantly winning during the last few I weeks. The Austrian campaign against Russia should not be taken too serious- ly at the present time. The Russians do not hope to make any real impres- sion upon the Austrian-German lines at present. The one purpose of the Rus- sion machine is to draw the German forces away from the French line and incidentally to compel Germany to sacrifice a soldier every time a Russian is killed. The Russian evacuation of the var- ious fortresses in Austria, culminating in Lemberg, represents samples of ex- cellent strategy from the standpoint of the Allies. First, the. Russians swooped down and killed thousands of Austrians in taking this section. It was quite apparent that -Russia could I not maintain her position if the Ger- mans made a real attack. The Rus- sians knew they could not do so, be- cause they ar? short of guns and am- munition. The campaign resulted in two great advantages-first, many soldiers were withdrawn from the French lines; and second, many Aus- trians and Germans were killed. THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN. Russia can afford to retreat for weeks, if not for months. She can continue the defensive.movement until the fall, when cold weather puts an end to the northern campaign, pro- viding that at all time she engages a strong enough force of Germans to weaken the other German line. Russia is now training several great Armies. She is preparing to get guns and ammunition for them. These Armies probably will not be ready to turn loose on the Germans until next spring, when you may expect to see the real Russian campaign started. In the meantime. Italy will keep plugging away at the Austrian lines, thereby compelling the Kaiser to stretch out his force to such an extent that it will be impossible for him to concentrate for a real drive against the Allies on the French and Belgian lines. The Allies' game at present is a waiting game. They can afford to wait until nex year, if necessary, to put the second great Russian Armies in the field and to get the second British Armies in action. In the meantime it is probable that Bulgaria and the other Balkan States will enter the war, I thereby again lengthening the German- Austrian lines. I ONLY ONE EFFECTIVE MOVE. I It is quite apparent that the Allies at pnsent are unable to make any real offensive movements against the Ger- mans and Austrians. A victory at one spot means nothing. Places count for almost nothing in the present straggle. The only movement that will ever have a real effect upon the situation will be when one set of Allies breaks through the lines of the other and destroys a great part of an army. A mere falling back along the line, as was done at Lemberg, will avail Germany nothing in the long run. With the French, British, and Belgians on her back, Germany can never hope to conquer Russia, and the only thing of value that she can accomplish is to de- stroy the Russian Army. This she has failed to do. (Continued at bottom of next column)
HUGE TASK OF PUTTING BELGIUM…
HUGE TASK OF PUTTING BELGIUM ON RATIONS. Some striking statistics in regard to relief work in Belgium were given by Mr Hoover, chairman of the Interna- tional Commission, at a "onference on relief work during war, h-i at King's College, London. "I could bore you stiff with details of the multitudinous branches of our work," he observed laconically, "but the main facts are these:— £ 11,000 worth of foodstuffs have been supplied and sold up to June 30; 293 complete shiploads, comprising over 600,000 tons of hreadstuffs have been imported; L700,000 a month is spent in the up- keep of the canteens for Belgians ab- solutely destitute LIOO,000 has been spent by the com- mittee appointed to look after home- less and orphan children; 24,000 children have been placed in temporary homes until after the war; 20,000 foreign refugees in Belgium are also being cared for and fed; £ 100,000 has been spent in the erec- tion of temporary shelters in destroyed communities; £ 680,000 worth of crothing has been distributed through the Central Cloth- ing Bureau in Brussels; R440,OW have been distributed to the destitute for the purchase of clothing locally; and The total subventions up to date in actual cash is about £ 3,000,000. EFFORTS RESTRICTED. Mr Hoover explained that the work of the Commission was sharply divided into a provisioning department and a benevolent department. Owing to the absolute stoppage of the trade of the country they had pracically to repro- vision it Their efforts to do so were restricted by the amount. of money at their dis- posal and by the limitation imposed by the Allied Governments on the amount of foodstuffs they were allowed to import. As a result of that re- striction they had had to put the whole nation on rations. It is gratifying to know that regu- lar contributions are being sent to the National Fund to assist in the splen- did work outlined by Mr Hoover, from the Swansea Valley, notably from Y&- talyfera, the Belgian Refugee Com- mittee of which place is devoting prac- tically the whole of the local collections to this worthy object. It would be in- teresting to learn what other local com- mittees are doing in this direction, and we would be glad to publish particu- lars if the various secretaries will for- ward them. ————— ————
CANDIDATE FOR GOWER. I j
CANDIDATE FOR GOWER. j IMPORTANT MUNITIONS POST. Lieutenant Peter Thomas, of th? 6th Li.eutellRTht Peter cm, of the 6th Battalion the Welsh Regiment, who in private life is a well-known solicit- or and largely interested in Yorkshire industrial concerns, a native of Neath, and the Conservative candidate for Gower, has been appointed organising secretary under the Munitions Ministry in charge of the Yorkshire area. He will take up his duties this week. Lieutenant Thomas, who has re- markable organising power, joined the 6th Welsh (after previous military ex-, perience) on the outbreak of war, and went to the front last October in charge of the machine-gun section, re- turning a couple of months ago to the Swansea headquarters of the regiment, II where he has since been engaged in preparing drafts for the Active Service Battalion. I
MINERS REJECT GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS.
