Coal Strike?

A coal strike was the gloomy prospect which confronted the British public last week.

The situation in outline was as follows: To assist the coal trade by reducing production costs and to decrease the ever-swelling army of unemployed, the mine owners decided to cancel a national wage agreement with the men and to call for an eight instead of a seven- hour working day. In effect, this raises the workers' weekly earnings.

The Miners' Executive, headed by the extremist A. J. Cook, decided to fight the reduction of pay and declined to consider an eight-hour working day. Questions were asked in the House of Commons where Premier Baldwin, admitting the seriousness of the outlook, said it was the policy of his Government not to interfere in the dispute until absolutely necessary. It was evident, however, that both the miners and their employers were anxious to avoid a strike and the possibility of Government intervention.

The coal industry, which has had to discharge 67,100 men since last November is in a chronic state of depression , France and Italy as coal customers have disappeared; for reparations coal from Germany and the coal from the now functioning Lens mines in the north of France supply all their needs. Furthermore, the use of oil, lignite and other low-value fuels is beginning seriously to affect coal consumption.