A grave debate was raised on Friday week in the
House of Commons about the coal strike in South Wales. The speakers on behalf of the miners showed that ninety thousand men had struck for an advance of 10 per cent. in wages and some- alterations in their sliding-scale, and as the employers would not give way, were now, after an idleness of twelve weeks,. reduced to great distress. The strike covered an area so. extensive that it had even interfered with the supply of coal to the Fleet, and they therefore thought it ex- pedient that the Board of Trade should intervene, and persuade employers, with whom they have great influence,. to allow an arbitrator to be appointed. Sir William Har- court supported the application, first, because the strike was a national disaster, and, secondly, because the true facts could- only be elicited through an official inquiry; but Mr. Ritchie said that he had inquired, and that on his suggestion a joint Com- mittee of masters and men had been appointed, but that the Committee found themselves unable to agree. He must therefore, as provided by the Conciliation Act, wait until both parties applied to him to appoint a conciliator, when he- should be delighted to help them both to remove their differ- ences. A conciliator has since been appointed. The debate was very moderate in tone, except upon one point. Some of the Welsh Members seem to think that the miners are insulted because soldiers were sent to the district, as a hint against rioting. Where is the " insult " any more than in the presence of policemen in the street ? They also are intended to prevent violence, but the more respectable the passengers, the less they object to their presence.
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