New-York tribune., 1921-04-15
Owners Invite Miners to
Conference After Plea
of Union Representative
Is Heard in Commons
Lloyd George Asks
Appeal to Ballot
General Workers. Fedora.
ton Votes to Support
/ Triple Alliance to End

LONDON, Friday, April Is (By
The Associated Press) determined
efforts are being made to reopen the
negotiations between the miners and
mine owners for a settlement of the
coal strike. A deputation from the
House of Commons visited Premier
Lloyd George about midnight after
Frank Hodges, secretary Of the
miners union, had addressed mem
bers of the House and explained the
miners points. When they left the
residence at 1890 a. nj. they de-
clined to talk, but many of them are
reported to have displayed "an obvi-
Gus air of relief"
The mine owners have also decided
to invite the miners leaders to con-
tinue the discussion. Evan Williams,
president of the mining association,
announced at late hour that the
mine owners would extend another
invitation to the representative OF
the miners to deliberate, both nation
ally and in the various districts,
with the object of ascertaining what
| was feasible to improve the lot of the
lower paid miners. The owners then
again visited Downing Street in re-
sponse to summons from the Prime
Minister.
Hope Of Truce Revived
New hopes Of resumption of the
negotiations, therefore, have arisen
through this offer Of the mine own
ers to meet the miners leaders
around new conference table, and
also the offer made by Mr.. Hodges
in his speech to meeting of the
members of Parliament. In this the
secretary Of the miners union said,
among other things:
1--WE are prepared to consider ths
question of wages provided they are not
regardable as permanently on district
basis, but only of temporary char
acter."
Mr.. Hodges had friendly reception,
according to the press association. The
large committee room of the House was
filled with Unionists, Coalitionists and
Laborites. The Conservative member,
John A. r. Marriott, presided. Mr..
Hodges exhaustively reviewed the situ-
alton, and on some points gained tha
sympathy OF his audience.
Regarding his offer the press associ-
alton says that it is not without prom
Use of peaceful agreement and will bs
conveyed to the Premier by Mr.. Mar
riott.
Issue is Clearly Drawn
The whole labor movement is align
ing itself solidly with the miners
against the government. The workers
seem to believe that the hour has
struck for a final struggle against
what they, rightly or wrongly, suspect
to be an organized plan on the part
of the employers to force down wages.
The Federation of General Workers,
representing 100000 persons, in more
than one hundred industries outside
the Triple Alliance, decided to support
the Triple Alliance in its strike in the
interest of the striking miners.
The Prime Minister in a two-hour
conference in the morning with repre-
sentatives of the Triple Alliance de-
clared the government would fight on
its refusal to grant national pool ot
profits.
Mr.. Lloyd George asked why the labor
forces did not appeal to The nation on
the question of naturalization of indus
try, which was political issue. The ball
lot box could only decide the question,
he declared. There is still some mystery
about the actual offer the government
made to the miners. No details of tho
financial assistance contemplated have
been given officially. and, according to
some intimations from the miners side,
the government has only promised as
sistance for the period of a month or
six weeks, which the miners consider
totally inadequate. This may possibly
explain the miners accusations. which
the general public only dimly compre-
hends, that the government is acting
solely in the interests Of the mine
owners.
Conference Proves Futile
After the failure of the morning cons
ference some hope remained that me-
diation might be the outcome of the
Parliamentary conference, made up OF
the Parliamentary Committee of tha
Trade Union Congress, the national
executive of the Labor party and tho
Parliamentary Labor party.
This important conference, however.
after pronouncing itself uncompromis-
ingly on the side of the miners and
the Triple Alliance and against the gov~
ernment, gave no sign of initiating new
negotiations or mediation. There was
practically no peace talk at the con-
ference; the general feeling appeared
to be that any further attenpt 20 ap-
proach the government would be futile.
The resolution adoptei by this body
! is not definite pledge to strike ac4
tion. this being matter for individual
unions, but the appointment of a cons
mittee to act with the Triple Alliance
is considered a more important mov.i
than has happened in any previous in.
dustrial crisis.
Another aspect differentiating this
from previous struggles is the univars