27 JUNE 1925, Page 2

It seems certain that at the end of the month

the mine-owners will give notice that they intent to terminate the agreement by which wages in the mines are now fixed. If this notice is given or received in anger it might' well lead to disaster. But after the conferences which have been held we cannot doubt that both sides see that there must be changes and that this notice of termination need be nothing more than the preliminary step towards new agreements. We agree with portions of a speech made without bitterness by Mr. Hodges on Saturday last, especially with his final call to both sides to join hands and lead the industry towards prosperity. We par- ticularly regret that the scheme for working the Vauxhall mine in North Wales has had to be brought to an end.