17 APRIL 1926, Page 2

* * * * On, Tuesday there was a Conference

between the owners and the miners, at the end of which it was announced that no progress had been made. The two sides separated without arranging to meet again. There has been a good deal of misunderstanding in regard to a national versus district settlement of wages. We fear that owing to the absence of clear guidance from the Miners' Executive many miners think that they are asked to abandon the National Agreement. Whatever other ambiguities there may be in the Report, however, there is none about this. It has not been suggested that the minimum wage should be abolished. The proposal for a reduction applies only to the new minimum percentage on standard rates intro- duced in 1924. There are, of course, already variations in wages according to the district.