On Tuesday the men's leaders issued their answer to the
owners' statement. They are evidently not opposed to the general scheme of reconstruction recommended by the Commission, but they condemn the proposal to compensate the present royalty owners, except those who have bought their rights, and they express their disapproval of several other points. The main heads of their statement are as follow :—that though there is " urgent need for a peaceful settlement " a " decent. standard of hiring " is an essential condition of settlement ; that minimum percentages must be settled by national negotiation ; that compulsory powers alone can bring about an amalgamation of collieries ; that a redistribution of the weekly total of hours over five -days 'a week is not practicable, but that the miners would consider multiple shifts ; that family allowances would be acceptable subject to a guaranteed minimum weekly wage, and that the funds for the allowances should be provided by a properly graduated system of taxation ; that eo-operative selling agents should be created ; that " holidays with pay " are long overdue ; and that schemes of profit- sharing were worthy of consideration. It will be seen that there is plenty of room here for bargaining.
