_Most of the coal for Great Britain's navy comes from South Wales, and
the supply was reduced by the enlistment of sixty thousand Welsh
miners in the army. The labor crisis was first threatened three months
ago, when the miners gave notice that they would terminate the
existing agreements on July 1, and, in lieu of these, they proposed a
national program, giving an all-around increase in wages. The owners
objected to the consideration of the new terms during the war and
asked the miners to accept the existing agreements plus a war bonus.
After a series of conferences the union officials agreed to recommend
a compromise, which was arranged through the Board of Trade. The
miners, however, voted yesterday against this, and the Government was
obliged to take action._
_On July 16 the Associated Press cabled from London:_
The Executive Committee of the South Wales Miners' Federation, most of
the members of which are opposed to the strike, came to London today
and conferred with Walter Runciman, President of the Board of Trade,
who, it is understood, made new proposals for a settlement of the
trouble, which will be considered at a meeting in the morning.
There is no indication of any weakening on the part of the men. Even
the men in one district who last night decided to resume work reversed
their decision, and not a pick was moving today.
However, the impression still prevails that a few days will see an end
of the walkout. It is not believed that the introduction of the
Munitions of War act can force the men to return to work, for it is
impossible to bring 150,000 men before the courts to impose fines for
contravening the act.
In fact, the resort to this measure is believed rather to have made
the situation worse, and the men's demands now include its withdrawal
so far as coal mining is concerned.
_An Associated Press dispatch from Cardiff, Wales, on July 20
reported:_
Subject to ratification by the miners themselves through delegates who
will assemble tomorrow, representatives of the Government and of the
coal mine owners on the one hand, and the Executive Committee of the
South Wales Miners' Federation on the other, agreed today to terms
that, it is thought, will end the coal miners' strike, which, since
last Thursday, has tied up the South Wales coal fields and menaced the
fuel supply of the navy.
The terms arrived at grant a substantial increase in wages and involve
concessions to the strikers which are considered by their Executive
Committee as tantamount to an admission of the miners' claims on
nearly all the outstanding points. Tonight the delegates were visiting
their districts, canvassing the sentiment there preparatory to
tomorrow's vote.
If tomorrow's meeting should bring a settlement of the strike the
thanks of the country will go chiefly to David Lloyd George, the
Munitions Minister, for it was his arrival here last night that paved
the way for breaking the deadlock between the miners and the mine
owners.
If the vote tomorrow is favorable to ending the strike, two hundred
thousand men will return to work immediately and agree to abide by the
terms of the settlement until six months after the termination of the
war.