MINERS AND NEXT FEBRUARY.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 March 1920, Page 9

MINERS AND NEXT FEBRUARY.

ULTIMATUM TO THE CABINET. (By Alexander M. Thompson.) The Labor Patty owes a grei-t debt of gratitude to the Government. Throughout the war it was torn asunder by internal dissensions which threatened to destroy its integrity as a political force. But the Government's feeble shillyshallying in regard to the control of the coal industry has banished Labor's differences and endowed the partv with a unity and strength of policy which seemed a year ago utterly impossible. The special Congress of 7CO Trade Union delegates at the Central Hall, Westminster, representing 5J millions of workers, was chiefly remarkable for its emphatic assertion of this notablo fact. Mr. J. H. Thomas, who presided, said very truly that the Government's handling of the coal problem had "disgusted the owners, irritated the miners, and bewildered the public." Mr. Will Thome, who moved that the Congress should defer the settlement of its plan of action until the reassembling of Parliament next February, advised the mineowners to sell out quickly, as a future Labor Government probably would not offer terms as favorable to them as these now obtainableMr. Brace admitted that private ownership .and control of the mines were preferable to the actual bureaucratic chaos, but declared that what was wanted in the interest of the whole community was control by experienced and expert administrators, engineers, and manual workers. Mr. Tom Mann urged unon trade unions to prepare now to take direct action next February }n the event of the Government's refusal to carry out the Sankey report. MR. SMILLIE'S STRIKE THREAT. Mr Smiilie, grimly intense as usual, insisted that the miners' demand for nationalisation was not for their own interest but for that of the whole community, and hinted that a general strike might be required to enforce their programme. He warned the Government that even if the miners were left alone they Would insist upon nationalisation after next February. If the Government did not then agree to the nationalisation of mines, he said, action would be taken, but it would be constitutional action. It had been said that if the miners in this country went on strike the Government would import coal from India, but he was quite sure that the trade union movement would know how to deal with such a situation. "I hope the Government will take a wise action and agree to nationalisation," concluded Mr. Smiilie, "but I don't think they will. In the event of their not doing .50,.1 sines- ly hope our next -onferenee. will come here instructed to take strike action." But though Congress backed the miners by passing the resolution without a single dissentient, I do sot belipve that the majority of the delegates would support any other than constitutions! political methods for its enforcement. Tho next resolution demanded Government control of raw materials as a means of checking profiteering and reducing the cost, of living. The Miners' Federation again took the lead by submitting a detailed and comprehensive scheme of constructive policy designwl to achieve this purpose, and this addendum to the resolution was expounded with characteristic intellectual force by Mr. Frank Hodges, and supported with equally characteristic fierceness by Mr. Ernest Bevin.