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BUDGET DEBATE. .
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BUDGET DEBATE. The Whiskey Tax. CHANCELLOR'S DEFENCE. The House of Commons on Monday proceeded to consider the Budget resolutions on the report stage. On the report of the resolution increasing the dutv on spirits by 3s 9d per gallon, Mr WATSON RUTHERFORD (C.) moved an amendment providing that the Customs duty on spirits distilled in the Colonies and British dominions should not exceed the Excise duty payable on spirits distilled in the United Kingdom. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER Baid this matter had been very carefully looked into by the late Government, who while de- ciding; against the remission of the surtax of 4d had increased the grant in aid to the West Indies with a view to enabling those Colonies themselves so to re-arrange their fiscal system as to make the surtax less of a burden. The present Government accepted the decision come to by Mr Joseph Chamberlain when Colonial Secretary. The amendment was withdrawn. Sir H. CRAIK (C.) scouted the idea that the purpose of the Government in increasing the spirit duties was the promotion of temperance. He warned them that their proposal was finan- cially unsound, because the increased duties would fall upon the industry and cripple it. Moreover, of the total of £ 9,200,(XX) raised by the increased duties Scotland would contribute bne-half. Mr T. P. O'CONNOR (Nat.) announced that the Irish party intended to renew their protest against the increased spirit duties at every opportunity. Sir JOHN DEWAR (C.) supported the com- plaint of Sir H. Craik that while n6t promoting temperance the increased duties would fail unfairly upon Scotland. Mr T. M. HEALY (Na.t.)a.cC11Sed the Govern- ment of breach of faith in regard to Irish finan- cial relations. From end to end of Ireland intense dissatisfaction with the Budget was being provoked. There was nothing but seething and angry discontent^and that discon- tent would have its fruit in directions which were little taken into account. Not one really loyal citizen was being left in the island. This was really a capitalistic Budget. Guinness's alone of the distillers in Ireland were not rais- ing their prices. Why ? They knew that before long the Conservatives would return to power, and that if they could only hold out for two or three years all their smaller competitors would be ruined and they would be in a position to I rule prices throughout Ireland. When the Government went out of office Ireland would ntt have received Home Rule, but two millions would have been added to her taxation. IE this Budget passed he did not Delieve there would be a voice raised in favour of law and order in Ireland. Degrees of Drunkenness. Mr WILLIAMSON (L.), supporting the pro- posal to graduate the duties according to age, and in favour of good whiskey, said a man got pleasantly drunk on good sound malt whiskey, but on raw grained fiery whiskey he became mad drunk. (Laughter.) Mr HOBHOUSE defended the taxation of Spirits. The controversy that had been raised thai afternoon was not as to the principle.of the tax or as to its incidence, but was an inter- necine quarrel between two schools of thought in the production of Scotch whisky. (Laugh- Mr AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN (C.) aud if Hie Government wanted to put. down spirii drinking as a social evil they should do it by direct legislation. They had no right to raise taxation to a point which made a man unable to-cany on his business which from every other aspect the law regarded as legitimate. Chancellor's Defence. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER 8aid he did not think the most unfair advocates of whiskey as a beverage would have ever re- garded that as one of the necessaries of life. (Hear, hear and laughter, j The right hon. gentleman (Mr Austen Chamberiain) bad for the last fortnight or three weeks been denounc- ing the Government because they were raising all their taxation on the rich. This was the part of the Budget where they sought to get a contribution from all parties. In order to do that they had to tax one of five commodities, namely, tea, sugar, tobacco, beer, or spirits. Wine would not yield anyihiiifc that would have been adequate for the purpose. The right hon. gentleman would have preferred putting the tax on sugar to putting it on whiskey, but he (Mr Lloyd George) was perfectly certain that the vast majority of the poor,whe;her-m Ireland or elsewhere, would eminently prefer patting it on whiskey. (Hear, hear.) The member for Louth asked why they did not put the tax on beer. A halfpenny on beer would represent on the pint very nearly 20 millions, and when they came to consider the fact that a good deal of beer was sold in glasses it would produce con- siderably more but he did not want 20 mil- lions of indirect taxation. It would have been 20 millions upon the workmen, and therefore the whole of the burdens for Dreadnoughts, old age pensions, and everything else would have passed on to the one class of the community, including, of course, the Irish workmen. There was an increasing consumption of beer in Ice- land, but the contribution of the Irish work- men to the taxation of the country was getting smaller every year as far as whiskey was con- cerned. He came then to tea, which was the drink of the very poor. The poorer the quality the higher the percentage of the tax. (Hear, hear.) When they came to the quality of the tea. drunk by the poor, whether in Ireland or in this country, a hundred per cent, of the price was represented by the duty, and wry often a good deal more. Mr LO UGH: The poor in Ireland drink much better tea than the rich in England. (Lighter.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he knew the Irish were very good judges of tea. When they came to the better class of tea drunk by the Irish and the English aristocracy they found that the per- centage was very much lower. This would therefore be a tax upon the very, very poor, and it would be a very cruel thing if he put this two millions dn tea. The Govern- ment were thus driven to tobacco and whisky, which were, after all, luxuries, and he thought it was perfectly fair that the contribution they asked by way of indirect taxation should be out of the spare money the people had tospend upon luxuries rather than out of the essentials of life. That was why the Government had chosen these two commodities. With regard to the estimated yield of the spirit tax it was very, largely a gamble the first year. They never knew how a new duty would turn out. First, there were forestalments then there was the possibility of evasion and diminished consump- tion. They lost 15s for every gallon by which the consumption fell off, and he had no doubt at all that the increase in the price would have the effect of very considerably decreasing the consumption of whiskey. It might have that effect in more ways than one, possibly by dilution and also by giving smaller measure. A tax of this sort was a rery risky speculation. A Chancellor of the Exchequer might make a lot of money over it or he might drop a lot, and he did not think, having all these elements of uncertainty to deal with, that he would be justified in giving anything but an exceedingly cautious estimate. Before the debates on the Budget cloeed they would be in a better position to form a more reliable estimate, and if there was & prospect of the tax working more favourably from the revenue point of view than the Government anticipated the House would be entitled to know what the facts were and to dispose of whatever surplus might be yielded in the way which suited it best. This had been the first experiment of putting on a taK which drovetheretailertoputit on the con- sumer, and he had done this deliberately because he did not thnpk it fair on a matter of this kind to i put on the tax in a way which would embarrass the Trade, and make it very difficult for them to pass it on to the consumer. It enabled the retailer to charge practically his increased licence duty upon the whiskey, and in moat cases he was doing it. He could quote figures to show that by the charges the publicans were asking they would be making a profit of four millions a year. Even making a considerable allowance for diminished con- sumption, they would probebty make same- thing like another million out of the whiskey Withdrawn from band upon which flieywere not paying 3s 9d. The Trade had, theefcee, ho particular right to complain. (MmiiiUitiul cheers.) Mr Batfour Astounded. Mr BALFOUR, (C.), who was received with loud Opposition Cheers, said he was absolutely astounded at the figures the right hon. gentle- man had just given to the House. Had they ever before heard of endowing the Trade on the scale which the Chancellor of the Ex- chequer had mentioned ? (Opposition cheers.) He understood from the right hon. gentleman that the distiller was going to give £1JjOO,OOQ to the Treasury and get £4,000,000 for himself. (Opposition cheers and laughter.) Had any human being ever heard of taxation being de- fended on that ground T (Renewed laughter.) No one from that side of the House had ever proposed to put four millions into the hands of one class of traders and only Ii millions