Mr. Lloyd George, who was in his best form, riddled
the Bill through and through. He showed that its principle was not Socialism but Syndicalism. The Council, dominated by the miners, would have the control of wages, prices and distribution, including the private sale and the export of coal. The right to strike would be preserved, and the losses on working the mines would have to be paid out of public money. On the other hand, any profits would go back into the industry. The Bill proposed, in short, to run the mining industry for the benefit of the miners without a thought for the rest of the country. Mr. Lloyd George produced a copy of the Daily Herald and said that it contained an article by Mr. Sidney Webb entitled "The Black Tiger," by which Mr. Webb meant a capitalist-controlled Trust. The Bill also proposed a Trust ; the only difference was that the tiger was red. Why could not Mr. Webb protect the country against this fierce animal ?
