§ Mr. HANNONasked the Secretary for Mines whether his attention has been drawn to an agreement recently reached between the owners and the miners of the Vauxhall Colliery, Ruabon, whereby the miners, to ensure a continuance of working, are prepared, with proper safeguards, to share the losses, if any, involved thereby; whether he is aware that since this agreement has been reached the output of the colliery has been greater than it has been for a considerable number of years; and can he state whether there have been any further experiments in profit-and-loss sharing in collieries in other parts of the country?
§ Colonel LANE-FOXAccording to the information which I have received, the coal-getters have agreed to accept a reduction in their price lists and to give up 20 minutes' walking time underground in order to increase the working time at the face. The men have also agreed to sign a guarantee bond to indemnify the company against loss for the time being. I have received no information as to the effect upon output. I have no knowledge of a similar guarantee having been given at any other colliery, but this is not the only case in which the workmen have accepted alterations in their price lists or working conditions in order to assist in keeping a colliery at work.