into the Exchequer. That was one of the strange inconsistencies in this Government. These were the gentlemen who kept them there the whole of last autumn endeavouring to impose a most unfair burden on the Trade. Now they came forward with proposals which & member of the Cabinet who spoke on Saturday said was the second best method of dealing with the Trade, which turned out to be giving the distillers alone four millions a year. He did not know which was the more astounding—the financial inconsistencies or the legislative incon- sistencies of the Government. (Loud laughter.) There was another point The Chancellor of the Exchequer's broad fiscal justification of this taxation was that it would be most unfair to put new and heavy taxation on- the poorer classes. That was a very good broad general principle, in which he entirely concurred but on examining the method of carrying it out the Chancellor turned to Scot- land and Ireland, where whiskey was drunk by the working classes more than in England. How was he going to justify that if he was doing his best to bring in all classes of the community equally ? When the right hon. gentleman looked round upon the whole 43 millions of population of these islands he fixed his eves- on the people who lived north of the Tweed and west of St. George's Channel, and sssid, There are the poor men there is the true method of balancing your Budget." (Loud Opposition laughter.) He (Mr Balfour) did not think theywould hold water. (Loud general laughter.) He did not think they would succeed. As if the unfairness was not enough, there was a further absurdity. The right hon. gentleman said he could not be cer- tain about hisestimate of £1,600.000, because of abatements. Did he not see the extraordinary absurdity of putting on a gigantic tax which would not be paid this year, and of keeping it on next year, when it would not be wanted ? (Loud Opposition laughter.) As if the ab- surdity was not enough, he said he meant to induce or to drive the population of these islands who still drank whiskey to drink beer. Mr LLOYD GEORGE I never said a word about it. Mr BALFOUR The right hon. gentleman in his Budget speech Mr LLOYD GEORGE Oh, the Budget speech! (Opposition laughter.) What I said in that speech was that I had to reckon in making my estimates upon the probability of diminished consumption and that it might drive him to beer. I never said I put it on in order to drive him to beer. I have nothing to do with that. Mr BALFOUR said it now turned out that the right hon. gentleman distinctly contem- plated that the proposals which he put before the House for purely fiscal reasons were really going to divert industry from one channel to another. He thought that was a rather rash admission for the Chancellor of the Exchequer to make. If they put all these considerations together he thought the right hon. gentleman would see that the duty of defending his Budget had only just begun. (Prolonged Opposition cheers.) Mr W. REDMOND (Nat.) assured the Government that practically the whole of the Irish members would go into the Division Lobby against this proposal. Ireland had reached its limits in the matter of taxation. The report of the resolution was then carried by 243 to 176—majority 67. The report of the resolution imposing the corresponding Excise duty on spirits was carried by 243 votes against 123. Colonial Preference Urged. On report of the resolution imposing the Customs duties on tobacco, Mr JAMES HOPE (C.) moved an amend- ment the effect of which was to give a preference of 25 per cent. on tobacco, whether manufactured or unmanufactured, imported into the United Kingdom from any part of the British Empire. He calculated that this con- cession would not involve a loss to the revenue of more than £50,000 a year. Captain CRAIG (C.), in seconding the amendment, said if the Government would make this concession it wonld be a very grace- ful act with which to commemorate the day. (Opposition cheers). Mr HOBHOUSE The loss to the revenue would be £460,000. Whether the loss was great or small a very much larger question was in- volved in the amendment. He contended that there was no necessity for giving a further pre- ference to the Colonies in the home market, which was as free to them as it was to any other country. Sir GILBERT PARKER (C.) asked how the Government could object to the principle of granting a preference to Colonial tobacco when they gave a preference to tobacco grown in Ire- land, and subsidised cotton growing in Nigeria. The Government would not yield an inch to the twelve millions of people in our Colonies, but they yielded fast enough to the handful of gentlemen sitting below the gangway. (National and Labour ironical cheers.) The Chancellor of the Exchequer was fascinated by the ferocity of his own finance. Mr JOHN WARD (Lab.) said the House had not been told that Rhodesia wanted this pre- ference, and if it did, judging from some of the samples of its tobacco, it should not get it, for he was told that the stuff was only fit to burn on a bonfire. (Laughter.) The amendment was negatived by 185 to 57, and the resolution was carried. The debate was adjourned.
Tobacco & Petrol TaxesI
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Tobacco & Petrol Taxes The debate was resumed on Tuesday, when Mr STEADMAN (Lab.) asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, as the increased duty of 8d per pound on manufactured tobacco had resulted in a number of men and women em- ployed at cigar making being discharged or suspended from emplo^nent .and the trade paralysed owing to the difficulty of dividing that amount over 100 cigars, it was his inten- tion to continue the increased duty on leaf tobacco taken out of bond for cigar manu- facturing purposes. Mr LLOYD GEORGE: I have received deputations from both the cigar manufacturers and the Cigar-makers' Union on this subject, and I have personally inquired most carefully into the matter. I Cannot, in view of my investigations, agree with him that such derangement as has been caused to the cigar- making industry by the imposition of the additional duty on manufactured tobacco is likely to prove more than a transitory dis- turbance while the trade is adjusting itself to the new conditions. I am afraid I cannot see my way to grant lower rates of duty in the case of tobacco used for this particular pur- pose. The House resumed consideration ofthe re- port of the Budget resolutions passed in Com- mittee of Ways and On the resolution imposing an additional Excise duty on Irish grown tobacco, MrCARLILE <NLJ spfcJeftA support of the amendment moved by Mr W. Redmond last night, providing that the Excise duties on Irish tobacco should remain unaltered. Mr GOULDING supported the amendment. He quoted an expert as saying that a cow might eat her fill of the green tobacco grown in Ireland and suffer no pain, whereas if she were to eat American tobacco the result would be devastation to herself. (Laughter.) Mr LLOYD GEORGE said there was very general sympathy with tbeexperiments made in Ireland for the production of tobacco, and the Government had given substantial proof of their interest. It was purely a question of the best method of assisting the industry. He agreed it was an exceptional case because the industry in Ireland was deliberately crashed by Act of Parliament, which prohibited tobacco growing in Ireland. The Government gave a grant instead ot a rebate because they believed that to be the best way of setting the industry upon itB feet, and replacing it in the position in which it was before Parliament intervened. If they were to charge a duty of 3s 6d on foreign tobacco and only 2s lOd on Irish tobacco they would be set- ting up a tariff of 20 per cent. which could not be withdrawn. That was why he drew a dis- tinction between a grant and. a rebate. He pointed out that the grant of £ SjOOO which the Government made was fotr times as much as would be produced by the proposed difference in the duty. Hon. gentlemen opposite were very ready to sacrifice other people's principles —(laughter)—but the Government were doing much more for the tobacco industry than the suggested rebate would do. A tariff preference would be a bad thing for the industry, because it would come to rely upon the fiscal advantage it received, whereas by means of the grant there was every reason to hope that the indus- try would grow stronger. He had recently been experimented upon with Irish tobacco, and there had been no evil result&(1augbter) —and he was still friendly to Irish tobacco. (More laughter.) Under the present system the quality of the tobacco was improving. Mr BONAR LAW ((^supported th&smend- ment. A Breezy Speech. Mr HAROLD COX (L.) pointed oat that, tobacco growing was crushed out in England in the seventeenth century solely in order to give a preference to the Colonies. England, surely had an equal right with Ireland to from the Chancellor of the .Exchequer a subsidy. Ireland would be a wealthier country if it were less prooeto ask for subsidies. (Nationalist inteBFUption.) They could make anything grow if watered plentifully with British gotd. Mr W. BEDKBQ): IU»<Hirown J:DODey.. You are adding milt to icjary. (Rationalist cheers.) Mr COX; I am quite prepared to meet hon. gentlemen opposite on the question of what they