The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-21
Crisis in Labor Trouble has
Reached the Charity
Fed Stage.
MIn|MuM WlGE BILL DOES
NOT SOLVE THE DIFFICULT
People Bcsdege Mayors Ofices in
Many Towns and Beg for Bread
While Parliament Haggles Over q
Law to Afford Temporary Relief.

which has arisen over the minimum
wage bill introduced by Premier AS
quith in the house OF commons to
bring about an, end Of the deadlock in
British trade caused by the national
coal strike. continues. The idea ap-
cradle delay in passing the measure,
even II 1t Is not thrown out entirely,
and that the strike viii thus be pro-
longed.
The spread Of this opinion has caus-
ed CONSERVATION in the industrial dis
tricts Of the. United Kingdom. where
the suffering already is extreme. The
total OF men out Of work is increasing
daily. and 1t is now estimated that be-
sides the million miners on strike
nearly two millions Of other persons
have been rendered idle.
The people in many centers daily
besiege the offices Of the mayors.
where relief is prompetly distributed
It Is thought that unless something is
done quickly to bring about an end OF
the crisis. hungry marches" such as
took place last night in the fishing
town Of Grimsby, when 200 starving
mon marched to the town hail and
begged for relief, will become a COM
mon sight all over the country.
In the towns Of the kingdom, the
tion of the house of commons tonight.
There is no doubt that the minimum
wage bill will receive Its second read
ing. for the coalition composed of the
liberal. the Irish party and the labor
party. will unite in voting for 1t. The
trouble will begin, however. when the
bill reaches the committee stage. al
which the members of the labor party
will propose amendments on the adop-
~ lnSS ,uSn
Arthur j. Balfour, former leader Of
the opposition: who for the moment
has resumed his former position at
chief Of the unionists. is expected to
ask the government to give more than
ono day for the committee stage OF
the bill, which would delay the pas.
sage Of the measure until next week.
There is another danger, the union.
lists. under the leadership of Balfour
have cohdemehded the principle Of the
minimum wage bill and the house oi
lords may possibly take the rame and
refuse to consent to it's passage.
The railroads continue to curtail
their service and on some Of the nor.
thern lines all freight trains have been
cancelled.
The dramatic temperance Of Mr.
Balfour in the role Of leader Of the
the decision being taken at a meet.
ing Of prominent unionists including
Austen Chamberlain, Walter Hume
Long and F. e. Smith. at which An.
drew Bonar Law. who assumed the
leadership on the retirement Of Mr.
Balfour last November, requested
that the former leader undertake the
duty of moving the bills rejection.
Whether this development heralds
the return Of Mr.. Balfour to the ac-
tive leadership Of the party remain,
t ODE seen. The unionists lately have
been greatly elated at the growing
encountering. due in part to the un.
popularity Of the insurance bill. the
increasing labor troubles ana the
greatly increased public expenditure
involved I nsocial reforms, and evi-
dence Of a change in public opinion
has been given in recent by-elections
If as some Of the unionists assert
the government is riding for fall
hut 1t may come over the minimum
the federation only carried the reso-
luton in favor of this procedure by q
majority of twelve in 100 votes. Evil
IDENTIFY therefore a large section Of the
federation favors less extreme pro-
cedure and possibly when the COM
mittee stage arrives more reasonable
counsels may prevail. q
"A cabinet council was held today
to consider the whole situation. II
10 stated that the ministerialists still
hold to the opinion that much Of the
opposition to the bill will disappear
when It comes to actual discussion
and there is little doubt that the min
ers throughout the country are anx.
tous to resume work. Will Thorne
the labor leader. expresses the opin-
ion that the coal miners are engaged
In conspiracy to deplete and drain
the trades unions funs, which II
would require years to restore. Ger.
tainly the financial necessities will
tend to shorten the duration Of the
strike. The probability now is that
the parliamentary discussion Of the
bill will extend late next week and
that there viii lbe no resumption OF
work until the BILL is passed.