The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-10


report I'd, however. and one case has
attracted attention 1t involves the
refusal OF the miners In the Whitburn
Coll1ery, at South Shields. to Dcrtni;
anybody to descend into the pits to
feed the ponies and work the pumps Ia
prevent flooding of the mines. This is
u direct violation of the Instructions
from tho. Federation of Miners. which
nlio"ed tho employment of miners dur
ing the strike for these purposrs
The officials of one mine. where the
men declined to obey the orders of
the federation, managed TO get $50
ponies to the surface from their home
underground for the past TWENTY-FIVE
years. Engineers who were per
mitted by the federation to remain on
duty, refused TO work in many places,
ana 1t is feared the mines have been
ruined by floods.
pinch OF the strike. The price of
bread Is TO be advanced on March ii.
ana other foodstulfs are higher, while
coal is at cNorbitant rates. The rail-
way facilities have also been cur
u led, but actual suffering on tho part
OF any large section Of the population
mas not appeared. Elsewhere In the
United Kingdom conditions are dr.
fercnt Appeals TO the municipal au
thorities to invoke the law for feed-
ing INDECENT children indicate that the
effects OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT nro being
felt In some localities
one of the worst features OF the
strike is the effect on other industries
than coal. News comes daily from all
quarters OF the Kingdom OF the
shutting down of great steel, Iron tin
nihic cotton and other works on which
british prosperity is dependent. Even
ireland, which has no coal. is be-
ginning 70 suffer indirectly, and the
suspension or curtailmcnt OF water
transportation to and from the rest of
the Kingdom promises 10 rcsul, n
keen suffering
NO progress has been made In The
governments effort to end the strike,
but there Is some hope in the mincrs'
convention when will meet in London
on March Il. Whatever. may have.
been the ministry's original idea OF
adjusting the differences between the
mine owners and miners by drastic
methods, it Is now apparent that Mr..
Asuuith and his colleagues in the
cabinet realize the danger OF tho cX-
rcdient Of making the minimum wage
u principle of tho law of the land
1t is not going too far to say that
tn. prospect of IN adjustment Of the
trouble is brighter. although the
miners committee which is negotiating
with Premier Asquth issued a mani
festo on March u in when they re-
fused TO negotiate with the mine
owners. unless the latter accepted Tho
minimum scale beforehand. On Fri
day. Mr.. .asquith succeeded in per-
suading thc committee 10 reasscmbIc
the golfers convention to consider Il
new proposal for II joint conferences
between the government owners ana
mine.a THIS convention Will meet in
London on Monday.
This is "A distinct step in the dtrcc-
tlom OF settlement and indicates that
the committee sees an opening to
bring the strike to an cnd.
There is 40 doubt ,iIat its course.
Was actuuted not only hy the opinion.
that Mr.. Asqnith's proposal was rea-
sonabic from the miners viewpoint
hut hy the fear that = continuance OF
the miners attitude would likely bring
disaster TO Tho unions cause.
The coal owners lave reached n poInt
where they view the caso' phiipsorhir-
ANY They feel that the harm alroad7.
has been done. and fhdt little can ,,,
adicd 10 their burden IT'S continuanc.t
Ion several wccl.s in their opinion viii
u"an that much nj tho carrying trade
VIII be lost ia Great Elitain rernan
Suily. Ihey instance tht failure 10 70.
;,ain asccndHncy In trade once II has
London has not succeeded In recaptur-
ing its position since the dockera'
strike Tie whole shipping Industry of
the kingdom is in q state of stagnation
already. and the coal owners argue
that the foreign countries which arc
taking advantage of this situation are
bound TO hold large proportion OF
the water transportation which Great
Britain controlled IN 20 March l.
VIII Not TIC Rcupened.
Another thing which viii have a,
important relation TO British Industry
is that collieries which heretofore
have been run at loss will not DC
opened after the strike y. A. Thomas
the leader OF the Welsh coal owners.
Indicated the reason Tor the refusal
OF the Welsh and Scottish mine nro-
pr'etors to follow their colleagues In
the rest OF the kingdom and accent
The principle of the minimum wngc
and otherwise show n compromising
spri, when he said that even If lcgis.
iation were enacted 10 give the .ruy-
crnments proposals effect. that would
not prevent a recurrence Of tho pres-
cn, disnstgous dilemma within a. fcw
months. lie regarded the strfks ns
wa. asa!int the state and .ai5 tbe
/ "aiy remedy wax legi.iatio;; similar
+, to what hpd bccn enacted b. some Of
the coinnjct. masking 81 crim3.ia, Of
I Tense 10 c2napire against IA. get be-.
ing % the community. The e4J4s.,l1
in.nt s. being urges 10 take some *,,yb
! SitP Win IN. addition .: ,lie LEGAL
r4fnt 10 attach IN. FUNDS II ~. cor.
/ frCat@Js