Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 02 March 1912
National Coal Strike.
Yesterday’s Conferences Fail.
Premier’s Important Statement.
The Government Favour Minimum Wage.
The Local Outlook.
Latest News from the District.
Factories Preparing To Shut Down.
A sketch by Boardman Robinson (drawn in reference to the coal strikes of 1912 in the United States and United Kingdom) depicting a miner emerging out of the earth with a pick axe and head seeking the light above
Up to late last – night the outlook, so far as the negotiations for a settlement of the now actual coal strike were concerned, were as hopeless as ever.
With the Welsh coalowners on one-side. and the miners’ leaders on the other equally firm and determined to the point of stubbornness, the efforts of the Government at mediation were rendered abortive.
At the of conclusion of Thursday’s morning shift, it was calculated that three-quarters of a million of men were “out,” of which number ,
South Wales contributed 180,000, Durham 152,000, Scotland 136,000, Yorkshire 100,000, Northumberland 70,000, Derbyshire 65,000, Notts. 37,000, and other coalfields an aggregate of 23,000.
The Miners’ Federation unanimously passed a resolution maintaining the position taken up from the first that no terms can be accepted unless they include the scheduled rates for each district for an individual minimum wage, already laid before the coalowners of the United Kingdom and also the Prime Minister.
In the South Yorkshire district, which embraces over 50,000 colliery workers, no coal was drawn anywhere alter four o’clock on Thursday afternoon.
Latest Press Association telegrams show the progress of negotiations in London and the precautionary measures which are being taken by prominent railway companies.
The Premier informed a deputation from the Miners’ Federation that he was assured of the justice of their claim to the individual minimum wage, and that the Government were not going to allow a minority of the coal-owners to stand in the way of a settlement.