can their owDunxmey. I maintain that Ireland is undertaxed. (Nationalist ironical cheers.) Mr T. BRALY Baid the Nationalist-members did not come to the House of Oqmmons to be lectured, but to teach. (Langhter.) As for Free Trade and Protection, he believed both were false. (Laughter.) They were both con- cerned with taxaiion.and taxation was & curse. There was nbthingright œ wrong about Pro- tection or FreeTrade. Whatever suited them was best. Claughtec.) There was one thing that did not suit Ireland, and that was to be robbed and told afterwards when they asked for 4id they could not have it because it was against the principles of Pree Trade. The Government were taking £ ZjQ(XLflQO from Ireland by this Budget. Mr Redmond was Miring; a very sbial1 t-hfng in return-—not on any question of principle. He was only asking it as a palliation asainst British rascality. (Laughter.) England had turned the perfumed garden of Ireland into a blackened potato patch, and had hunted her miserable people across the ocean, where they were deadly enemies, and were allying themselves with the Germans against England in everrcitY in the United States, and when his hon. friend tried to keep up some little industry at home, he was offered chunks of John Stout Mill. (Laughter.) The Irish were the beat judges of whether they were well treated or not. They had to wear the shoe, and all they knew was that the proof of the pudding was in the eating. (Loud laughter.) The House divided on the amendment, and rejected it by 252 votes to 131. Another division was challenged upon the resolution itself, when there voted :— For the resotution. 253 Agiunat -——— .-——— 128 Government majority—« 125 The Petrol Tax. On the report of the Budget resolution im- posing on motor spirit a Customs import-duty and an Excise duty of 3d per gallon, and on licences to be taken out annually by motor spirit manufacturers and dealers in motor spirit Excise duties of El and 5s respectively, Mr JOYNSON HICKS moved an amend- ment providing that a rebate of the amount of such duties shall be allowed in respect of all motor spirit used in the public service and com- mercial vehicles and all arts and manufactures. It was estimated that motor buses would each have to pay JE50 per year more than they were at present paying for their motor spirit. At the outside this tax on commercial vehicles would produce between £50,000 and £55,000 and one single firm, the London General Omnibus Company, would pay at least jE37,000 of that sum. It was not fair to place such a burden upon any particular commercial enterprise and more especially upon a company which made no profit. Mr HOBHOUSE pointed out that those com- panies could recoup themselves by charging each of the 400 million passengers they carried one-fifth of a penny per year. He did not think the passengers would complain. (Laughter.) He saw no reason why commercial motors should not contribute towards the upkeep of the roads which they used. Mr LLOYD GEORGE pointed out that commercial vehicles which were excused the licence duty ought not to escape all contribu- tion to a tax which was to be devoted to road improvements. Tubes and railways with which motor vehicles competed were -heavily rated for highway and other purposes, and they did npt pay dividends, any more than motor-'bus companies, owing to cut-throat competition. It had nothing to do with the tax on petrol. Motor vehicles would save more than the 3d a gallon on petrol would entail by the improvement in the roads. He hoped the Committee would stand by the tax as a whole. The amendment was defeated by 238 against 60. Continuing the discussion on the resolution Mr BONAR LAW advocated a 10 per cent. duty on foreign motor cars imported into this country. Mr MOND, while no great admirer of the petrol tax, preferred it as a means of raising revenue to the experimental attempt which the member for Dulwich was making as his first effort in that great tariff for which people had been waiting for seven years, and of which the only item that had apparently been deter- mined upon was a 10 per cent. tax on foreign motorcars. (Ministerial laughter.) Lord ROBERT CECIL, who regarded the petrol tax as an excrescence on the Budget, appealed for special treatment for doctors. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he adhered to his intention to exempt all spirit not used for propelling motor-cars. He took a sympathetic view of the caseof the country doctor who owned a small car and used it for the purpose of his profession, and he pro- mised to give the matter very careful con- sideration. Mr Mond. Mr ROWLAND HUNT (C.), continuing the debate, advised Mr Mond to go back to his own country, Germany. (Ministerial cries of Withdraw.") Mr AD KIN (L.) asked whetheritwasin orfler to refer to an hon. Inember- of that House as belonging to another country. The SPEAKER: The expression is notan unparliamentary one, though distinctly offen- sive. (Ministerial cheers.) Mr HUNT I was not aware that it was offensive—(laughter)—but I withdraw it, sir. (Ministerial cheers.) The hon. member was proceeding again to refer to Mr Mond, when The SPEAKER advised him to leave the hon. member for Chester alone, adding in the interests of order generally it would be better if the hon. gentleman confined himself to the resolution before the House. The House then divided, there voting forthe resolution 256,against 76—Government majority 180..
Fight on Footboard r
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Fight on Footboard r BETWEEN DETECTIVE AND CAPTIVE. A remarkable story is reported from Man- gotsfield, a suburb of Bristol, on Saturday, There was a desperate struggle between a de- tective and his prisoner in the carriage of a train.which was bringing them both to Bristol. The fight began in the carriage, and con- tinued on the footboard of the train. At last the prisoner leapt on to the permanent way, and was killed on the spot. A man named John Notley, aged 36, had been wanted for some time by the Bristol police on a charge of burglary and of stealing money and other effects, the property of his parents, who live in Bedminster Down, Bristol. On Friday night he was arrested at Bournemouth, and on Saturday morning he was being brought from that town to Bristol in change of Detective- Sergeant Clarke, ot the City Police. The pair were travelling in a fast train, and had a carriage to themselves. When the train was between Mangotsfield and Staple Hill, about four miles outside Bristol, Notiey suddenly flung himself upon the detective officer, saying, I will knock your eye-out. Clarke closed with him, and a desperate straggle went on for some time in thecarriage. The prisoner, who was the much more powerful man of the two, managed to edge nearer and nearer to the window of the carriage. Despite the police officer'sdetermined efforts the prisoner at last contrived to get one of his hands out of the window, and to unfasten the door of the carriage. Then Notiey got outside on the footboard, although he still remained within the grip of the detective. The train was travelling at a very rapid speed, and the struggle con- tinned on the footboard of the carriage. The officer made every possible effort to reach the communication cord, but was un- able to do so. Then he seized Notiey by the collar of his waistcoat. The violent struggle continued for a minute or two longer, each of the participants being in danger of instant death. At last, with a final wrench, Notiey broke away, leaving a portion of his waistcoat in the hands of his captor. But it was only to fall headlong from the rushiDgtrain on to the permanent way. Clarke, who was now left free, at once pulled the com- munication card, and the tram came to astand within about 340 yards. A party made their way back along the line to the place where Notteyhad fallen from the train, and ther4 they found his lifeless body, with a terrible wound at the back of the skull. He seearaio have been kifled mstantawonsly. Notiey was living with hispazenta. Itis aaidtiMAhehadatotenJEmnmnthem. The sole witness of the struggle was Mr Thomas Medley, of 30, Dccon-ten-ace, York. He was riding in the nest canxpax&mexwt, and hearing the wild commotion looted out just in time to see the lasfc-of the struggle-on. the foot- board and tbe-faH on to the fine. Notiey was formerty a miner, but for years had been a wanderer. On and oft he lived with his parents at Bedminster Down, bat was often away for months at a stretch, prefacing to be in theopen air rather than follow any occupation. For some time prior to last Sunday he had lived with his people. That night he went to bed as usaal, and after that nothing was seen of him. He had, it appears, risen early on Monday, and after helping himself to his parents' money left the house before any of theother inmates were astir. Notiey is said to have been convicted at Cardul andPontypridd. At Staple HiD, Bristol, on Monday 'an in- quedwaB held on John Notiey (36), who lost his life while trying to escape irom custody on Saturday in a train travelling from Bristol. Detective Clarke deposed that prisoner at- tacked him' and opened the door of the car- riage in which they were alone. Witness caught hold of Notley's waistcoat, but it parted, and prisoner fell o ot^ fracturing his skull. Verdict accordingly.