MINERS REJECT GOVERN- MENT PROPOSALS. STOPPAGE UNTIL DEMANDS ARE CONCEDED. DELEGATES' SEARCHING CRITICISM. A special conference of the delegates of the South Wales Miners' Federation was held at Cardiff on Monday to con- sider the position in the coalfield, and to receive the report of the Federation Executive Council on the consultation between the miners' leaders and the Board of Trade with regard to the Government's proposals for a new wage agreement in the coalfield. Mr J ames W instone, Acting presi- dent of the South Wales Miners' Federation, presided, and there were over 30 delegates present, vrho, it was understood, had received mandates from the lodges how to vote. It was anticipated, after the meetings held on Saturday and Sunday in the var- ious districts, that there would be a large majority in favour of continuing th9 present day-to-day contracts until a suitable agreement could he arrived at, but this hope was falsified, be- cause the delegates did not represent the district meetings and the mass meetings, but the Federation lodges. LEADERS' ADVICE. The Executive Council on Saturday had decided that it could not advise the workmen to agree to Clause D of the interpretations dealing with the application of the new standard to underground day wagemen who under certain circumstances are on rates be- low 3s.4d., as this might involve the perpetuation of the old standard rates as a basis of the new standard. The Council was also in doubt as to the precise meaning to be attached to several of the interpretations given, but they were willing to meet the owners at a further meeting to be pre- sided over by the President of the Board of Trade, with the view of en- deavouring to arrive at an arrange- ment satisfactory to the workmen. It was further recommended, pending this meeting, and a decision being arrived at, tihat work be continued on the understanding that any terms which are come to shall relate back to the 1st July, 1915, it being further dis- tinctly understood that before any agreement is entered into it shall be submitted to and ratified by the work- men. Mr Winstone read this recommenda- tion to the conference, and Mr Tlios. Richards. M.P., general secretary of the South Wales Miners' Federation. was to explain the situation in detail when delegates began to ask questions as to the meaning of the interpreta- tions. DELEGATES STATE THEIR VIEWS Delegates then gave their views up- on the position, and whilst objecting generally to the proposals, they par- ticularly took exception to the inter- pretation relative to able-bodied work- men. It was stated that at present coal- owners were taking advantage of this provision regarding able-bodied work- men in Lord St. Aldwyn's award and engaging partially disabled men to do the work of other men at lower rates. Exception was taken to the contention of Mr Runciman, President of the Board of Trade, that 5s. a day must be given to able-bodied men, and it was feaned that the same difficulty would be experienced as had been in the past. With regarci to the position of the underground day wagemen, the Execu- tive Council had feared that. this matter, being left unsettled, might lead to reversion to the old standard wages of 1879, and asked for assur- ances that fchis should not be so. In this matter, therefore, the Council had advised the conference not to accept the clause. THE MINIMUM, AND ANTHRA- CITE DISTRICT 5 PER CENT. Very strong exception was taken to Mr Runciman's stipulation regarding doing away with the minimum, but it was explained that for the period which the agreement would cover there would be no likelihood of wages coming down to the proposed new standard. Delegates, however, urged that in every other coalfield agreement a mini- t ma. had been fixed, and it was main- ¡ tained that the same principle should be embodied in the proposed new agree, ment for South Wales, and that South Wales should insist upon a minimum of 10 per cent. above the proposed new. standard. Another objection was taken by the delegates of the Anthracite district, who urged that they had been promised that in any new agreement arrived at provision should be made for the extra five per cent due to them, and this had not been suggested in the Govern- ment's proposals for a settlement, therefore the delegates from the An- thracite District could not support the recom mend at ion. At this stage it was suggested that the conference should be adjourned until the morning, but the motion was defeated on a show of hands. THE VOTING. From the body of the hall a dele- gate proposed the rejection of the Executive Council's recommendation, (Continued at bottom of next column)
SOUTH WALES COALFIELD I PROCLAIMED.
