After a week of concentrated and minute discussion the Government
came to a conclusion which was fully set forth by Mr. Asquith in his speech to the National Miners' Confer- ence on Thursday afternoon. The Government, he announced, had come to the unanimous decision that it was their duty to ensure to the underground workers in the coal industry, "with adequate safeguards," a reasonable minimum wage. They had further determined that if that object could not be obtained by agreement then "by whatever appropriate means 'we can command it shall become part and parcel of the Organization and of the working of the coal industry of this country "—meaning, of course, by legislative enactments. The Government scheme for a minimum wage put forth in their statement to the men on Wednesday is that the amount Of the minimum wage shall be settled in each district by joint 'committees of masters and men, to which a Government representative is in each case to be added. If in any district no agreement can be reached then the Government representa- tives are jointly to decide on the minimum wage.
