A meeting between the Board and the owners was held on April 17th, when the workmen asked for an advance of seven and a half per cent. To this the employers objected, but said they would pay a wage as if the coals had reached 4s. 8d., which was equal to an advance of three and three quarters per cent., and would be an advantage of two and a half per cent., during the continuance of the scale. The Board strongly urged the acceptance of the offer, which in their opinion was preferable to arbitration. The workmen accepted their advice, and the following scale was signed on April 29th:-- THIRD SLIDING SCALE There shall be made the following percentage of additions to, or deductions from, the standard tonnage When the Net rates and datal wages, Average Selling being those prevailing at Price of Coal November 1879 Reaches But does not reach Additions Deductions s. d. s. d. 3 10 4 0 None None 4 0 4 2 1¼ " 4 2 4 4 2½ " 4 4 4 6 3¾ " 4 6 4 8 5 " 4 8 4 10 6¼ " 4 10 5 0 7½ " 5 0 5 2 8¾ " 5 2 5 4 10 " 5 4 5 6 11¼ " 5 6 5 8 12½ " 5 8 5 10 13¾ " 5 10 6 0 16¼ " 6 0 6 2 18¾ " 6 2 6 4 20 " 6 4 6 6 21¼ " 6 6 6 8 22½ " And so on upwards, 1¼ per cent. for each 2d., the 2½ per cent. variations for the two ranges of 2d. each in price between 5s. 10d. and 6s. 2d. being limited to those special ranges. 3 8 3 10 -- 1¼ 3 6 3 8 -- 2½ 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