New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-19

uary At the present moment and for some
weeks to come the mine owners will secure Such
high prices for coal that they can well aHord
to maintain the old rates of payment II Will
however. be impossible TO continue at lha' ieNei
of remuneration for a prolonged periou i'' '"e
simple reason that. owing to the enormous mum
Der of GOLFERS the coal supply Is always apo'e
the rate of demand
Herein lies the true cause Of the recent difii-
culties. and the impossibility OF making .he
wages control the prices. With irreconchaoie
conditions like these the living wage '"eoiS'
which has much fascination Tor the huiian-
tarian cannot harmonic with the laws oi po-
litical economy. minimum wage involves the
most interference with those laws that IS AT All
practicable. and the marvel is that such slid
ing scale as we have seen in undisturbed opera
ton in South Wales for twenty years has not
been extended over the whole area OF the brltish
coal fields The true reason of this limitation
was given by Mr.. Tom Mann. one OF the TABOR
leaders. to an interviewer this week. when ne
frankly declared that the introduction Of the
sliding scale would be the ruin of trade union
ism. IF the Board Of Concliation which yester-
davis conference has created induces the siding
scale or something like It. wirepullers and work
| ingmen's unions will doubtless suffer. but the
| men themselves and the trade or the country
! will derive undoubted benefit from such form
of settlement.
As evidence Of the wild hopes Of the men. 1t may
be pointed out that during the past week reso-
lutions were carried at great representative
| meetings Of some workmen demanding not sim
! plv the old rate Of wage from which they were
locked out Of the mines. and the acceptance or
which is now indorsed by the conference nut an
! increase of 30 per cent upon that remuneration
This struggle having run up the price OF coal
to a phenomenal figure. the workmen were COM
! mcrcing an agitation to benefit out OF the pocK-
cts Of purchasers.
To such an extent have consumers been VIC
tinized during the past sixteen weeks that
every branch of industry has been affected. and
hundreds Of contracts have been transferred 10
the Continent. The price Of coal will rule very
high for many weeks to come. and as conse-
ouence trade will be slow 10 return 10 l's "''
| channels II is an advantage. therefore, that the
Board of Arbitration appoin'ef yesterday VIII
continue for twelve months and therhforc there
| IS a prospect of the coal trade and It's c0ncom-
| tant industries assuming a more settled aspect
than has been the for a long time
| The mast week has not been happy one Tor
| the Ministry Their Radical supporters seem TO
| he getting out of hand. and the course OF par
| liamentary business has brought them several
disasters. On the Employers Liability bill the
Mini fry only defeated the contracting out
clause by majority Of nineteen. which was
more than due TO ffty-seven Irish votes. justify
ing Mr. Chamberlain's taunt that the lrish
| members can keep destroy the Ministry, even
outside Of Home Rule. The Government was
also compelled to amend an important clause
relating to fishermen who take part wages IN
| share profits.
| In their other measure. for establishing parish
councils. a distinct Government defeat was
brought about by its own followers, on the sub
ject of the enfranchisement Of women; and
further difficulties In respect TO this bill are
impending II they insist on retaining the poor
law clause which interferes with the present
| method of electing parish guardians.
The Ministers are urged by the stalwarts to re-
introduce the gag, in order to finish business be-
fore Christmas. and falling that. to adjourn
over Christmas and continue business at the end
Of January II is significant In this respect tha'
the Conservative press warn the Ministry that
| the Lords may refuse to sit after Christmas
Day.
A still more serious difficulty which the Gov
j ernment has experienced has been witnessed IN
the interview which the Radical party has just
had with the Lord Chancellor. Some months
ago the Commons carried a resolution to secure
| "A
magistracy Of the country. Two hundred and
eighty Gladstonian supporters, including seventy
Irish who have their Lord Chancellor. in
tcrviewed Lord Hersche in order to insist on
more energy on his part in carrying out this IN
structjon These gentlemen even suggested that
the magistrates should be appointed upon the
| recommen ndation Of Members Of Parliament with
ont reference 10 the Lords Lieutenant: In other
words that the justices should be nominated by
party men. Lord Herschel gave the interview
ers a contemptuous snubhng. and they nave
now carried their grievance to Mr. Gladstone.
The London Radical Union also come in for
a sharp rebuke for their impatience from Sir
Charles Russell who resigned the presidency
The heckling given to Mr.. Asquith. the Home
Secretary for his tolerance of the Anarchist
demonstration at Trafalgar Square to com
memorate the Chicago martyrs" has been
severe but not more than public opinion ap-
proyes In the Commons debate this sub
jeet Mr. John Burns. the well-known working
mans agitator had the courage to declare that
the Chicago murders were directly due to the
police Of that city, and he repeated the story
that the bomb throwing was their action. Mr.
Balfour utilized the opportunity to declare that
while the freedom Of discussion which Mr.
Asquith justified was not TO be intcrfered
with, the advocacy OF dynamite and throwing
bombs were not topics that ought TO be toler-
ated by any civilized government.
The shortcoming of Mr.. Asquith In this matter
was not in his poohpoohing few frothy agi-
tators, but in the fact that no meeting In
Trafalgar Square Is sanctioned until its object
Is carefully ascertained by the Home Office
| Meetings in that square are not ordinary,
spontaneous street gatherings. but are formally
allowed by the Home SEE retary.
There is no better known signature In the
United Kingdom. and none more welcome tt
any man, than that Of Mr.. +. May, who. as
cashier has for the last quarter Of century
signed every note issued by the Bank of Eng
land, and the sudden retirement Of that gentle
man created IA semi-panic in the City. Distinct
statements prevailed affecting Mr. Mays integ
rity. These, however. were absolutely ground