New-York tribune., 1912-03-23
MINIMUM WAGE HUNG Up
Continued from first page.

eminent. which, he said, could not nave
taken any other course.
Apparently an insurmountaple op
stacle had been encountered. Then loi-
lowed negotiations In the lobby, CONFER
cnces between the members of the Capi-
net the miners and the leaders OF the
coal owners. and meetings between the
Parliamentary Labor leaders ana tne
miners executives. All these were
secret.
Then came the announcement that the
House of Lords would meet late TO-
night 10 pass the first reading OF the
hill from which II was inferred that all
the snags had been cleared away anu
that the bill would be rushed through
On ss IN receive the royal assent to-nol-
row and enable the men to resume "orh
on Monday.
The sanguine anticipations were re-
placed by gloomy forebodings, however
when Premier Asquith announced 'he
change in the governments programme
with respect to the passage or the pi'i'
He said that I'm the course of the discus
sion of the measure the points at Issue
had been much narrowed down and that
the main outstanding point was that OIL
the daily wage minma of 81 20 ana ~
cents. He added that the government
therefore had decided ii was better W
call a conference OF the owners ana the
men for Monday and hoped the difncui-
ties between the two parties on tiil9
point would be still further narrowed at
that time. The Premier announced thaI
the House would be adjourned uhtli
Monday after the bill had passed through
the committee stage.
Governments Difficult Task
Tho Government is now faced with the
necessity of taking those "other ana uli-
ferent measures" foreshadoweu Ill '"e
speech delivered by the Premier yesterday
and which are believed TO mean adequate
protection for those men desiring to return
! TO work.
Despite the decisions OF the unions. there
is already. particularly in Scotland, steaoy
trickling OF the miners back TO the PITS
, Even with a general resumption. however
the mines will not be In working oroer
again before Faster. and some or the
smaller ones which have been flooded VIII
never bc reopened.
Some OF the larger coal owners, too' de'
clare that It will be impossible to work their
pits II the minimum rates OF wages are
granted
In the mean time starvation stares the
Industrial population OF the country In inc
face. The funds OF the trades unions are
so low that in some places this week
nayment of out-of-work benefit will be the
last Men who usually earn good wages
and who are generally quite Independent oil
outside assistance are now scramDIlng ior
bread for themselves and their families.
At Burslern, In Stanordshire. bne OF the
centres OF the potteries district, 1900 meals
have been served by the vicar OF the parish
I'm the last eleven days. for which a small
charge has been made. Now the people oi
the district are unable TO bear the burden
| OF paying even penny for meal and are
compelled 10 rely entirely on charity
Distress in the Villages.
In Wales and Scotland and in the indus
trial districts Of England relief works have
been started and soup kitchens established
There is scarcely mining village In scot
| land where the children are not being FED
| by tho public authorities: In the Englsr
! coal nelds the people are better or. as tht
! trades union funds will last much longer.
The work OF relieving the distress Is get
! ting heyond the means Of the local chari
! ties and demands are now being made on
! the government To take IL up.
II is estimated that tho miners thus fs'
! have lost I'm wages So. ioS.sj0. besides the
depletion Of the union funds which vii
make another strike IN any trade practi
| caIy impossible for the next eighteer
! months.
| Factories and works Of all kinds all ovel
| tho country continue TO close down and al
tho railroads are reducing their services tc
the minimum. Even food supplies from
abroad arc threatened. The bacon fac
! tories and creamcries OF Denmark. which
depend entirely on England for their coal
Will soon have TO discontinue their ship
| ments TO this country.
| News comes to-day that one OF the Soutf
| American governments is commandeerini
| the stocks OF coal on hand in It's ports fol
naval purposes. This will prevent the ship
| ment Of meat 10 England.
It is officially declared to-day that th'
Derbyshire pits will not be reopened unu
the surfacemen's demands for increased
wages have been complied With.
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