Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-03-22
SRirisH LABOR LEADERS DE.
81. CLARE SETTLEMENT OF
STRIKE FAR DISTANT.
INDUSTRIAL POPULATION
NOW FACES STARVATION
Work Of Relief Getting Beyond Local
Charities and Government 10 Ap.
psaisd To-Funds Of Unions Ex-
haustsd-Failurs Of Wage Bill May
Result in Protsetion For Workers.

London. March 22.-Premier Asquith
In the house of commons this after
noor refused to accept the miners
amendment to the minimum wage bill,
providing a minimum of s1.25 and SO
cents as the daily wage for men and
boys, respectively.
Encch Edwards. labor member OF
parliament and president of the miners
federation OF Great Britain. at once an
nounced that the premier's rejection
of the mirers' amendment closed the
door to an inme date settlement of the
strike.
The bill. which the government in
troduced into parliament to put a stop
to one Of the greatest calamities that
c.,r overlook this country and which
was read a second time in the house
Of commons last night, still has to run
the gauntlet Of the committee stage. II
was here that the miners representa-
tives In parliament endeavored to pro-
cure the acceptance of amendments
fixing minimum rates OF wages.
II the miners refuse to return to
work the government must face the
necessity Of taking those "other and
different measures foreshadowed by
the premier yesterday and which are
believed to mean adequate protection
for those men desiring to return to
work.
Despite the decision Of the union
there already II. particularly in Scot
land. a steady trickling Of the miners
back to the pits. Even with general
resumption, however. the miners will
not be in working order again before
Easter, and. some OF the smaller ones
which have been flooded will never be
reopened.
Some Of the larger mine owners too
declare 1t Will be impossible to work
their pits II the minimum rate Of
wages H. erantAd. -
Starvation Faces industrial Population.
In the meantime starvation faces the
Industrial population of the country.
The funds Of the trades unions are
running low and In some places this
weeks payment Of benefits will be the
last. s5s
At Burslem, in Staffordshire. one of
the centers of the potteries district,
10000 meals have been served by the
vicar of the parish in the last eleven
days, for which a small charge has
been made. Now the people of the dis
trict are unable to bear the burden OF
paying even penny for the meal and
are compelled to fall back on charity.
In Wales and Scotland and in the in
dustrial districts Of England relief
work has been started and soup kit
chens established. There is scarcely a
mining village in Scotland where the
children are not being fed by the pub
lie authorities.
The work Of relieving the district is
getting beyond the means Of the local
charities and demands are being made
on the government to take it up.
It is estimated the miners thus far
have lost in wages $26, 6,4os.s5o besides
the depletion of the unions funds.
Effect Felt in Other Countries.
Factories and work of all kinds all
over the country continue to close
down and all the railroads are reduc-
ing their services to the minimum. The
food supplies from abroad also are
threatened. The bacon factories and
creameries Of Denmark, which depend
entirely on England for their coal. will
soon have to discontinue their ship
ments to this country
News comes today that one Of the
South, American governments is COM
Wandering the stocks of coal on hand
in its ports for naval purposes. which
will prevent the shipment Of meat to
England.
II is officially declared today that
the Derbyshire pits will not be re-
opened until the surface mems de-
mands for increased wages have been
complied with.
Il In political circles 1t is thought the
return Of Mr. Balfour to the leader
ship. OF the unionist party in the
house Of commons is more than a
Temporary one and that in the big de-
, bates he will take the actual II not the
titufar leadership Of the opposition.
i The .house had just entered on the
committee stage of the minimum bill
when the miners amendment was
moved and, Premier Asquith's pro-
nouncement, the gravity of which was
Immediately recognized, because 1t ts
practically certain to bring about an
other deadlock. caused sensation
among the members.
Would E6tablish Dangerous Prsesdsnt
IN opposing the miners amend
,nent the premier said that he was in
clined to think the figures reasonable
ones but that it was most undesirable
to insert in the bill any specific mimi
mum wage or to establish the pre-
cedent of fixing the rate Of wages by
act Of parliament. It would, he
poinfed out. be peculiarly dangerous to
q the men themselves because II parlia-
ment once expressed its Judgment that
S1.25 was a fair minimum wage that
s,,m would be bound to be treated as
the minimum.
Enoch Edwards. the miners leader.
declared the decision announced by
ma premier had shattered his hopes
that the final form Of the bill would
commend itself to the good sense OF
10th rides. The refusal Of the amend,