SOUTH WALES COALFIELD I PROCLAIMED. Strike or Lock Out Punishable. ACTION BY THE GOVERN- MENT. | As a result of the dec i sion of the As r" I(SuIt of the d-ecision of the Miners' Conference on Monday* to cease work throughout the whole of the South Wales area. on Thursday, the Government on Tuesday issued a proclamation placing the coalfield under the Munitions Act, The effect of this is to make it an offence to take part in a strike or lock-out unless the difference had been reported to the Board of Tra.de and the Board of Trade had not within twenty-one days of such report referred it for settlement by one of the methods prescribed in the Act. The Proclamation points out that Section 3 of the Munitions of N", ar Act (which deals with differences as to rates of wages, hours of work, or conditions of employment on the manufacture, of war material or other articles required for use. in war) may be applied to such difference at any time, whether a lock- out or strike is in existence or not. I PROCLAMATION AND PENALTIES. ihe Proclamation adds And whereas a difference within the meaning of this section exists be- tween employers and persons em- ployed in the coal mining industry of South Wales as to rates of wagu" hours of work or otherwise as to terms or conditions of or affecting employment in connection with the terms of a proposed agreement be- tween the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coalowners' Federation, for the settlement of differences of the nature aforesaid: And whereas in our opinion the exis- tence or continuance of the said difference is directly and indirectly prejudicial to the manufacture, trans- port, and supply of munitions of ? war; ore, v?e bv a-,i d with tbt- Now, therefore, we by and with the I advice of our Privy Council, are pleased to proclaim, direct, and or- dain that Part 1. of the Munitions of War Act, 1915, shall apply to the said difference. In the case of a. lock-out in contraven- tion of the provision of the Act affected the penalty is a fine not exceeding L5, in respect of each man locked out, for each day or part of a day while the con- travention last, A penalty not exceed- illg £ 5 per day or part of a day is that incurred by a contravening striker.
I -z- ---I FISHGUARD STRIKE…
z FISHGUARD STRIKE ENDED The strike of quaymen at Fishguard has collapsed. All the men returned to work on Monday upon the former terms. They, however, understood that. Sir George Askwith, who wired for particulars of the dispute, would settle the differences in favour of the quaymen. The soldiers who under- took the discharging of the ships have returned to their respective camps.
SUCCESS OF THE WAR LOAN
SUCCESS OF THE WAR LOAN I CHANCELLOR'S STATEMENT. The new War Loan figures up to Saturday last are as follow Through the Bank £ 570.000,000 Subscribers 550,000 Through Po?t Office £ 15.000,000 Subscribers 547,000 Mr. McKenna in the House of Com- mons asked leave of, Tuesday to make a statement as to the subscription to the War Loan. (Hear, hear.) He said :— Since the list was closed on Saturday last estimates have appeared in some news- papers that subscriptions have been re- ceived to the amount of between seven arid eight hundred millions. I would like to &ay at once that such a total as that was neither expected nor desired. It would have created quite an unnecessary disturbance in cur business financial ar- rangements, and, indeed, I may go fur- ther, and say that had any such amount as 800 millions been in view, I should have found it necessary to close the lists. The actual number of subscribers to the Loan thiough the Bank of England has been 550,000, and the actual amount sub- scribed £ 570,000,000. (Cheers.) I would like to remind the House that this gigan- tic total represents only new money. T- Vrr.) It docs not include any amount of stuck which will be issued fw the purpose of conversion, nor does it include any subscription through the Pott Office. (Hear, hear.) POST OFFICE SUBSCRIBERS. As regards the Post Office, we mutt not forget that applications did not close on Saturday, and that consequently the figures do not by any means include the whole amount of the subscriptions, but up to last Saturday through the Post Office 547,000 persons had applied for a total sum of £ 15,000,000. (Hear, hear.) I regret to say 1 am unable to give the House any figures at present with regard to the number of vouchers sold, but here again, as the selling of vouchers is a con- tinuous process, I shall be able to give the House a more accurate statement and forecast in two or three weeks' time th-i; it is possible to give now. This huge total of nearly £ 600,000,000 -(cheers)-is far and avt3y beyond any amount ever subscribed in the world's history-(hear. hear)—and has only been obtained by the patriotic response of the whole of the people. (Hear, hear.) I cannot speak without emotion of the efforts which have been made by every class of the community to scrape together all the rescourots upon which they could lay their hands in order to subscribe to the loan. We must not forget that the applica- tion for this amount is in respect only of available resources. The markets have been practically closed for the sale of all securities. Thousands of people who would have been willing to sell securities were unable to do so because there were no buyers, and consequently this sum represents actual subscription of every- thing that is available. TRIBUTE TO THE PRESS. That result ha> been obtained not only by the patriotic response of the whole nation but by the -Press. (Hear, hear.) I wish on behalf of the House to express our thanks for the efforts the Press have made to secure success in this great na- tional effort. (Hear, Ilear.)..All classes have been equally concerned, the private individual, the trading interests, and the great banks—joint-stock and ptivate-all have contributed to this gigantic total, and we owe the nation's thanks to all. I would also like to refer in the nx«t appreciative terms to the work which has been done by the Bank of England. (Hear, hear.) j his has been an exhibi- t'on, a neeessa: exhibition, of the un- rivalled financial resources of the British Empire. They have been thrown into the scale in this war, and the reeult is a declaration to our Allies and to our enemies alike that the United Kingdom will prove faithful to its trust in the cause of the Allies. (Cheers.)