SURREY ROADSIDE MYSTERY.
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SURREY ROADSIDE MYSTERY. Soon after 2 o'clock on Monday morning a constable patroUmg Stoat's Nest-road, at Couls- don, Surrey, discovered an elderly man lying unconscaoos and badly injured on theroadeide. In the centre of the road was a pool of blood, and from this to thespot where the man was lying there was a trail of blood. Tfae-consteble obtained the assistance of aJoeal doctor, and after the mauls injuries had been attendedto he wawemoved to Parley New Hospital in a dying conditjttm. The man was afterwards identified as Mr William Comber, 58 years of age, who liv-d with his nephew at Napier-road, South Croy- don. For some weeks put he had been work- ing 88 ø. night watchman at Oou1ødon. His niece told a representative that he left home about midnight on Saturday to walk to Coulsdon, his intention being to stay in his capacity as night watchman and work over Sunday. Nothing more was heard of him by his n'lurfitvrw until theyware in- formed bL the police that he was lying in the hospital. His injuries were of a ternhle nature and suggest that Comber was knocked down by a passing motor car, afterwards managing to drag 111x11861110 the roadside where he was discovered. His skull and several ribs are frac- tured his face is badly bruised, and when ad- mitted to the hospital he was suffering from compression of the brain, the result-of a frac- tured skull. He has not yet recovered con- sciousness and no hope is entertained of his recovery.
OUR ARMY DIRIGIBLE.
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OUR ARMY DIRIGIBLE. Further trials were carried oat on Monday at Aldershot with the army dirigible balloon. Rising to a good height the balloon, for upwardsof half an hour, manoeuvred over the district and gave ervcry indication of being easily steered. At the same time the balloon continued to asoend until the altitude reached was so great that gas had to be released. More of this was released than was apparently intended, with the result that the balloon descended rapidly, coming to earth on Bramahot Golf Links. It would not rise again, so a supply of gas was sent for from the balloon factory at Farn- boromgh. A wagon with seven cylinders of: compressed gas arrived and the balloon was filled again, but by this time a strong-wind was blowing and the dirigible was towed back by sappers.
IRELAND'S THR1 FITNESS.-
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IRELAND'S THR1 FITNESS. A return issued by the Treasury shows that at the end of 1907 the deposits in the Post Office and Trustee Savings Banks of Ireland amounted to £ 13^)89,158, the number of depo- sitors being 580,223. In 1881 the depositors numbered only 150,097, and their deposits amounted to the meagre total of £ 3,802401. The percentage of increase at the end of 1907 compared with 1881 was no less than 2,443. On June 30th, 1908, the deposits and private balances in the Joint Stock Banks of Ireland amounted to a total of jE50,144,000 compared with JE28,289,000 on June 30th, 1881, showing the substantial increase of 77'3 per cent.
A Compromise Rejected.
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A Compromise Rejected. LORD ST. ALDWYN'S AWARD. 7i PER CENT. REDUCTION. Eight Hours Problem. Saturday witnessed several important meet- ings at Cardiff in connection with coalfield questions, the most important feature of the day's work being the reduction of wages by 7t per cent. brought about by the casting vote of Viscount St. Aldwyn, the independent chair- man of the Conciliation Board. The Miners' Executive spent some hours in the morning discussing the acute position created by the intimation of the owners to serve a month's notice on June 1st, as a pre- liminary to the introduction of new conditions relating to the enforcement of the Eight Hours Act on July 1st. No progress was made, how- ever, towards settlement, the men contenting themselves with issuing a statement in which, while protesting against the methods adopted by the owners on Friday, they (the workmen's representatives) intimated their intention of placing the whole matter before the M.F.G.B. At the joint meeting of the Conciliation Board in the afternoon, dealing with coalfield dis- putes, no reference whatever was made to the questions which divide the parties with refer- ence to the Eight Hours Act. Until the workmen's representatives have an opportunity of consulting the members of the Executive Council of the M.F.G.B. at & national ponference which has not yet been convened, no further progress can be made towards a settlement of matters in South Wales. Meantime it may be taken for granted that the owners will on June 1st issue notices in due course. The Wage Reduction. At the close of Saturday afternoon's meeting of the Conciliation Board, presided over by Lord St. Aldwyn, the independent chairman, the following official report was supplied by Mr Gascoyne Dahiel, the owners' secretary :— The Conciliation Board met to consider the application of the owners' representatives for a reduction of 7t per cent. in the general wage rate, when Lord St. Aldwyn, the inde- pendent chairman of the board, presided. The two sides of the board had held a sta- tutory meeting on May 10th, and having failed to agree, the independent chairman of the board was called in to give his decision. After hearing the owners' arguments in favour of, and the reply of the workmen's representatives opposing the reduction, Lord St. Aldwyn gave his casting Vote in favour of the reduction, and accordingly the wages payable to the workmen will be 47! per cent. above the December, 1879, stfmdard, as and from June 1st next.
JOINT BOARD PROCEEDINGS.
