Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-04-05
BRITISH TRANSPORT
UNIONS MAY STRIKE
Question Of Uniting With Miners
Discussed Three Hours
Without Decision
NINE CONTROL POSTPONED
BY the Associated Press

London. April 5.-For three hours
this morning the 400 delegates of tn,
National Transport Workers Fedora
tion, assembled here to consider the at =
titudc of the organization toward tho
strike Of the British miners. debated
the strike question without reaching a
decision. The confcrecs adjourned
shortly after noon until 10 80 O'Clock
Wednesday morning.
During the session the transport
workers delegates heard the viewpoints
Of the leaders presented. together
with those Of other prominent labor
men. including John II. Clynes. chair
man Of the parliamentary labor party.
This afternoon the national executive
board of the transport workers con
tinued consideration In secret session Of
the question Of joining tho miners in
their strike. The executive body will
probably have recommendations TO offer
as to the transport mems attitude Mt
tomorrow's plenary session Of the dele
gate body.
Informal and private negotiations be.
tween the government and leaders of the
Miners Union relative to a settlement
Of the strike began last night. says n
definite announcement published today
by the Daily Sketch. The newspaper de-
clarcs these conversations were carried
en- through an intermediary who was
persona grata with both sides. The
Daily Mail hints that Baron George
Rankin Askwith, who has appeared as
arbitrator in many trade disputes. may
be the intermediary who is acting.
Meanwhile there has been no dcvia-
fipp frnp, tbn upcpp, ~ ''EUht
TO the finish" attitude which appar-
emily has been taken by the three par.
ties to the controversy--thc miners. the
owners and the government. From rep
resentativcs of each there have been
declarations of n Willingness to make
any reasonable concessions in order to
avert n general industrial tic-up. but
no ono thus far has volunteered to take
the first step toward resumption of
negotiations.
While representatives Of the press
were strictly excluded from this morn
ing's meeting of the transport mems
delegates il was noticeable that John
II. Clynes. chairman Of the parlinmen-
tary labor party, and other speakers
similarly regarded as modcratcs, failed
to evoke the same measure of applause
and enthusiasm given TO other speakers
known to have lconings toward direct
action.
The delegates at today's conference
were Enthusiastically in bad humor and
apparently there was lite to warrant
hopes Of an amicable outcome Of tomor.
rows decision" meetings Of the trans
port delegates and the National Union
of Railway Men.
Sir Robert Horne. the new chancellor
Of the oxcheQucr. sDcaking in the Hou;c
of Commons today concerning the stop.
page Of coal mining. painted a gloomy
picture Of tho results of the strike. lie
declared stoppage of coal production
at this time was far moro serious than
would ordinarily be the case.
I'VE had just come through winter
of the most serious depression and were
only just discerning the first flicker Of
reviving trade when this took placc.
the chancellor declared. That flicker
has been cxtinguished and when It NAV
be rclighted no man can say. The Of
feet Is not merely on our general trade
and industry, but on the coal industry
itself, which will suffer the most serious
disaster.
"A result Of the last strike vas 10
rob us Of many markets to which our
'oal used to go. For the first time in |
history American coal came to Europe
in large quantities and the opposition
mny lay the blame where il may. but
he fact is inconteStable. Ten million
IONS of American coal came TO Eurour
last year and in October 900 900 tons
went to France alone. Already, ss a
result Of the present threat, orders are
being eagerly sought from America and
some have been placed"