1-0 AS IN ENGLAND.
1-0 AS IN ENGLAND. ITALY APPOINTS A MINISTER OF MUNITIONS. The news of tho appointment of an Under-Secretary of Arms and Muni- tions has been received with great satisfaction. General Dall Ollio. the Director-General of Artillery and En- gineers, is regarded as an excellent choice. 1-?,-en rr?a d e for Provision has already ?en made for the mobilisation of industry to meet war necessities. With a strong con- trolling committee, the general feeling is that Italy will not only be in a position to ensure that her forces cam fight under the best possible conditions but to do her share to contribute to the victory of the Allies against the common enemy. 14W
AUSTRALIA'S 100 000 MEN.
AUSTRALIA'S 100 000 MEN. The Hon. G. F. Pearce, Minister of Defence, on Tuesday made the an- nouncement that the Commonwealth has now 100,000 men at the front and in training. The rush of men anxious to join the colours has become so great that the accommodation at the re- cruiting depots has proved inadequate, and hundreds have been turned away,
HOW GERMANY WILL BE BEATEN.
(Continuing from preceding column). Personally, I am inclined to believe that the real crisis may arrive next spring after the Allies have stretched a band around Germany and Austria. They will then undoubtedly concen- trate several tremendous forces at var- ious sections. There is grave doubt in my mind whether such a eeries of movements will be checkmated by the Kaiser's forces. If they succeed, they will mean the beginning of the end of the war but I am satisfied that the real fighting will not commence until the Allies get into Germany. CANNOT STARVE GERMANY. I This talk of starving Germany ap- pears to me to be all nonsense. The question has been asked for many months: How will the Germans raise their crops when all the men are at the wa.r'? The crops are being raised in great part by the old men, the boys, and the women, but they are re- ceiving great and material assistance from several hundred thousand Rus- sian, French, British, and Belgian prisoners. Germany has established a great sys- tem of hiring the prisoners out to the farmers. The Government compels the farmer to pay the prisoners about 7* cents a da-y-just enough to keep them in tobacco and beer—and guaran- tees the farmer 10 cents a day for feding and lodging each prisoner. In this way the farmers are getting extremely cheap labour, and a great burden is being taken from the Government.
MINERS REJECT GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS.
(Continuing from preceding column). and on a. card vote being taken there j was It, majority of 857 in favour of its rejection. As c-,icli card vote repre- sented 50 members of the Federation, the voting was:— For rejection. 94.700 For accepting. 51,850 Majority for rejection 42,850 The resolution, as put, involved a stoppage of the collieries on Thurs- day morning, and "until our demands arc conceded." In order to avoid such a stoppage, it was proposed that there should be a ballot vote of all the workmen in the coalfield, buti the delgates were in no mood for a ballot, and the proposal was j lost by a majority of two t.. one. After the conference, Mr Thomas Richards, M.P., the general secretary, telegraphed the result to Mr Runci- man and to Mr Thonaas Ashton, the general secretary of the M.F.G.B. THE OFFICIAL REPORT. f The following official report was sup- plied by Mr Thomas Richards, M.P. "The conference met on Monday, Mr James Winstone in the chair. The number of delegates present was 304, representing 156.493 members. The conference proceeded to discuss the re- commendations, of" the Executive Coun- cil, after which the following amend- ment was moved:- That we do not accent any thing less than our original proposals, end that we stop the collieries on Thursday next until our demands are conceded. "A card vote was taken, with the following reslilt:- For the amendment 1.894 1 Against 1,037 "A proposal was made that the I matter be submitted to a ballot vote of the ia-itla the following re- 1 sult :— For 76 I Against 159 "This vote was taken by a show of hands. "It was resolved that the President of the Board of Trade he informed of the decision of the conference, and that the Executive Council hold themselves in readiness to negotiate upon the I original proposals."