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JOINT BOARD PROCEEDINGS. Arguments Pro and Con. Miners' wages in South Wales stood at the end of last year at the maximum of 60 per cent. abo re the standard. In February they were reduced by Lord St. Aldwyn to 55 per cent., and the present Debate will farther re- duce the wage rate to 47J per cent, on the 1879 standard &8 from the first of June. The owners based their demand solely upon selling prices, maintaining that the Is 2d reduc- tion in the price of large coal of itself amply justified the course which they now took, and that there were no other factors in the situa- tion at present to counterbalance what they regarded as this one ruling factor. Perhaps the strongest point in favour of the owners' con- tention was the proposition llid down that in the event of the present application hot being acceded to, there would only be a margin of Is lOd to represent a wage reduction of 25 per cent., when the selling price of lie lOd would be reached, lis lOd being the equivalent to tho minimum wage rate of 30 per cent, above the standard. To the argtnnent of the workmen's representatives that Lord St. Aldwyn had conceded the owners something on account on the last revision of the scale, the-owners gave the rejoinder that on present figures they had made allowances, as otherwise they would be entitled to a present redaction of 10 per cent. Stress was laid by theworkmen on the other hand on the increase in the volume of trade over the corresponding period of last year, which was not far short of 300,000 tons. This was used to show the brightened pros- pects of trade-and the strengthened tone of the market. The further point was made by the workmen that the masters had agreed under other conditions, which were by no means more favourable than the present, to the Sxing of wages, at 57 J per cent. when the selling Price was only lOd more than was now shown by the audit, and on this basis, assuming the application was granted, they would obtain 10 per cent, reduction in the wages, as equivalent to, only* 1011 difference in aedling prices. Mr F. L. Davis, ilfe owners' chairman, opened the case tor his side. The audit of the owners'books, he said, had disclosed that the price of large coal had fteen reduced from 148 ¡O"65d f.o.b. (upon which figure hifl-Lopdshiphad granted a 5 per cent. rebate in wages for the preceding quarter) to 138 8'18d fbr the March quarter—a drop of la.2d per ton, while there was also a decrease of2d per ton in the pric^of small coal, the present average selling prices being 7s 2*lld per ton. Mr Davis cited the two quarters ending respectively Jane and Septem- ber, 1907, when the independent chairman granted advances to the men. These advances, he argued, worked out, on the basis of selling prices, to percentages of 12i and 15 to the men, when a shilling increase in the prices had beEn shown. Upon that basis Mr Davis main- tained that the present application meant that the owners were-asking for leas than 7i per cent. on the shilling redaction. As to the volume of trade, he urged that the ability of the owners to pay wages was governed by market prices and not by the amount of tzade done. Mr W. J. Hepoell, Aberd&re^also submitted figures, contending thai; unless the present application of per cent, was conceded the price of coal ai present (13s 8* 18d)wookl be within Is lOd of the figure of DslOd fixed by Sir David Dale as the equivalent to the mini, mum of 30 per cent. With wages now at 55 per cent. above the standard, a refusal of the owners' present request would mean that the margin of Is lOd between the lis lOd equiva- lent to the minimum and the present prices would represent a difference of 25 per cent. Mr Alfred Onionsand Mr W. Brace, M. P., had charge of the men's case, and they were armed with a mass of figures prepared by the Wages Sub-Committee. Mr Onions maintained that the owners were seeking too big a reduction on the selling prices, and urged that Lord St. Aldwyn, at the last quarterly meeting, in the 5 per cent. rebate then made, had conceded rather more than the then existing prices war- ranted. When, in September of 190E7, wages were advanced to'57i per cent-, and both sides had agreed as to the figures and the rate of wages, there* was only a margin of lOd be- tween those prices and the present amount of 138 8d, so that he (Mr Onions) contended that the owners had already an advantage of 21 per cent., and were now seekingP^^c^Dy a 10 per cent, reduction in respect of a decrease of lOd in the selling priceof coals. Mr Onions farther pointed out that on the last occasion of a revi- sion the independent-chairman had ascertained that the high contract prices for last year had ceaaed to be payable on January 1st, 1909, and this information, it was argued, influenced, his Lordship in giving the 5 per cent. redaction in February. The reduction now shown of Is 2d per ton in large coal took plac^ the speaker argned, between December and January last, ami, therefore, he suggested that the owners had received credit for a good deal of the Is 2d in the last reduction. Farther, on the last occasion the. price of small coal was down Is 2d per ton as compared with the preceding quarter, while the difference on this occasion was only 2d. This factpomted to the hardening of prices. The volume of trade, again in the last quarter was against the men, but for the period now under review the re- turns showed an increase in exportation of 291,000 tons as compared with the. correspond- ing quarter of 1908, or an iBcreaaeof 3*97 per cent. on the total exports. There was a decreased volume of trade in all the quarters of 1908, whereas a considerable increase was now manifest, and this went to prove that the trade was emerging from i1ös depressed con-, dition and that the prospects were very much brighter. s After the close of arguments on Saturday, Lord St. Aldwyn asked whether both sides could not have a talk over matters and see whether a compromise could not be effected. He (his Lordship) would require a little time to consider the situation in all its bearings, and meantime he would suggest that the parties give consideration to the points- the owners whether they firmly adhered to their demand, and the workmen as to whether they would not make an offer to compromise. Both sides then separated for private con- sultations, and TOien subsequently they rejoined in the conference room, the owners declared that they were prepared to com- promise if the men-would concede a redaction of 6J per cent. The men's side replied that they wouldAgree to a 5 per cent, reduction^ but this in turn was rejected by the owners, and it was then agreed to aHow the issue to be decided by the inde- pendent chairman. Lord St. Aldwyn said that be had carefully gone into the figures regarding the volume of trade, upon which he had some doubt at the outset, but he had come to the conclusion to give his casting vote in favour of the owners'' application for the 7iyer cent, reduction. Mr W. Brace, on behalf the workmen, moved a hearty vote of thanks to his Lordship, and remarked that although they were sorry he had granted the reduction, the workmen's representatives had the greatest confidence in his Lordship impartial judgment, and would lovally abide by the decision. Mr F. L. Davis seconded, and expressed the indebtedness of both sides to his Lordship. Lord St. Aldwyn, in acknowledging the tribute and the cordiality of the vote, referred to the excellent spirit prevailing that day, not-, withstanding the grave outlook in the coalfield, and expressed the hope that existing difficul- ties over the Eight Hours Act would be ami- cably arranged. The latter remark of his Lordship brought' forth assenting cheers from the workmen's side. Coalfield Disputes. The following official report of the Con- ciliation Board proceedings was handed to the Press representatives on Saturday by Mr W. Gascoyne Dalziel, the owners' secretary :— A meeting of the Conciliation Board for Monmouthshire and South Wales was held to- day at Cardiff, Mr F. L. Davis presiding over the owners' side, and Mr W. Brace, M.P., over the workmen's side in the absence of Mr W. Abraham, M.P. (Mabon), who is indis- posed. The workmen's representatives made an application that the workmen should be granted three days' holiday at Whitsun, namely, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the 31st May and June 1st and 2nd, and this was agreed to by the owners' representatives. Certain questions in dispute at the Messrs Cynon Colliery Company, Port Talbot, were referred to Messrs W. W. Hood and D. Watts Morgan. A dispute as to the price list for the 6ft. Pretoria district at Messrs Hill's Plymouth Company's South Pit was referred to Messrs H. E. Gray and C. B. Stanton, it being arranged that the notices given to the workmen on the 1st inst. be withdrawn. The workmen's representatives complained that the workmen employed at the Cape and Tokio district at Messrs the Britannic Merthyr Company's Britannic Colliery, Merthyr, had received notices on the 1st inst. while the mat-' ter in dispute was in the hands of two repre- sentatives of the Board. The owners' repre- sentatives stated that they would advise the company to withdraw the notices. The workmen's representatives also com- plained that Messrs Guest, Keen, and Nettle- folds had, on the 1st instant, given notices to the workmen at Vochriw No. 1 Pit, and con- tended that these notices were a breach of the agreement. The owners' representatives said that the company had given notice because they were unable to carry on the colliery on present conditions of working, a dispute at the colliery having been referred to two representa- tives of the Board, and these representatives had failed to agree. A dispute at Messrs the Ocean Coal Co.'s Eastern and Maindy Collieries as to paying compensation at the collieries where the men are employed was referred back to Mr Wm. Jenkins and Mr Watts Morgan to discuss at home. During the day reports of settlements and failures to agree in regard to disputes referred to representatives of the Board for investiga- tion were also received. The Workmen's Manifesto. The following official report was issued by Mr ► T. Richards, 1\LP. (secretary of the South Wales Miners' Federation), to the Press, on Saturday, relating to the deadlock which ensued at Fri- day's conferehce in relation to the difficulties arising under the operation of the Mines Eight Hours Act:— The workmen's representatives carefully considered at their meeting this morning the serious situation sprung upon them yesterday by. the intimation that the owners had de- cided to give notices on the 1st of June next to terminate contracts. Considerable surprise was evinced that the owners had decided upon taking this drastic step prior to the meeting of. the Conciliation Board taking El ace yesterday, although that meeting had een arranged to receive the report of the joint sub-committee to try and arrange terms of settlement. The workmen's representatives were also surprised to find that the Press had been supplied by the owners' secretary with an official report of the owners' side of the negotiations, contrary to the joint arrange- ment that the proceedings were to be treated as private. The workman's representatives do not think the public Press the best medium for conducting any further. negotiations neces- sary for the purpose of avoiding conflict between the parties. Therefore, they do not propose to answer seriatim the arguments supplied to the Press on behalf of the owners in their official report. Economy and Safety. The attitude-of the owners is wet! expressed in the following paragraph in the report:— That the owners shall be placed in the posi- tion of being able to work th^jr collieries in the most economical way by double shift or otherwise." The workmen's representatives, having made every effort possible to assist in making the changes necessary under the operation of the Eight Hours Act as little irk- some as possible, with a view to economical working of the collieries, at the same time must pay regard to the safety and earning capacity of the workmen they represent; and to agree to the owners' pro- posal would be to render both the safety and wages of the workmen subservient to the economical standard of working set up by the owners. The workmen's representatives propose to immediately lay the whole position before the executive of the with the view of, a national conference being called to decide upon- the future course of action.
