The Miners' Federation announced on Tuesday the result of the
ballot of the miners-on the question of a strike. It appeared that 606,782 miners voted for a strike and 239,865 voted against rt. The two-thirds majority required by the rules before the Federation can declare a strike was thus obtained, but the minority was significantly large. Moreover, it is stated that at least 120,000 boys between fourteen and eighteen years of age were allowed to vote, and, as pit-boys are just like other boys, it may be safely presumed that they all voted for a " holiday " with strike pay for doing nothing. If the boys in any school were asked whether they would like an unexpected holiday with more pocket-money at the end of it, they would of course be unanimous in favour of such a pleasing novelty. The pit-boys in the same spirit have welcomed Mr. Smillie's offer. But revolutionaries of his type, who deny the right of the vast majority of the Parliamentary electors to have the Government which they prefer, cannot expect us to admit that the voice of the pit-boys must decide the fate of Britain.
