The Wagner leader. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1912-1912, 1912-03-29
WAGE AMENDMENT
REFUSED; 4 LONG
CONTEST CERTAIN
AL England Is SuHering-0ov.
eminent to Take Other
and Different Means
to End Strife.

London. March 2s.-Premier Asquitl
In the house OF this afternoon
refused to accept h miners amend
ment to the minimum wage bill. pro-
vfding q minimum Of $1.25 and 80 cents
a. the daily wage for men and boys.
respectively.
parliament. and president OF the min
ers' Federation of Great Britain. al
once announced that the premiers re-
lection Of the miners amendment,
closed the door to an immediate set.
Element of the strike.
The house had Just entered on h
committee stage of the minimum wage
bill, when the miners amendment wal
moved and Premier Asquith's pro-
nouncement, the gravity OF which was
Immediately recognised. becaus" 1t IL
practically certain to bring ABOUT an
other deadlock. caused a sensation
among the members.
In opposing the miner amendment,
the premier satd that he was inclined
to think the figures reasonable ones,
but h a it was most undesirable to
insert in the bill any specific minimum
wage or to establish the precedent Of
fixing the rate of wages by act of
| parliament. 1t would, he pointed out,
be peculiarly dangerous to the men
themselves, because II parliament nee
expressed its judgment that $1,25 wns
a fair minimum wage, that sum would
be found to be treated as the maxi
mum.
All Hope Shattered.
Enoch Edwards. the miners leader,
declared the decision announced by the
| premier had shattered his hopes hat
the final form of the bill would COM
mend itself to the good OF both
sides. The refusal of the amendment
meant the closure OF the door which
yesterday appeared open to a settle
ment.
The bill, which the government intro
duced into parliament to put a stop
to one OF the greatest calamities that
ever 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.
1t was here that the miners represent
atives in parliament e~ndeavored to pro-
cure the acceptance of amendments
fixing minimum rates of wages.
II the liners refuse to return tc
work, the government must face the
necessity of taking those ''other and
different measures" foreshadowed by
the premier yesterday and which are
believed to meal adequate protection
for those men desiring to return to
/ OIh DCSPlNG lDC dCNiStOI6 vi LII
unions, there already is. particularly in
Scotland. a steady trucking of the min.
ers back to the pits. Even with q gen.
eral resumption. however. the mines
will not be in working order again be-
fore Easter, n some of the smaller
ones which have been flooded will new.
er be reopened.
Some OF the large mine owners too
declare it will be impossible to work
their pits If the minimum rate of wages
are granted.
In the meantime starvation faces the
Industrial population of the country
The und of the trades unions are
running low, and In some places this
weeks payment of out-of-work benefit
will be the last.
Have Not Even q Penny.
At Burslem, in Staffordshire. one OF
the centers of the potteries district,
49, 900 meals have been served by the
vicar of the parish in the last IL days,
for which a small charge has beer
made. Now the people of the district
are unable to bear the burden of pay
ing wen a penny for the meal, and are
compelled to fall back on charity.
In Wales and Scotland. and in the in
dustrial district Of England, relief work
| has been started and SOUP kitchens es-
tablished. There is scarcely a mining
village in Scotland. where the children
are not being fed by the public author
tiles.
The work Of relieving the distress is
getting beyond the of the local
charities and demands are being made
on the government to take 1t up.
1t Is estimated the miners thus far
have lost IN wages $26, 408, $50, besides
the depletion of the union funds.
Factories and work Of all kinds over
the country continue to close down and
all the railroads are reducing their
-
supplies from abroad are threatened
The bacon factories and creameries OF
Denmark, which depend entirely on
Egnland for their coal. win soon have
to discontinue their shipments to this
country.
News comes today that one of the
South American governments are com
handing the stocks of coal on hand. Ii
its ports for naval purposes, which viii
prevent the shipment of meat to Eng.
land.
1t is officially declared today thai
the Derbyshire pits will not be re.
opened until the surface lens de-
mands for Increased wages have beer
complied with.
In political circles, 1t Is thought tn,
return of Mr.. Balfour to the leader
ship of h unionist party in the nous,
OF commons: Is more than q temporar,
one and that in the big debates he viii
O6AO AK 0SSA&Ss - Ao NANAA0Ap kC0uGx
ship of the opposition.
WITH CLEVELAND CONFERENCE
RESTS QUESTION OF A sTRiKI
Cleveland, Ohio. March 23.-Whethe
100000 miners in the bituminous Goa
fields would strike or merely woul.
suspend operations after April 1, de
ponds largely on the deliberations to
day of q subcommittee composed Of tw
miners and two operators each fron
western Pennsylvania. Ohio. indians
and Illinois.
The subcommittee with John +
White, president OF the United Min
Workers Of America as THE chief dele
gate Of the miners. may continue Il
sessions several days In an effort I
effect q compromise agreement follow
Ing the nat refusal Of the operators {
grant the miners demands for q I
per cent increase In pay and shorte
working hours.
DANGEROUS Fl INNS cnME