Evening star., 1921-04-29
MINE PARLEY ENDS
IN FIRM DEADLOCK
London Showing Strain as
Delegates Scatter to De-
eide Next Step.
Nv the Associated Press.


LONDON. April %. Negotiations
for the settlement Of the coal strike
having become deadlocked through
the rejection yesterday of the gov
ernment's temporary subsidy offer ny
the representatives of the miners, the
three parties to the dispute, the
miners. the owners and the govern
ment, have once more returned 10
their respective camps to consider
" no should make the next attempt TO
negotiate a settlement and what form
that move should take.
The members Of the miners execu-
tive board scattered to the coal helds
this morning. apparently without ex-
pectation of any early adjustment of
The next business will be in the
districts" said one Of the leaders,
nile another told an interviewer:
THE stoppage may continue 1or an
other month.
announced Sir Robert Horne. presi-
dent of the board of trade. in the
house of commons this morning. he
deplored the fact that the miners had
not accepted the governmental SUD
sidy offer.
,ions can be made he continued.
I'VE only hope that the stoppage,
which now is disclosed to be for a
political object, may soon De termi-
mated
This conclusion of Sir Roberts re-
marks came amidst cries OF Nom
sense" from representative of the
miners among the members.
Meanwhile the demand for settle
ment of the dispute is spreading
among sections of the populace not
directly involved and really indiffer-
ent to the issues at stake. Fortu-
nately. the continued summerlike
weather is minimizing the physical
Inconvenience of the coal scarcity.
but the public-seeing the theaters
darkened owing to slack business. the
railways and street cars running on
skeletonized schedules. and the light
ing services cut to the minlmum-ls
becoming apprehensive.
1t is not expected. however. that any
new move will be made toward a set
Element until next week. as the
SpokeSmen for the miners Will not be
availa bic for consultations until they
have finished their task of feeling
out the attitude of the rank and file
of the workers.
Last night the Miners Federation
rejected the governments latest offer
to increase the temporary subsidy to
the industry from 100000 pounds
sterling to 100000 pounds. The re-
lection was MADE Dy an ONeTW"lfn-
ing majority Of the miners delegates.
because the offer fails to concede the
fundamental principle for which we
stand
Unacceptable Wage Cut.
Although the miners themselves
could override the decision of the
delegates. this is considered unlikely.
Frank Hodges. secretary of the
miners union, said the government
offer would mean a reduction in the
miners wages Of four Shillings in
July and four shillings sixpence in
August. and that this was more than
they could agree to.
The fundamental principle contend
ed for by the miners is a national
wages board and a national pool, and
this both the mine owners and the
government still oppose. Apparently.
therefore. nothing can prevent the
strike from continuing another week
or longer. although the belief is that
the government will continue its ef-
forts to bring about a settlement of
the dispute.
The cabinet held a special emer-
gency meeting late last evening to
consider measures for the mainte-
nance of essential services in connec-
ton with the coal strike. Among
the new orders. according to the Daily
Mail is the establishment of a curfew
compelling lighting and heating COM
paneS to withdraw supplies at a
fixed hour each night.