The crucial dispute is in South Wales, where, when we
write on Thursday, a stoppage seems to be inevitable. If there should not be a quick settlement the next step in logic would be an extension of the dispute to Scotland and then, in . logic, there would be sympathetic strikes elsewhere. The Act provides for a maximum of ninety hours of work spread over a fortnight, subject to a maximum of eight hours' work in any one day. The South Wales owners introduced a scheme of eleven days of work (eight hours' work a day) in every fortnight, but they made an innovation by "providing a seven hour shift for one Saturday in the fortnight and leaving the other Saturday as a whole holiday. South Wales miners had been accustomed to work six days in every week—eight hours a day on five days in the week and seven_ hours on Saturdays", The new arrangement yields .eighty-seVen hours in 0, fortnight and is thus three hours under the legal maximum:. The mischief is that, the. Men who are 'paid by the day obviously lose one day in a fortnight. The South WaleS miners therefore demand a reconstructed spread-over which will restore the working. week of six days.. * *
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