Coalownere' Attitude.
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Coalownere' Attitude. OFFICIAL MANIFESTO. • ■ The Position Reviewed. The following official statement, bearing upon the present position of the negotiations in the-South WaJescoaffield with reference to the enforcement of the Eight Honrs Act, was issued on Tuesday by the South Wales coal- ownets. It is signed by Mr W. J. Heppell, chairman of the association, Mr Fred 4 Davis, president of the owners* representa- tives on the Conciliation Board, and Mr W. Gascoyne DaMel, secretary to the association The owners' representatives on the Con- ciliation Board Acting on behalf of the Mon- mouthshire and South Wales Coalownere' Association, deem it desirable to place before those who are interested in the coal trade of Sooth Wales the reasons which will make it necessary for theowners to give notices on the 1st June to the workmen at the associated colheries that their contrasts of service will cease to operate as from the 1st of July next, owiDgto the fact that the passing of the Eight. Hours Act renders it impossible for the work- men to^carry out their existing contracts. It is conwmm knowledge that the EightHoros Act, which comes into force on the 1st July next, is the result of pressure put upon Parlia- ment by the Parliamentary representatives of Labour. The owjfers were not consulted by them before the Eight Hours' Bill was intro- duced as to-the probable effect of such an Act upon the working of the collieries. In the filial stages of the discussion of the Bill inPartiaanent themjostice to the owners of enforcing an Eight Hours Act during the operation of the existing Conciliation Board agreement, whiehembodies the general con- tract between theowners and workmen, was strongly urged by the owners, but disregarded by Pariiament, And though the owners might reasonably have expected support from the workmen's representatives in urging that the existing agreement to which they were parties should be allowed" to terminate before the Act commenced.to operate (especially in view of the fact that in the principal competing export coalfields of Durham and Northumberland the operation of the Act was postponed till the 1st January, 1910) they received no such support. Under the Conciliation Board agreement, which forms the workmen's contract of service; provision is made for the continuance of the agreement -cmtil the-31st December.. 1909, and thenceforth until either party gives three months' notice to terminate. Under the exist- ing conditions of that agreement the working hoars are 54 per week. Legal Position. With a view to ascertaining their legal posi- tion with regard to this agreement, when the new Eight Hoars Act comes into force on the 1st July next, the owners consulted counselJSir Robert Finlay, K.C., Mr Eldon Basnkes, K.C., and Mr Montague Luøb. K-C-, whose opinion is that the Legislature had made existing con- tracts under that Agreement impossible of per- formance by the men when the new Act comes into force. This opinion was communicated by the owners to the workmen's representatives, and on the latter disagreeing with this view of the question the ownerp' representatives made the suggestion that the point should be referred to one of the Law Lords or to a Judge of the High Court to be appointed by the Lord Chancellor. This suggestion was, however, declined by the workmen's representatives. The workmen's representatives, however, made a proposal that a small committee should be appointed to consider the difficulties which would arise in putting the Act into force, which proposal the owners adopted. In their recent negotiations with the work- men's representatives the owners pointed out that the effect of the operation of the new Act will be to reduce theoutput of/coal and to in- crease the cost of working, ana they put for- ward several points for the consideration of the workmen's representatives, but only in certain minor respects have the latter inti- mated their readiness to assist the owners in meeting the difficulties which will arise in carrying on the working of theco1lieries under the new conditions. In considering the effect of the operation of the Act it must be borne in mind that it doeJ not permit eight hours' work underground, but that a considerable portion of this time is taken up in travelling to and from the actual place of warik, and that in many of the older collieries not more than 6i hoars' effective work will be performed. The owners are strongly of opinion that it will be foond im- possible to work such collieries and maintain them. in repair, with all the pumping of water, boilers, engines, horses, officials, and atten- dants necessary for 24 hours per day, on 6i hoars' productive work, especially in view of the fact that in Sotkth Wales a much larger proportion of the collier's time is occupied in other work than in producing coal than is the* case in mostotber coalfields. In view of these fadatt is absolutely neeessarythat the owners should be placed m the position of being able to work their collieries in the most economical way consistent with safety, and it is on this point that they have laid most stress in their negotiations with the workmen's representa- tives, and which they regard as absolutely essential in putting the Act in force. Cardinal Points of Objection. The cardinal points of principle upon which tide employers regret they have failed to arrive at an agreement with the workmen's represen- J tatives in view of the coming into operation of the Act are L The owners contend that it is for them to work their collieries in the most efficient and economical manner consistent with the safety of the workmen, and that in view of the coming into operation of the Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1908, the workmen should afford the owners all assistance possible in this direction. The owners do not require the workmen to agree to universal double shift throughout the district, but only at collieries where double shift is practic- able which would involve the alternatives of double shift in the face or working parts of the pit on alternative shifts, or partial double shift, or increasing the number of men in a shift in a working place, as the owners may determine. The owners have to point out that working by double shift is in no way contrary to the provisions of the said Act. The Departmental Committee appointed by the Secretary of State for the Home Depart- ment to inquire into the economic effect of a limit of eight hours to the working day of coal miners made the following observations in their report:— That the multiple system of working col- lieries would be an economic advantage for both the producer and consumer. That for those collieries the output of which is limited by mechanical conditions, i.e., their capacity for haulage and winding- and which are unable to improve their mechanical equipment, the double shift would be a necessity. That after the institution of an eight hour day a determined effort will be made by the coalowners to extend this system, especially, probably in South Wales. The Departmental Committee also stated :— That an extension of the multiple shift system would be more or less operative in mitigating the effects of a reduction of the hours of the full working day. That nevertheless some diminution of pro- duction would follow a statutory reduction of hours whether introduced gradually or suddenly. Double Shiftd. In the discussion of this subject with the workmen's representatives the owners pointed out that the report of the Departmental Com- mittee appointed by the Home Secretary is to the effect that the system of double shift exists in all the mining districts of the United Kingdom, and that in the districts of Nor- thumberland, Durham, and Cumberland, the number of men working on the second shift was about equal to that of the first shift, and that other districts in the kingdom had adopted that system more generally than in South Wales. In addition to leading to more efficiency and economical working the-extension of thedouble shift system would not in any way increase the danger of working but would rather have the contrary effect owing to the more rapid travel- ling of the faces preventing the breaking down of the roofs. During the passage of the Bill through Par- liament a deputation from the colliery owners of the United Kingdom waited upon the Right Hon. Herbert Gladstone, HomeSwretary, when the owners' representatives from South Wales pointed out that it was certain that the South Wales collieries could not make a profit with the working hours fixed at asingle shift of eight hours, and, whatever the consequences, it would necessitate the introduction of a double shift, and that this change of system would undoubtedly involve serious friction be- tween the employers and workmen." The fears then expressed by the owners have been fully realised, as the negotiations which have taken place between the owners and workmen's representatives on this poii4t»have so far failed. 