New-York tribune., 1920-10-15
National Leaders Oppose
W alk-Out, but Radicals
Prevail; Steel Plants
Prepare to Close at Once
433,670 Majority
Votes for Strike
Government Has Exhaust
Every Effort to Prevent
Calamity, Says Premier
By Arthur S. Drape~


Copyright. 1920. New York c:r1pune Inc
LONDON, Oct. 14-The British coal
miners, nearly million strong, have
voted to strike next Monday. Only last
minute Intervention by the govern
mcnt can postpone stoppagc of work,
short of complete concession of the
mems demands will have no effect As
the government has repeatedly said
that yielding was impossible, strike
is virtually certain. The government
has been preparing to combat the
strike if it should be called.
The decision to stop work was the
outcome of meeting Of miners dele
gates with the executive Of their fed
Grafton to-day. After the country had
been led to expect strike October 1,
the miners leaders decided to submit
the governments proposal of a wage
system based on output, to the work.
crs. Pending a vote on the proposition,
the strike notice was postponed until
October 1G
Balloting among the miners Mon
day and Tuesday showed heavy ma
Jorty against acceptance Of the gov
crnmcnt's proposal Complete totals
on the ballot show that the miners
voted to strike rather than accept by
G35,09S to 1871 ,42S
The conference this morning, con-
slderng these figures, decided to let
the strike notices expire Saturday and
to begin the strike Monday.
Leaders Oppose Strike
Robert Smillie, president of the Min
crs' Federation, and ouncr leaders ad-
vlsed the men not to strike, but thev
dlsregarded the suggestions, hayinr
made up their minds to have done with
further negotiations.
An interesting sidelight of the con-
terence to-day was that the decision to
strike was communicated to Premier
Lloyd George by letter instead of in
person, as Is customary, as it appar-
entity was feared that he would argue
the delegates down if they had an in
terview with him.
1t was evident at to-day's meeting
that the miners had passed beyond
control of the national leaders and
were dominated more by the local exec
utlves. Herbert Smith, vice-prcsidont
OF the National Federation, said that
II further negotiations were attempted
sectional strikes would begin, as the
federation officials were unable to hold
the men in line
The miners of South Wales are cs-
peclally radical in their demands. Only
the men from Northumberland held
out for peace.
There has been much talk in the
last two days of establishing an i'm
partial tribunal as an alternative to
the wage output plan proposed by the
government, but the miners clearly
have determined not to accept this.
Government Through With Offers
In official quarters tonight it was
said that the government had plaved
It's last card in trying to get the miners
to refrain from striking and that no
further offers would be made to them.
The attitude Of the triple alliance
railway men. transport workers and
miners-toward to-day's decision of the
miners federation has not yet been
made known. At the last crisis the
associates of the miners in the triple
alliance had apparently made Up their
minds to offer support in strike.
The steel blast furnaces at York
shire are preparing to close down If
the strike crystalizcs racing probably
will be stopped, the jockey club stew
ards announced.
LONDON, Oct. IA (By The Associated
Press ).-After consulting with Sir
Robert Horne, president of the Board
of Trade, Premier Lloyd George re-
piled to-day to the miners executive
to the effect that the government had
exhausted every effort to prevent q
calamity, had explored and was still
ready to explore every avenue which
might lead to a peaceful solution.
Lloyd George Regrets Decision
In letter to Robert Smillie, the
miners leader, the Premier expresses
profound regret and disappointment at
the rejection of proposals $50 supreme
ly reasonable" and says it is impossi-
bic to conceive of any situation more
likely to bring about serious disaster
to the country's trade.
The Premier reviews the govern
ments efforts to find solution and
points out how, finding that recent in
creases in wages have been followed
almost automatically by reduced pro-
duction, the government has sought an
arrangement providing an incentive for
q large output.
He expressed the belief that the
country will be fortified in its deter
mination to endure the trials imposed
by the rejection of the offer in the
knowledge that the proposals made by
it's elected government had received
the support of the most responsible
and experienced minds in the miners
federation.