Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-25
MINERS MAY STRIKE
Unrest in the Coal Industry in
Great Britain.
CONFERENCE HELD IN VAIN
Owners and Workers Fail to Reach
an Agreement.
ABNORMAL PLACES" PROBLEM
Owing to Troubles on the Railways
Supplies Of Fuel
Hard to Get.
ABNORMAL PLACES PROBLEM
Foreign Correspondents Of TIE star.


LONDON. October IA, 1911.
Great Britain Is threatened with q great
coal strike. Several factors are combin-
ing to produce situation in the coal
market which promises serious results
to con mers and to the country gener-
ally In the first place the possibility of
national strike of miners in the near
future hangs like cloud over the mar
ket, and this possibility was by no means
lessened by the failure OF conference
of masters and men held a few days ago
to arrive at any agreement on the trou-
bled question of abnormal places" Dur
ing the past few weeks there have been
several grave warnings from people ac-
auainted with the circumstances of the
probability of a strike. as a result of
which householders and large commercial
consumers of coal are rushing to get in
stores in order that they may be pro-
tected from an anticipated rise in prices.
And In the third place, simultaneously
with this extraordinary demand, there is
abnormal difficulty In getting out the sup
ply of coal, owing Indirectly to the rail-
way strike.
Great Cause of Unrest.
The failure of the meeting referred to
is the most important feature in the i'm
mediate situation. The question Of ''ab-
normal places has been q cause of un-
rest among miners over a great part of
the kingdom for some time. An "abnOr-
NAL place is spot in coal seam
where. owing to faults or other local cir
cumstances. coal is difficult to get Miners.
-ho are. of course paid according to the
amount of coal extracted. say that when
set to work on such places they find 1t
6ifficult to make anything like the aver
age rate of wages. and they ask that
they shall he guaranteed a minimum
the question bristles with. difficulties.
In different districts 1t has. been dealt
with by masters and men in varying
ways dependent on local conditions In
some cases the settlements arrived at
appear 70 have worked fairly satisfac-
toriiy, but they have been only local
settlements. and in many coal fields the
question has been continual source or
friction. not only in South Wales, where
feeling among the men Is now very high.
The recent conference was an attempt
10 find some national basis of settlement
Terms offered by Operators.
The discussion lasted all day, owners
and men at times meeting separately to
consider proposals of the other side but
1t was ultimately announced that the
meeting had been unable to arrive at a
settlement. The terms offered by the
coal owners were as follows:
ID The owners recognize the right OF
workmen who are engaged In places
which are abnormal to receive wages
commensurate with the work performed
co The customs and circumstances OF
each district vary so much that 1t Is.
in the opinion OF the coal owners, inn
possible to deal with the question col
lectively as applied to the whole king
dom. and. therefore, the method of deal
Ing with 1t can only be settled locally in
thu dtfforpnf districts.
CD This collective meeting of coal own
ers therefore recommends the coal own
ers In the various districts Of the king
dom TO meet the representatives OF the
men in their respective districts when
requested to do so.
"a 1t must be understood that in COM
ing to the foregoing resolution the meet
inR must not be assumed to have done
anything In abrogation Of existing agree
ments.
Proposition Of the Men.
The men were unable to accept these
terms as they stood. and proposed that
instead, the following should be
adopted:
This joint meeting of coal owners
and miners representatives recognizes
the right of miner working at the
coal face at the fixed tonnage rate to re-
ceive full wages IL employed in an alb
normal place, the rate to be the aver
age rate of wages previously earned
by the workman under normal cOndi-
tions, which shall not be less than the
recognized minimum or average rate
paid in each district. Therefore. ma
chinery should be set up in the various
districts for the purpose of deciding
On the question as to whether a place
u dispute is abnormal Pending the set
t'ement of the dispute as to whether a
j ace is abnormal or not, the men to be
aid in the district rate.
The chief point of difference in
these terms is that the owners, while
recognizing miners right to pay
commensurate with the work done,
propose to leave each locality entirely
free to make its own settlement. and
the miners wish for an understanding
to apply throughout the country.