2. Sections (Sub-Sec. 1) 01 the Act is as follows:—" The time fixed by this Act as the time daring which the workmen in a mine may Bit below ground for the purpose of their work and of gomg to and from their work may be extended as respects any mine by the owner, agent, or manager of the mine, on nØt more than sixty days in any calendar year by not more than one hour a day and on any day on which an extension of time is made in accordance with this section as respects any mine the time as so extended shall be substituted for the purposes of this Act as respects that mineior the time as fixed by this Act." „ The owners, in the exercise of the right given them under this section, require that on the Thursday or Friday of each week (whichever alternative day may in the tminion of the management be best suited to the conditions of the different collieries) the hoars of working shall be extended by one hour, thus absorbing 52 of the 60 hours allowed by th& aection, leaving the remain- ing eight hours to be taken when tne owners think necessary. By the existing Conciliation Board Agree- ment the men have undertaken to work 54 hours per week, or an average-of nine hours per day, and they can only claim exemption from this obligation in so far as the law pre- vents them from working nine hours per day. 3. As the Act makes it illegal for the work- men to work beyond the specified hours, and therefore prevents their working what has hitherto been known as overtime, it be- comes necessary to discontinue in the future all payments which have been made to the workmen.on account-of such overtime. The owners contend that these payments are i' -laajly aft* Wfft Knf.h by the manag^neaat and by thp workmen themselves. It is well known that under the new condi- tions the day wage men will work shorter hours than hitherto, an approximate estimate being a redaction of 12i per cent, in their effective working time. Of the total workmen employed underground in South Wales the day wage men number about 48 per cent. as compared with colliers 52 per cent. The general average of all collieries in the United Kingdom is 35 per cent. day wage men and colliers 65 ner cent. These figures (coupled with the fact that many of the colliers in South Wales are engaged in daywork) show that special injustice would be done to the owners in the South Wales coalfield if the daywage men were to be paid the present wage for the reduced hours. The owners are not however unwilling, on condition that the other points are settled, to leave this in abeyance to adopt the suggestion of the workmen's Anawitaayes to give the working of the Act a trial till the end of the existing Conciliation Board agreement, say till March, 1910. Other Points. There areotherpoints of lesser importance upon which no difficulty is anticipated in coming to a settlement, and on some of which an agreenient baa bedn arrived at between the representatives of the owners and workmen. The important points of principle which have been enumerated are regarded by the owners as of paramount importance if the working of the colliencs is to be ca.rriedon without a loss. The owners, indeterm ming to give the work- men notice that then* contracts of service will cease to have effect as from the 1st July next, desire topoint out that such notices are not in any sense an act of aggression on their part but are given because of the advice they have re- ceived from counsel that as the Legislature has Interfered to render the carrying oat of the contracts by the workmen impossible of per- formance, such contracts will, upon the coming into operation of the Act, be no longer binding, and unlessthe owners give such notice they will have waited theirfights and will be bound by the new conditions required by the Act. The giving of the notices must not be con- sidered as dosing the door to any further negotiations which either the owners or the workmen's representatives may deem desirable during the period of such notices. It has been suggested that the action of the owners of South Wales in regard to the Act differs from that taken by the owners in other mining districts. The conditions of mining in South Wales are, however, different from those in the districts refected to and therefore require special consideration and treatment, and this was the view adopted by the Departmental Committee appointed by the present Govern- ment to report upon the economic effect of the proposed Eight Hours Act.
MABON ON THE SITUATION.
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MABON ON THE SITUATION. The grave situation which has arisen in the South Wales coalfield through the declared intention bf the employers to tender notices on the 1st of June owing to a failure to agreeupon the differences arising through the prosfective operation of the Mines Eight Hoars Act was discussed at the monthly meeting of the Bhonddaminers at Porth on Monday. Mr J. H. Lewis, Cymmer, presided. Mr D. Watts-Morgan explained that their chief agent, Mr W. Abraham (Mabon), M.P., was absent through indisposition, but he had sent a letter as folows :— Fellow workmen,—I deeply regret my (which one hopes is but temporary) inability to attend the district meeting. I wanted to speak to you, and through you to the coalfield at large. Yet you will under- stand that one is simply expressing his own opinion. With regard to the questions in dispute between the owners and ourselves, re putting the Mines Eight Hours Act into operation, let me advise that Patience should have its perfect work." Do not let the failure-of the Of Peace" Committee to arrive at a final arrangement satisfactory to both sides dis- turb the peace of your minds as yet. Not- withstanding the scant courtesy meted to your representatives by the other side at the last stage bf the negotiations all has not gone to piecesyet. Our differences with two exceptions are more apparent than real; they could be rele- gated to and settled by a small committee Similar to the Hauliers Committee, which did such excellent service in the past. The exceptions are The owners' demand, for a nine hours winding shift one day per week, and the introduction of double shifta- The first of those is capable of settlement— if not fina.1-tha.t should prevent any coal- field being involved in a lock-out. The introduction of the double shift, or, in fact, any double shift, into this coal- field w^hout direct intervention in the in- terests of the safety and earnings of the workmen is another matter entirely. And one sincerely hopes that colliery owners, in their own mWests as well as that of their workmen, will understand and will reflect upon the fact that the consideration that this matter has so far received is thoroughly inadequate and unsatisfactory commensurate with the gravity of the proposition and the situation in general. To hope to finally settle this vital and possibly fatal question for this coalfield simply economic considerations should not be thought of. Should you think proper to send this letter to the Press you are welcome to do so. i Yours faithfully, Mabon. Mr Watts Morgan's Statement Mr D. Watts Morgan remarked that several matters had occupied the attention of Executive Council during the month, but they all dwarfed into insignificance before the ques- tion of the action of the owners in deciding to give notices on the 1st of June. Onmanypoipts the men's representatives were prepared to make sacrifices consistent with the interests 01 the men in order to assist the employers in the smooth working of the Act. The situation no"" brought about was a serious and grave one. A letter had appeared in the Press that day from a Coalowner," penned no doubt io a colliery office. There was some amount of truth in that tetter, but that truth was only given with a view of misleading the workmen and the public in trying to form a- public opinion favourable to the owners before the case for the workmen was put before the public. One statement which he desired to controvert was that the workmen's repre- sentatives refused to give the Act a trial. (Laughter.) Surely it could not be forgotten by this Coalowner," if he had followed the movement at all, that the Act of Parliament applied not only to South Wales but to the whole of the United Kingdom. There were other districts which would have to meet with equal difficulties to those of South Wales. Ile would remind Coalowner that according to the Departmental Committee's report Lancashire worked the same long hours as South Wales, and in Lancashire the coal" owners had met the men's representatives, and had decided to give the Act a trial without asking for a reduction in wages ot claiming the right to have the 60 hours worked by the men, and in fact without making any changes at all. That was all they were asking for in South Wales—to give the Act." fair trial, and if any difficulties arose at any colliery they were prepared to refer the cases which required special arrangements to a coBt* mittee appointed for the purpose. Whenever any such case arose the workmen's represent. tives would be prepared to make a seri°*J effort to settle any difficulties as they occurred at each individual colliery. A resolution was unanimously adopted el* pressing appreciation of and full confidence in the men's representatives in the present crisis, and also a hope that the owners would meat the workmen in a fair spirit and that no serioiS breach would occur in the negotiations.
