The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-01
Government Back of
Themin Fight Against
Coal Operators.
800, 900 MINERS
LAY DOWN TOOLS
Premier Asquith Says That if
Employers Do Not Accept
Minimum Wage Scale 1t
Will Be Secured by Legs
lation-Settlenent Yet
Altar Off.

London, February 2a.--The settle
ment 0: the coal strike is yet afar
off. The government has NOT been
able to induce ull the coal owners 10
agree TO the demand for a minimum
wag: made by the miners. out Pre-.
mier Asquith declared tonight that II
the principle OF minimum wage was
no. secured By agreement 1t would bs
secured by other means.
Fully 100000 miners have already
laid down their tools and viii not pick
them up again until an fagr,cment
satisfactory to the miners, federation Is
reached. Tho men have the govern
fnent behind them. and feel that vic
tory has been won. 5G1
Continue Conference To-DBy
1t was officially announced late TO-
nigh, that the conference of the Cabi-
net Minister with the miners fedora:
ton would be continued Tomorrow.
chancellor Lloyd George is drafting a
minimum wage bill but it Is stated
That the government is hopeful Of be-
ing able TO secure the establishment
OF minimum wage without recourse
to legislation, now that the Welsh
mine owners see that they are power
less to resist longer
some OF the railways have sent out
notifications OF curtailment Of their
services. owing TO tho strike
me government having recognized
the principle OF "a minimum wage for
all underground workers, IL it Is not
secured by agreement. 1t will be Sc
cured by the government by other
means.''
This extract from the speech made
pr the Prime Minister to members of
the National Miners Federation at
the conference held to-day Indicates
the lengths 10 which tho government
Is prepared 10 go 10 settle the strike.
IL is virtually an ultimatum TO tho
coal owners
Emphasizing the point again. MIR.
Asqu!th said that the government is
determincd that the minimum wage
shali become part and parcel of the
organization and working of the coal
Industry by whatever appropriate means
the government can command" Fur
Their emphasizing this point, the Pre-.
micr said:
The government felt that they
were race to face with warfare be-
tween capital and la Dor in the coal
industry, which might paralyze all
other industries in the country.
Government Is Determined.
Having given the fullest and most
careful consideration 10 the evidence
which the workmen had brought be :
fore them. the conclusion they had
unanimously come TO was that a ca Sc
had been made out for insurinp 10
the underground workers IN the coal
industry, with adequate safeguards, n
reasonable minimum wage. Already a
majority-ccrtalnly 60 per cent-of the
coal owners of the country had as
sentcd to The government proposals.
and they did not intend tina, the re-
ststance Of what he hoped was a
dwindling minority of the employees
should unduly delay tho attainment
Of an object. which we have satisfied
ourselves is consistent with Justice
and the best interests of the com
munity.'"
The Prime Minister concluded with
an appeal TO The miners to allow
reasonable latituoe for discussion with
respect to fixing the minimum wage
FOR the different districts, and not to
insist upon rigid adherence to the
schedule adopted by the Iainers' feder.
alton. He reminded them that II they
persisted in that course they assumed
: terrible resi- onsibility. although II
was obvious that nothing short of n
miracle could avert national coal
strike.