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Show I Coal Miners Strike - I Likely to be Brieb it London, March 2. Upwards of j three-quarters of a million coal mm- B ers lmd laid down thoir tools nnd fl gone on strllto by 2 o'clock this at- fl ter noon when tho day shift In tho fl mines ended. Tho uvmy of striking fl colliers swelled hourly throughout H the morning when It becamo known Bj tnQt no Bcttlomcnt hnd been reached. BB "The government having recognlz- JS ed tho, prlnclplo of a minimum wage H for nil underground workors, If it Is H not secured by agrooment, it will bo fl secured by tho go"erracnt by other fl means." fl This extract from tho speech made fl by tho prima rolnlstor to members of A the National Minors federation as ro- AHJk ported In tho official statement is- BBBW 'icd tonight concerning the confer ence held today, Indicates the lengths leng-ths to which tbo government Is prepared pre-pared to go to settle the strike. It Is virtually nn ultimatum to the coal owners. Emphasizing the point ogam, Mr. Asqulth said the government is determined de-termined that the minimum wago shall become part and parcel of tho organization and working of the organization or-ganization and working of tho coal Industry by whatever appropriate means the government cull command. com-mand. They wonld have been false to their duty as stewards and trustees of the general Interests of the nation continued tho premier, if they did not take what steps they could to bring about a reasonable arrangement. arrange-ment. The government felt they were face to face with a warfare between capital and labor .In tho coal Industry Indus-try which might paralyze all other Industries In tbo country. Already a majority certainly sixty six-ty per cent of the coal owners of tho coutnry has assented to the government's proposals and thoy did not Intend that tho resistance of what ho hoped was a dwindling minority min-ority of the employers should unduly delay the attainment of an object which "wo have satisfied ourselves It consistent with Justice and the boat Interests of the community. o |