MR d. WILLIAMS, M.P., ON THE…
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MR d. WILLIAMS, M.P., ON THE OUTLOOK. Speaking at the second annual demonst»* tion of the Brynaman Independent Labour party at Brynaman on Saturday, tfr John Williams, MJ?., said that a great fight took place on the fieor of the House of Commons on the Eight Hours Bill and the masters were defeated. It was very dishonourable on their part not to take the defeat with good grace. He did not wish to deal any further with the situation at present as it was pregnant with difficulties* The men's leaders had shown every desire to assist the employers in workiig the Act as smoothly and as easily as they possibly could, yet the employers insisted at putting obstacles in the way of an arrangf- ment. If there was to be a fight in Soutt Wales—he regretted very much to say it—bd» if they were forced to fight they would fight He hoped and trusted that wiser counseb would prevail and that the employers woulc see the folly of their present' attitude, an^ then the dark clouds would pass away quickly*
INJURY TO WELSH TRADE,
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INJURY TO WELSH TRADE, Germany Capturirrg Business. A Cardiff coal exporter writes ".—Before tt* miners and masters precipitate the Welsh coil trade into another prolonged stoppage, 1" them meditate over the permanent injury tht1 are likely to cause Sooth Wales by the diver- sion of orders to other markets and other coa. fields. The correspondent enctosesa freight circuit of Wamberaie and Son, of Rotterdam, giving details of no less than 50 orders from Rotter dam to Scandinavian, Russian, French, Italian Spanish, and western markets, and all for post tions between June and December next. Commenting on this circular, he goes on iït state :—" Many of these orders, prior to tht strike of 1898, were exclusively hell by South Wales, but a good many of thett represented business diverted to Rotterdam" for German or Belgian coal owing to fears of* stoppage in the Welsh coalfield at the end » June. "Another 35,000 ton orderin which I hare been for years interested has also just to German and French coal merchants, && owing to the recent artificial rise in the pritet of Welsh small coals South Wales failedV> obtain a.n order for a ton out of the huge h*« million small coal contract of the Belgian State Railways. Welsh coal is still the best in the world on account of its high calorific power, but modern colliery appliances, b1 the service they have rendered 1x1 making Continental coals cheaper and marketable, have minimised considerably tbej' inferiority to Welsh coals, and when the lat*™ have exceeded a certain price foreigners find11 quite as economical to burn foreign coals.. In many cases orders thus diverted sent~a permanent loss to South Wales, a £ l £ wide extension of this loss is wfaafr we mainly to fear from another tKMftbl&xn coalfield, and on a. perhaps smaller scale frQØ a continuance of the state of unrest which haS been paralysing business on the Cardiff ES" change during the last month."
MtNERS' OUT-OF-WORK SCHEME.
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MtNERS' OUT-OF-WORK SCHEME. A mass meeting of the Ebbw Vale District of the Miners Federation was held at t!}.6 Workmen's Hall, on Monday, Mr James Tarrant presiding. The out-of-work was explained by Mr Wm.Vyce, miners' ageB*» who urged upon all to support it. He dealtat length with the Mines Eight Hours and expressed the hope that a stoppage °\ work would be avoided. A mass meeting the day men in furtherance of the scheme waS held in the evening. 4 A meeting of Avon of Duffryn Rhondda, Argoed, Cynon, and Oakwood Collieries-was held at Tvm»f** School, Cwmavon, on Saturday, under tbe presidency of Mr John Thomas, checkweigbcr; Argoed. Mr Wm. Jenkins, J J5., agent, Cymmer, dealt with the out-of-woi* scheme. He contended it was the workmen bounden duty to strengthen and fortify position by increasing their contributions by -Mr perjnonth in order to establish the Mr Vernon Hartshorn, miners' agent, teg, delivered a rousing address, and appeal^* to all to vote solidly in favour of the seheo^ He reviewed the general situation in the co»* £ field and contended that on an average tfi coalowners got the capital invested back every six years. If it most come to a strike, b wanted a strike from John O' Groat's Land's End; and when that strike came abbj-v it would be the means of removing what called the middleman, and, to pave^ the towards the nationalisation of all mines. meeting gave the scheme their wanneW approval. r'i, On Monday evening a meeting of the W01* men of the Ocean and International Collier* was held at the Workmen's Hall, Blaengar%* Addresses were delivered on the Compensation Act and the out-of-wo* scheme by Alderman J. Thomas, agent, Garw, who presided Mr Tom miners' agent, Rhondda; and Mr Jame* solicitor, Pontypridd. < The strike at the DyDas Colliery, Llwydcoea* which had lasted for some months, is last, happily, ended. Mr Bentham (the collie^ agent) and Mr C. B. Stanton (miners' agenw on Thursday effected a settlement, and was resumed on Monday. Owing to the l°**g time which the colliery has been idle, the wor* of repairing it wjill be very heavy, and Mondayonly 20 repairers went dowh to and it is expected that it will take a fortiugn before the whole of the 300 men will be able resume work.
RHOMDDA MtNERS' (No. 1) DISTRfCT.
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RHOMDDA MtNERS' (No. 1) DISTRfCT. The Rhondda Miners' (No. 1) DistrJC monthly meeting was held at the Hotel, Porth, on Monday, Mr J. H. LeW>?J Cymmer, presiding. The dispute at College was the subject of a lengthy diseusj|j* £ upon a resolution in favour of the est*b«*jj ment of a purely Labour College owned ai^ controlled by Labour organisations..u It was resolved to relegate the matter to lodges. Several of the delegates expressed the that it would be desirable to postpone the 0 lot on the out-of-work scheme until after annual demonstration, and Mr Watte was asked to communicate with AbraJJ^^ as to the suggested deferment. Later in day Mr Morgan received a message & Mabon" and Mr T. Richards, M.P., the se^^ tary of the Federation, intimating that it imperative that the ballot should take P1^ either on Thursday or Friday of this week- 111 It was decided to grant an application $0 the workmen at the Glamorgan tender notices in conseqdence of a dispj* e subject to the approval of the ExecU* (, Council, and to raise the issue before the ciliation Board. tb8 Twenty-five pounds were granted to beeØ Aber workmen, Ogmore Vale, who have locked out. „ „ o« 5d- The total receipts amounted to £ 2,037 9s
RHYMNEY MINERS' MEETING. •
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RHYMNEY MINERS' MEETING. A mass meeting of the Rhymney minert g held on Monday to arrange for the forthcom^ ballot for sub-agent for the district and out of work scheme. The present crisis, also discussed. It was unanimously strongly protest against the owners' sugg^ tions to introduce the double shift, and P three to work in stalls, and to adhere to eight hours' day and oppose the working o* 60 hours extra. It was decided to Executive Committee to convene a corx^e^^0 of South Wales miners to consider the w situation. >
FfREWORK SHELLS.
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FfREWORK SHELLS. To detect a. hostile fleeit or single ship ø: on a dark night, especially when » g1^8, ^tb tance away, is no easy matter, even searchlights. The French naval autno now believe, according to a despatcn -nXj& Toulon, that they have discovered a auxiliary in a luminous shell recently mve and with which experiments have made with great secrecy. The shell, a«c to a description given, is fired at a hig" v,all*< and when it bursts it scatters luminou° over a large part of the horizon, enabling jjj to discover a ship within a radius of miles. The experiments are said to t> great satisfaction.