COALOWNERS TO MEET MINERS .sx FEDERATION ACCEPTS MINING ASSOCIATION'S INVITATION .sx First Nationa1 Conference Since 1926 .sx The Miners' Federation of Great Britain has decided to accept the Mining Association's invitation to discuss wages and hours in the British coal industry on a national basis .sx Since the Mining Association broke off negotiations with the Federation in 1926 they have refused to negotiate on a national basis and agreements have been negotiated in the districts .sx The Executive of the Miners' Federation decided to accept the invitation at their meeting on Thursday and appointed a sub-committee , consisting of Mr. T. Richards ( president ) , Mr. Edwards ( vice-president ) , Mr. A. J. Cook ( secretary ) , Mr. Peter Lee ( Durham ) and Mr. Joseph Hall ( Yorkshire ) , who will meet a sub-committee of the Mining Association to discuss hours and wages on a national basis .sx The meeting will be held on June 4 and will be the first since 1926 at which the position in the coal industry has been discussed by owners and miners in its national aspect .sx Mr. Cook Optimistic .sx At the conclusion of the executive meeting Mr. Cook said :sx " A letter from the officials of the Mining Association stating in effect that the owners had changed their position , and were now seeking powers from their districts to consider with the Miners' Federation the question of safeguarding wages in relation to hours , so that the whole question of wages and hours could be examined on a national basis .sx The Mining Association proposed a sub-committee of the coal owners and the miners to go into the whole aspect of the position .sx This is an entirely new attitude for the owners to take up .sx " It is the first time since 1926 that they have been prepared to discuss the question of hours nationally instead of in the districts , and we hope that new policy will be upheld and will continue .sx " As far as the miners are concerned , we shall do everything on our side to facilitate successful negotiations with the object of securing peace in the mining industry .sx " Our members can be assured that as soon as there is anything positive and definite to report a conference will be called to place the proposals before the men .sx The officials realise the seriousness of the position , and will be prepared to discuss it with the owners in all its aspects .sx " On June 4 .sx " 'The sub-committee will meet the owners on June 4 and a special delegate conference will be called towards the end of June .sx It has also been arranged to hold a meeting of the executive on June 5 to consider the report of the sub-committee before the meeting on the same day with the Cabinet Coal Committee on the Minimum Wage Bill .sx " In regard to the proposed Geneva Convention on miners' hours , Mr. Cook said they regretted that they had not arrived at satisfactory conclusions with the owners , " but we are doing everything we can to promote agreement , and further meetings will probably be held at Geneva next week .sx " It was decided that a special delegate conference should be called before the end of June , as soon as there was anything to report following the negotiations with the Government and the owners .sx Sanction was given to circularise the branches and the trades union movement for a testimonial to Mr. Herbert Smith , the former president , on his completion of twenty-five years' service to the miners .sx Owing to the great responsibilities falling on the officials in the next month or two , Mr. Alf .sx Smith , of Yorkshire , was elected on the Miners' Welfare Commission in place of Mr. Richards .sx A vote of sympathy with Mr. Richards , the president , in his illness , was passed .sx It was stated that he was improving rapidly .sx THE NEED FOR .sx VILLAGE CHURCHES .sx Why They Should Not Become Relics of the Past .sx ARCHDEACON'S APPEAL .sx An appeal for the village churches to be saved from being mere relics of the romantic past , was made by the Archdeacon of Warwick ( the Ven .sx H. St. B. Holland ) when delivering his charge at his annual visitation at Leamington Parish Church , on Thursday afternoon .sx Modern civilisation , he said , was tending to push the country towns and villages out of the picture , but they could not imagine a Warwickshire village without a church .sx It would be a body without a soul .sx To the tourist the village was a relic of the past , but need that be so .sx Were they to allow themselves to be exhibits in a museum of the England that was gone , or could they continue to be a series of springs front which clear life-giving water was flowing to sweeten the often muddy streams of town and industrial life ?sx Sometimes in the villages they had lost the vision of that possibility .sx " I know the difficulties only too well , " proceeded the Archdeacon .sx " For nearly two years I have tried to throw myself into the life and work of a small country parish and there is little of the experience of difficulty , disappointment , anxiety and pettiness that has not come my way .sx The lesson I am learning for myself is that the only way to counteract the temptation to succumb to hopelessness or contentment with things as they are , is to have a wide and high ideal as to the possibilities of our service .sx I may sum up those possibilities in the word " quality .sx " If their numbers are small , as they are bound to be , we have the opportunity of intensive cultivation which is denied to the clergy and wardens of town parishes .sx " " COUNTY COUNCIL .sx Ald .sx Dugdale Elected .sx Vice-chairman .sx OFFICIALS' SALARIES .sx At Wednesday's meeting of Warwickshire County Council , presided over by Lord Algernon Percy , Alderman W. F. S. Dugdale , of Merevale Hall , Atherstone , was elected vice-chairman in succession to the late Sir Michael Lakin on the proposition of Alderman Henry Davies , of Nuneaton .sx Alderman T. H. Ryland was .sx nominated as a rival candidate to Alderman Dugdale and the voting resulted as follows :sx Alderman Dugdale , 44 ; Councillor Ryland , 16 .sx Councillors E. Parke and L. Loverock were elected to fill the two vacancies on the Aldermanic Bench .sx Thu unsuccessful candidates were Councillors