The Sun. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1915-1932, 1919-03-28
few STEPS NEARER IN
NATURALIZATION
OF MINES
TREND IN ENGLAND is QUITE
PLAINLY SEEN.
Proposed That Profits Of the Coal
masters Be Limited to Fourteen
Pence the Ton-Cost to Taxpayers
Would Be Around Billion and Five
Hundred Millions of Dollars.

. LONDON. March -. Andrew
lionar Law. the government >Ipkcs-
man, IN q statement in the house of
commons last evening. said that the
government had accepted the report
|of the special coal commission of
which Justice Sir John Sanker is
chairman, including ats undertaking
TO report ON the question of nation
alizaiion by May both. and 10 issue
interim reports from time 10 time on
the problem of improvements in the
coal industry Proposals of this ma
lure would be- put into immediate
operation. declared Bunar Law. This
involved the continuance of coal con
troll for two years. With reference
to the Sankcy report, which he cX-
planned was signed by three repre-.
scntatiycs of thr employers not d.
rccily concerned in the coal industry
and granted the miners two-thirds OF
their demands IN wages, Bonar Law
said that the signcrs of the report
recommended further reduction in
hours in 1921 because they assumed
that by then the output Of 1913. name
~, 2S7,0OO.OOO tons, would be resumed.
The estimated cost of what was recon,
mcndcd was for the current year
l3,OOO,O00 pounds sterling. II was
proposed that the profits of the coal.
masters should be- limited H. fourteen
pence per ton. Taking all things into
consideration, the estimated cost ~
taxpayers would be- nearly 10000 900
pounds sterling. Bunar Law also an
nounccd that the employer, had made
what he himself and the labor minister
considered reasonable proposals 10
the transport workers. and he had
reason Ia believe these would prove
acceptable t. the mon.
lionar Law said the government
was prepared to adopt the Sankry re-.
port IN spirit and IN letter. The mi
ncrs' leaders had never had such nm
opportunity and ncycr would again.
There had never been such an uppor.
iunity for making rial progress IN
connection with the problems of the
coal industry, aud In rejecting Il the
miners leaders would be- making the
greatest mistake ever made by the
leaders of great industry. II they
were willing 10 wait. continued the
government spokesman, they could
have a report on naturalization aud
Everything else. The matter must,
however, be- settled by parliament. II
u strike came Il would not be- an crdi-
nary strike against employers, but
against the state, and in such ease the
government must use the whole of It's
resources without the slightest hesita-
ton 10 win victory, and wan IL quick
I ~ ~ this statement a great uproar
arose from the labor bench and cries
of 1--WE could talk ~ big" and "You'
are thrcnicningl" There we're count.
cr cheers and Bonur Law resumed /:
This Is not threat. M government
could No otherwise. In such q strug.
gle there could be- but one ending az
there u an end To government IN this
country"
The mine owners report states that
the miners received wage increases of
1906 per cent during the war, while the
cost of living rose 10 per cent. The
majority of the miners received free
coal aud houses The miners demand
II for ~ per cent increase ON the
war wages The workers report
largely deals with social conditions.
u says that one-tcnth ~ all the ma
tion : children are born and raised
IN mining villages, large portion in
Scotland living under the soul destroy
ing conditions of singlcruum houses.
A majority have no more than two
rooms, There are between 100000
and 10000 casualties yearly, of
which from fifteen 10 seventeen hun
drcd are fatal.
The interim report "a the coal com
mission, of which Justice Sir John
Sankey rs chairman, recommends
seven hours Of work underground, in,
!. stead of eight, from July 10th, and
six hours from July 10, 1921, subject
To the economic position of the in
'dustry, The report recommends AN
increase m wages of two shilliugs Der
shift for colllery workers now under
sliding scales and an advance of on,
shilling for workers under lG years
la the interest of the country the
oolliery workers, 1t is further recon.
mended, shall have an effective yoic,
In the direction Of the mines.
The present system of OWNERSHIP
and system of working Is condemned
D. and substitute must be found either
In naturalization or uniiication b,
national purchase or joint control
The Sankey report points out that IA,
recommendation mean the distrihu
) ton annually of 30OOO,OOO pound.
FL sterling additional in wages and thai
, Il should be- considered whether ,
7 penny per ton should be- collected al
+ once ON coal brought 10 the suriac,
d 10 improve the housing IN the collier,
B districts. This would bee equal 10 I,
, 100000 pounds sterling yearly.