And so on downwards.
It had to continue in force until 30th June 1883, to be terminated by six months' notice given any time after that date.
It will be of interest if we insert the scales proposed by the owners and Board before the agreement.
OWNERS' SCALE
| When the Net Average Selling Price of Coal | There shall be made the following percentage additionsto, or deductions from, the now prevailing tonnage rates and wages,being those prevailing at November 1879 | ||
| Reaches | But does not reach | Additions | Deductions |
| s. d. | s. d. | ||
| 4 2 | 4 4 | None | None |
| 4 4 | 4 6 | 1¼ | " |
| 4 6 | 4 8 | 2½ | " |
| 4 8 | 4 10 | 3¾ | " |
| 4 10 | 5 0 | 5 | " |
| 5 0 | 5 2 | 6¼ | " |
| 5 2 | 5 4 | 7½ | " |
| 5 4 | 5 6 | 8¾ | " |
| 5 6 | 5 8 | 10 | " |
| 5 8 | 5 10 | 11¼ | " |
| 5 10 | 6 0 | 13¾ | " |
| 6 0 | 6 2 | 16¼ | " |
| 6 2 | 6 4 | 17¼ | " |
| 6 4 | 6 6 | 18¾ | " |
| 6 6 | 6 8 | 20 | " |
| And so on upwards, 1¼ per cent. for each 2d., the2½ per cent. variations for the two ranges of 2d.each in price between 5s. 10d. and 6s. 2d. beinglimited to those special ranges. | |||
| 4 0 | 4 2 | — | 1¼ |
| 3 10 | 4 0 | — | 2½ |
| 3 8 | 3 10 | — | 3¾ |
| 3 6 | 3 8 | — | 5 |
And so on downwards.
WORKMEN'S SCALE
| When the Net Average Selling Price of Coal | There shall be made the following percentage additionsto, or deductions from, the now prevailing tonnage rates and wages,being those prevailing at November 1879 | ||
| Reaches | But does not reach | Additions | |
| s. d. | s. d. | (5s minimum wage) | |
| 4 8 | 4 10 | 2½ | " |
| 4 10 | 5 0 | 5 | " |
| 5 0 | 5 2 | 7½ | " |
| 5 2 | 5 4 | 10 | " |
| 5 4 | 5 6 | 12½ | " |
| 5 6 | 5 8 | 15 | " |
| 5 8 | 6 0 | 17½ | " |
| 6 0 | 6 2 | 20 | " |
| 6 2 | 6 4 | 22½ | " |
| 6 4 | 6 6 | 25 | " |
| 6 6 | 6 8 | 27½ | " |
| 6 8 | 6 10 | 30 | " |
| 6 10 | 7 0 | " | |
And so on upwards, 2½ per cent. for each 2d.
It will be obvious that the difference between the two is very wide. The workmen sought to renew the minimum wage, although but two years had intervened since the dark experience of 1877-79, and when it was impossible for the condition to have been forgotten.