The Press Friday, April 15, 1921. The Strike Situation.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17120, 15 April 1921, Page 6

The Press Friday, April 15, 1921. The Strike Situation.

, When it was announced last week-end that the general strike in support of the British coal-miners had been, postponed from Sunday to Tuesday, there was\a widespread belief that the danger was nearly over, and that the discussions which'might be arranged Would result in some sort of settlement. Today the peril of a great strike has loom* ! ed up blacker than ever, and the country will he fortunate if it escapes from what would be by far the most'serious industrial upheaval in the history of modern England. Put into the simplest terms, the position is that the coal industry—in which high Wages and high prices have ruled for a considerable time—is very depressed, and, owing to the large proportion (80 per cent.) of cost represented fay labour, wages must be reduced. During the period of high export prices the South Wales mines were very profitable. To-day none of ' the mines in that area is showing a profit, and in some cases the losses amount to 40s a ton, the average of loss over all the South Wales mines during the first two months of this year being 15s. "So completely, indeed," as the "Economist"* points out, "has " tho position been changed by the lose "of foreign markets, and the conse- " quent decrease in the f.o.b. prices of "coal, that collieries are to-day able "to obtain a higher price for some of " their coals in the inland market than " they can in the export trade, but " under normal conditions the inland " trade absorbs considerably less than "half the output of the South Wales "coalfield, and, with no-export out"lets, the collieries are at present "working on an average only about "four days per week." The sub-joint committee of employers and workmen that commenced in November to discuss the principles of a new wage agreement agreed that wages must be regulated by the ability of tho industry to pay, that a minimum profit for the owner is the necessary complement of a minimum wage for the miner, and that the two parties should sham iz. any profits above that point; Some such arrangement might be definitely made if the owners were to agree to a'nationalinstead of a district basis. Ft is u;:on . the treatment of the coalfields ns a national trait that the two parties have come to a deadlock. The r.wneis oppose the pooling arrangement, under which rich collieries would ii!.in»un jv-.or ones, on the ground that such an arrangement is inconsistent with industrial efficiency and progress, and that each coalfield must be autonomous in the regulation of wages. There is nothing in the stand taken up by the miners on this point which can secure them the sympathy of the general public, which has had much more control than it liked, and which will not be persuaded that there is any nrinciple of social progress which requires ihst a profitable mine in one part of the country shall bear the losses of an unprofitable one in some other part. Ncr js the public likely to give any support to a strike on that issue. If the ncn-t comes to the worst, the Government

must stand firm or surrender the country to the party of direct action. Already, contemplating violence, some of the militant Labour leaders are prepniing the excuse that by taking the obviously necessary steps to safeguard the community, the Government is behaving provocatively. It is so clear, however, to all intelligent people thay the very last thipg the Government can desire is a strike, that the direct ac tionista cannot hope that they i-.-m escape being held accountable fir any violence that may attend this calamitous outbreak.