New-York tribune., 1912-03-23
House Of Commons Adjourns
Until Monday After Passing
Measure Through Com
mittee Stage.
NEW CONFERENCE is CALLED
Asouith Holds Fast to His De-
cision Not to Make Specific
Minima a Part of His Legis-
lative Proposals to
End Strike.
IBv Cable 10 The Tribune. ]


ments submitted had been withdrawn or
defeated. The House then adjourned
and will not further consider the bill be-
fore Monday.
II is a long time since the House OF
Commons had had so many thrilling mo-
ments in the course of a single debate
as we're experienced yesterday. The sit
nation kept changing with almost kalel-
doscopic rapidity, and now peace and
war hang on the issue of the final con-
ference to be held on Monday between
the owners and the miners.
The House of Lords will not receive
tbe bill at the earliest until Monday
night when the result of the conference
is known.
As matters now stand If the coal own
ers will consent to five shillings mini
mum for adult day workers and TWO
shillings minimum for boys. the men VIII
90 back TO work and there may be no
necessity for the bill at all.
The feeling generally is hopeful, but 1t
Is by no means certain that the Welsh
and Scottish owners will eat their own
words and make the concession that the
men demand as the price of peace.
II is clear that the strike movement IS
weakening and that the men are anX-
ious TO return to work. The attitude OF
the leaders is now in strong contrast to
the spirit of defiance shown up to the
time the House began to consider the
bill in committee. They appear to have
realized the uselessness of fighting both
the coal mine owners and the govern
ment while dependent upon their rapidly
cxhausting union treasures.
Low rates of insurance against the
strike continuing beyond March 81 were
quoted yesterday at Lloyds.
Iondon. March 22.-Premier Asquitl.
announced in the House of Commons
this evening that as soon as the com
mittee stage of the minimum wage bill
had been completed all further consider
alton thereof would be postponed until
Monday.
Thus falls the last hope Of getting the
coal miners back to work on that day,
for the third reading Of the bill, it was
hoped would take place Immediately 1t
was through committee, enabling the
House of Lords to pass it through its
various stages in time TO receive the
royal assent tomorrow.
A conference of owners and men has
been called for Monday next, and upon
the outcome of that meeting the settle
ment of the strike now depends. The
governments refusal to include in the
bill a provision establishing a five shill
ing daily wage for men and a two shlll-
ing wage for boys is the cause of the
tle-up.
This was the outcome Of a day Of
Kaleidoscope changes in the strike situa-
ton In to-day's debate in the House Of
Commons the miners representatives
plainly intimated that il the govern
ment's bill was amended in the commit
tee stage by providing for daily min
ina OF 81 p for adults and 30 cents for
boys working underground the miners
would not insist on the inclusion in the
bill Of their entire schedule, and the way
would be cleared for the speedy passage
strike.
Asquith Holds to His Guns.
II was the general impression that the
government would accept the compro-
mise and make this concession to the
miners. but Premier Asquith's fiat re
fusal to-day TO accept a Labor amend
ment inserting clause covering the
81 % and 30 cents minima or to put any
fixed rates in the bill changed the whole
situation.
In opposing the miners amendment the
Premier said that he was inclined TO think
the figures reasonable ones. but added
that ii 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, be-
cause If Parliament once expressed its
Judgment that 81 % was a fair mini
mum wage that sum would be bound to
be treated as the maximum.
Enoch Edwards. Labor Member OF Par
lament for Hanley and president of the
Miners Federation, seemed to be sur
prised at the governments action, and
declared that the decision announced by
The Premier had shattered his hopes
that the final form of the bill would
commend itself to the good sense OF
both sides. The refusal of the amend
ment meant the closure of the door
which yesterday appeared open to set
tlement
william Brace, a Labor member from
South Wales mining constituency, said
the refusal meant that If the bill were
passed as IL stood the miners would not
return to work until their schedules of
minimum pay were settled for every
coal field i'm the kindom.
James Ramsay Macdonald the leader
OF the Labor party. bitterly accused the
government Of banging the door in their
races. He then, for the first time, an
honnced that the miners were willing
10 waive the inclusion of their sched-
ule rates in the bill If the minimum
rates of 81 % and 80 cents were inserted.
Andrew Bonar Law the titullr leader
VI the Opposition, sided with the gov