Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1919-03-21
ENGLISH COAL
MINING REPORT
LETS MEN SHARE
Besides Favoring Voice
in Management, Is For
Seven-Hour Day.
OWNERS ON COMMISSION
JOIN FOR HIGHER WAGES

London, March 20.-The interim
report Of the coal commission Of which
Justice Sir John Sankey is chair
man, issued tonight, recommends
seven hours of work underground
instead Of eight, from July is next,
and six hours from July i3, 1921,
subject to the economic position of
the industry.
The Sankey report recommends ar
increase in wages of > shillings shift
for colliery workers under sliding scales
and an advance of / shilling for workers
'Inder 16 years.
In the interest of the country,
the colliery workers, it is further
recommended, shall have an effect
i've voice in the direction of the
mines.
The present system Of ownership
and system of working is con-
demned, and a substitute must be
found, either in naturalization or
unification of the mines by national
purchase or joint control.
ADDS sI50,00o,oo TO PAY.
recommendations mean the distribution
annually of 3O.O00,OOO pounds ($150.-
OO0,O00) additional IN wages and that it
should be considered whether penny
n ton should be collected at once on coal
brot up to the surface, to improve the
housing in the coliery districts. This
would be equal to 100000 pounds
yearly.
The Sankey report also is signed by
Arthur J. Balfour, who was master cut
Ter at Sheffield in 1911-12 and has been
connected with various advisory COM
missions: Sir Arthur Ducall, director
general of aircraft publication. and Sir
Thomas Royden. member of the ship
ping control committee.
Another report, by the mine owners
on the commission, recommends an in
crease of IS pence day in wages and
reduction of working hours to seven.
A third report by the miners repre-
sentatives. signed by Robert Smillie, the
miners leader; Frank Hodges, Sir Leo
Chiozza Money. Sidney Webb and 9th
crs. recommends acceptance in full of
the miners demands, including national
ization.
will Be Put Into Effect.
Andrew Bonar Law. the government
spokesman, in the house Of commons to-
night, said that the government had ac-
cepted the report of the special coal
COMMISSION, lncluQlnR It's Undertaking TO
report on the question of naturalization
by May 20. and to issue Intern reports
from time to time on the problem Of i'm
provements in the coal industry.
Proposals of this nature would be put
into immediate operation, declared Mr..
Bonar Law. This involved the continu-
ance of coal control for two years.
With reference to the Sankey report.
which he explained was signed by three
of the employers who
were directly concerned in the coal INDUS
try. and granted the miners two-thirds
Of their demands in wars. Mr.. Bonar Law
said that the signers of the report recon-
mended a further reduction in hours in
1921 because they assumed that by then
the output of 1913. namely 2S7. 900
tons. would be resumed. The estimated
cost of what was recommended for the
current year was 43.OOO.OO0 pounds.
1t was proposed that the profits Of the
coal miners should be limited to ii pence |
per ton. Taking all things into consider
alton the estimated cost to the taxpayers |
would be nearly 30OO0,OOO pounds
Meanwhile. said the speaker, the gov
ernment had definitely proposed that |
wages. including the war bonus, should |
ne retained at the present level until |
the end of the current year.