"No"

One million British coal miners continued on strike last week. To the Lord Bishops of Birmingham, Derby, Southwell, Litchfield, St. Albans and Winchester this state of affairs seemed intolerable. They resolved to intervene for a settlement in the name of Christianity.

President Herbert Smith of the Miners' Federation accepted their invitation to confer. The owners' representatives were separately conferred with. Soon Mr. Smith declared himself happily in agreement with a proposal drafted by the Bishops. The owners' representatives were silent.

The Bishops' keynote was that the Government should subsidize the coal industry for four months, during which time the miners should go back to work at the wages for which they struck, and negotiations for an ultimate settlement be diligently pursued.

When this proposal was submitted to Premier Baldwin he did not say, "No!" He said:

"Apart from any other consideration, the disastrous effect of this prolonged stoppage on the national finances has made any further subsidy in aid of wages quite out of the question.

"I observe that you say in your letter that the representatives of the churches believe the solution of the coal problem lies in the adoption of the Royal Coal Commission's report (TIME, March 22, COMMONWEALTH) in its entirety. One of the most emphatic recommendations of the commission was that there should be no more subsidy."

The Bishops subsided.