New-York tribune., 1921-04-08
Midnight Announcement
Of Premier in Commons
Gives Hope After Disas-
ter Seemed Inevitable
Engine Men Vote
To Join Walk-Out
Unions Heads Issue State
ment Charging Plot TO
Reduce All Wages to
the Pre-War Standard

Copyright. 192l. New York Tribune Inc.
LONDON, April 8. 1850 A. M.-Pre
mier Lloyd George appeared dramati
cally in the House of Commons just be
lore midnight and announced that il
an effort to avert the nationwide strike
shat impends the government would
Weld a point to the coal miners. He
said that the Cabinet was willing ts
drop its insistence that the safety men
tpumpers) be reinstated at the mines
as preliminary to negotiations for a
settlement, and was now willing to dis
euss this question first. before the mat
ter OF wages was considered.
Whether this concession. meeting as
1t does the stipulation made by the
miners that conferences must be en-
tered without any limitation, is ade-
quate to forestall the walk-out OF near
ly four million railway men and trans
port workers WHO voted yesterday to
quit in sympathy with the miners. is
not clear this morning. The suggestion
was heard in parliament circles that
after yesterdays failure the miners
would be unwilling to parley now.
Minister of Labor Mcnamara, i'm
medately after the Premier's an
nouncement. got in touch with the
leaders OF the transport workers and
arranged to meet them later to-day to
consider the turn in the situation.
Triple Strike Definitely Decided
A strike Of all members of labor's
,al
clusion when Parliament assembled af-
ter dinner last night. Both railway
men and transport workers had decided
dehnltely to throw in their lot with
the striking miners, and only the de-
ialls OF the strike remained to be fixed
at conference this morning.
he Premier, going before The Honse
ol commons in the afternoon. an
hounced the collapse of the nepotia-
IONS IONS ne mad been carrying on with
me miners He said that other cues
'lons Deslde wages had become funda-
mentally involved, Indicating a renewal
OF the demand by the miners for na-
uonallzation of the pits.
"nne .ne premier was speaking the
m'hels issued an appeal to the coun-
n..u;, .,y 70 stand firm. James Henry Thomas.
president of the railway men. also is,
ssed statement explaining the stand
0l Inc rne allied unions. It said:
we feel that the conditions of
iered, If accepted by the miners yo,ia
only be the beginning of peneral
a.IacK on working class conditions md
an attempt to bring back pre-war
Standards" wa
A strike tying up the whole countr,,
- Almost inevitable. unless the m;ne &c
accept the Premier's offer of furtber
nego'latlons looking toward settle.
n,eht. ne >, IL the strike comes it will ston
Oh al railroads.. subways, trolleys. buses
and other means of transport. and Tho
.tDuntry VIII face an industrial cris;s
'ne IKE Of which it has never known.
Fresh Complications Injected
" "hen the Premier came into the
nouse of Commons for the first time at
'ne afternoon session, whirl Of de-
sslopments had just begun to make il
plsln that fresh complications had
ARISEN and that the government and
.ne miners were not going to he ahla
to agree. W De ao1e
.v.oncerning the conference he had
WIN the miners earlier in the dav
nioyd George said: 81 very regretfullv
5ld sorrowfully must acknowledged thar
~, was comp wrong in my anticipa
s'on mat there was something. which
could be cleared up by conversation
among ourselves, and ] realize that the
e'halienge put forward by the miners
- VI much graver, much deeper and
more fundamental character than even
mad realized"
Inc situation was put up to the Cabi..
nes IN conference lasting an hour.
sna 1t was then that Lloyd George
went to the House of Commons and
.oia the members that the miners
wouio not agree to reinstate the safety
men, and that although they eXpresse d
.eadlness to meet the owners at any
..iAe, they continued to demand a ma
s,ohal wage system and a national pool
Of profits. y ave y
inc government, relying on the
great mass of the people. must take
very means in its power TO meet the
Premier.
fnglnemen Also Voted to Strike
ms was understood to mean that
~ rS'Inteers would be called for to keep
~ = local transportation service and to
JTl's.:rIou'e essential food supplies. The
mon of Railroad Firemen and En-
sneers' !. which with its $4,000 members
~ ~ not % animated with the National Union
- Aa,iwaymen and which Wednesday
,esmed yo likely to stay at work, also
rg.eo r';.e Yesterday to strike in sympathy
g''n 'ne miners, and the government
+, ,,se;selore, s;s cannot count on support from
" transport breaks down the gov
scentnued on paso eight,