New-York tribune., 1920-10-28
British Miners
Ba1k ON Eve
OF Settlement
New Demands Complicate
Situation at Nj ment
When a Settlement Was
Believed To Be Reached
Nature of Block Secret
Calling of Cabinet Meeting
To-day Held 10 Indicate
the Obstacle Is Serious

LONDON, Oct. 27 4}y The Associate d
Press)-A new difficulty has arisen. de-
laying the complete settlement of the
coal strike, which was believed to have
been attained on the basis of an in
crease in the miners wages as set
forth iii an earlier announcement That
the difficulty is serious is indicated by
the fact that the Cabinet has been sum-
moned to meet early tomorrow morn
ing before the conference of the
miners and government officials re-
assemblies
At the last moment the miners pre-
sented new demand, which compelled
adjournment of the conference Moth
ing has yet transpired as to the nature
of the new demand
The policy of secrecy regarding the
agreement continued to be maintained
but apparently the objection of the
miners was due to the fear that the
agreement as drafted might have the
effect of making permanent the appli-
cation Of the principle that wages are
dependent upon output, and also to the
idea that it might altogether preclude
future naturalization.
The governments emergency hill
which provides for all contingencies in
the event the miners strike should in
volve the railway and transport work
ers, was rushed through all it's remain
ing stages to-day and passed the third
and final reading tonight. The vote
was 239 to SO
The bill did not have the smooth
passage the government hoped for. 1t
passed through the committee stage,
but the government had to make fur
ther concessions to the demands of the
Labor party.
The bill now provides that nothing
in the act shall be construed as au-
thorizing the proclamation of any form
of compulsory military service or in
dustrial conscription or making it an
otfense for any person to participate
IN strike or peacefully persuade any
other person TO participate in a strike
From The 1ribntc's European Bureau
SpoFal cable to The Tribune
LONDON, Oct. 27-The miners and
the government virtually had agreed
upon settlement of the coal strike
when hitch came to-day. The basis
of the proposed settlement is victory
Tor the miners, inasmuch as they will
be awarded the two shillings daily pay
increase which they demanded but thi S
Is provisional. pending decision by
the new national wage board upon a
revised scale of payment. 1t is proba
bic that some scheme linking the rate
OF wages to tnat of. tpe output viii be
devised at the end of December, after a
test period.
Mine Owners Approve Plan
The miners executive must submit
the settlement plan to the local dele
gates, but there is said to be no doubt
of its acceptance. Downing Street this
morning consulted the mine owners on
the scheme agreed to with the miners
and finding them not disposed to block
settlement proceeded to clinch the
negotiations.
The Trade Union Congress met this
afternoon, representing organized labor
generally, but found it was not neces-
sary to take action to give additional
backing to the miners. The session
had been called last week, when the
railway men threatened to strike, with
consequent possibilities of nation wide
unemployment. At the last moment il
was decided not to cancel the gather
ing, but to concentrate upon emergency
legislation pending in the House of
Commons, instead of aiding the miners