Morley and Holt .sx Officials' Salaries .sx A long and protracted discussion took place on the proposed increases of salaries of officials , chiefly in the education department .sx Sir Henry Fairfax Lucy drew .sx attention to the serious economic condition of the country at the moment and said that he was sure the officials would be fair-minded enough to forego the increase in view of the country's distress .sx He moved that the increases be referred back for reconsideration .sx In supporting this , Councillor F. H. Hawkins ( Stockingford ) said that at the moment the working classes were being forced down to starvation wages and attacks were being made on the standard of living .sx There was a " ramp " proceeding between the various counties ; one county increased the salaries and the other county followed suit .sx It was a vicious circle .sx What would be said about the trade unions if they did such a thing ?sx In the majority of instances the proposed increases were referred back for consideration , but the Council granted the increase of 300 per annum ( bringing it up to 1,300 ) in the salary of Mr. W. H. Perkins , Director of Education for the county .sx RAILWAY WINS .sx Ban on Coventry-London 'Bus Service .sx A railway company yesterday opposed with success a bus company's application to run a service from Coventry to London .sx Applications were made at the first sitting at Warwick of the traffic Commissioners for the West Midland area .sx Mr. Richardson , on behalf of Bunty Motorways Ltd. , applied for licences for services from Coventry to the Tuberculosis Sanatorium at Hertford Hill , near Warwick ; from Coventry to Barton Green ; and from Coventry to Berkswell .sx Decision Later .sx The decision regarding those licences will be announced later .sx The same company also applied for a licence for a service from Coventry to London , objections being lodged by the Midland Red Bus Company and by the L.M.S. Railway Company .sx Mr. R. J. Turner , for the L.M.S. Railway Company , said that this was a case of wasteful competition such as the Act was designed to avoid .sx The application was refused .sx When Mr. Stroud applied on behalf of Mr. T. J. Round , of Lawford ( Rugby ) , for a licence for a service from Lawford to Rugby and Woston , the Midland Red Bus Company objected on the ground that there was a clashing in the timetable .sx " Losing Money .sx " There arc four of us losing money on this service , " declared Mr. O.C. Power ( general manager of the Midland Red Company) .sx He did not want to run anybody out of the business , but he wanted to stop idiotic and wasteful competition .sx The application was adjourned sine die for a conference between the interested parties .sx WALSGRAVE HOUSES .sx Foleshill Councillor's Strong Criticism .sx PLEA FOR PLAYING GROUNDS .sx Mr. H. J. Green presided at the meeting of the Foleshill Rural District Council , held in the Board Room on Wednesday .sx At the opening of the meeting it was unanimously decided to revert to the former rule of commencing the business at 10.30 instead of 11 o'clock .sx The minutes of a special meeting of the Council , held on April 30 , were read and confirmed .sx At the meeting it had been decided to petition against the Coventry Extension Bill .sx It was decided to support the Rugby Rural District Council in their decision to endeavour to get an adjustment of the cash balances of districts which had been transferred to other area authorities .sx Compensation Question .sx The Clerk ( Mr. A. E. Oswin ) reported that the Warwickshire County Council and Ministry of Health had refused to grant compensation to Mr. H. L. Forknell , who was roads inspector for the Foleshill Council until the County Council took the work over .sx The ground for the refusal was that in the opinion of the County Council , Mr. Forknell had not suffered pecuniary loss .sx Mr. Oswin explained that the Foleshiil Council had appointed Mr. Forknell to be buildings inspector and to assist in the sanitary department at a salary less a sum it had been expected he would get from the County Council , but which that authority now refused .sx Mr. Forknell had been previously paid 285 , but was now receiving 240 , so that he was losing 45 a year .sx On the motion of Mr. Watkin the matter was referred to the Finance Committee for their consideration .sx Footpaths Preservation .sx Mr. H. Rose moved that the Council request the secretary of the Commons , Opens Spaces and Footpaths Preservation Society to place the Foleshill Council before his committee for election to membership and agreeing to pay a guinea , the subscription for twelve months .sx They had had , he said , a lot of trouble in the past over land which they believed to be common land and the closing of paths which they believed were public property .sx The society included in its membership many Councils , and they had the advantage of the advice of some of the best legal minds of the country .sx The society would take up any case where there was a question about land being common land .sx Dalton seconded and the resolution was carried .sx The Clerk read a letter from the Wyken Parish Council with regard to the closing of a footpath at Wyken and whether there was not a public right of way through it .sx It was agreed that this was a matter which might be referred to the Footpaths Preservation Society .sx Walsgrave Hovels .sx A proposal for the erection of houses on Walsgrave Common was opposed by Mr. Watkin , who suggested that they get another side .sx He admitted that the housing conditions at Walsgrave were among the worst in the district , but the children required a playing ground , and he moved that the common remain as it were for that purpose and that they open negotiations for land on which they could build houses .sx At present there were some deplorable huts and hovels in Walsgrave , and his reply to why they should not be demolished would be " Where are you going to put the people ?sx " There were some sites at Walsgrave that could be bought for a reasonable sum .sx When Coventry took over Walsgrave he hoped the first thing that would be done would be to find a playing ground for the children .sx