Evening star., 1925-07-26
RAIL UNIONS BACK
BRITISH MINERS
Owners and Workers Seek
Moral Support Prior to
Conference.
b. the Associated Press.

LONDON, July 25.-The interval
bending the assembling of the con
Ierence of miners and mine owners
called for Wednesday is being utilized
NY both sides in marshaling moral
support from the outside for their re
Spective contentious. The termination
of the present working agreement be-
tween miners and owners expires on
July 81, and a strike has been called
Tor that day unless a new agreement
can be reached.
The whole trade union movement
Sympathizes with the miners cause
20 far as concerns resistance to a fur.
ther reduction of wages or relates to
wage conditions. but differing views
prevail as to how far that sympathy
safely may be translated into active
support.
The transportation and railway
union decided today to take steps 10
prevent the movement of coal in the
event of strike and a conference of
the executives of all the trades unions
has been called for Thursday in Lon.
uon to decide upon strike action The
sailors and F1remen'S Union, however
~decltned to send delegates 10 today $
conference on the ground that it is
not concerned in the miners disputes.
Subcommittee Named.
A subcommittee has been appointed
to arrange details.
"A rumor was current TODAY that the
government court of inquiry would
recommend a temporary government
subsidy to the mining industry
NO confirmation of this was OBJ
iained, but it was remembered that
Premier Baldwin, speaking in the
House of Commons on June %, Oh
The unemployment problem, suggested
the idea of such subsidies for indus.
trles IN desperate plight.
rms suggestion caused considerable
pohucaI recrimination at the time and
nothing further has been heard of it.
But II may be that the government
considers this method a possible way
out OF the present dilemma, for all
impartial observers admit that there
Is much justice in the contention of
both miners and owners and that it
Is the straits of the trade itself which
demands some drastic remedy
The coal trade, suffering the loss of
the foreign market, might seem an
emlnently suitable case for such a
subsidy as the prime minister men,
toned in his speech.
Compromise Urged,
The prime minister and other mem
bers of his cabinet in public speeches
today all alluded to the dispute and
appeared agreed that it was a case for
compromise. Mr.. Baldwin, speaking
at Knowsley, Lancashire, admitted
that the owners and miners had each
very strong case, but added:
'All the while the financial position
OF the industry is growing worse
Remarking that a fight would GER
tainly bring misery to millions, he
went on:
1T is because | visualize that fact
that l intend to throw every ounce of
weight l possess into the scale of
peace"
The premier also made reference Of
how in the coal markets of the world
Italy was turning to Russia and Ger
many and the United States We're sell
ing in southern Europe and South
America against Great Britain.
A. J. Cook, secretary of the Miners
Federation, said today that there was
no change in the actual position and
that the necessary preparations were
being made for the stoppage of opera
tionS at the end of the month, includ
ing measures for feeding miners
wives and families. This was con-
firmed by advices from some of the
coal fields, where local committees,
notably in Yorkshire, are making such
provision.