The fatal hour came when the . subsidy ceased and
the notices from the ownors took effect. Last Saturday the General Council of the . Trades Union Congress decided to order a general. strike to begin at midnight on Nonday, in support of the miners who had, of course, already ceased work. It was announced that among the first workers to be called out would be those in the railway and other transport services and the printing industry. Even from ā¢ the point of view of tho Trades Union Congress the decision to try. to ā¢ obliterate the Press is a mistake. The way to peace must be illuminated by the lights of publicity and knowledge. It is a stupid move to suppress information. Of course every blow that the Trades Union Congress aims at the industry of the nation has its recoil. But from no particular recoil are the leaders of the strike likely to 'suffer more than from this suppression of information. Tho Government have control of the broadcasting system. It is wrong to say that they have "Commandeered" it; the control was always vested in the Government. Labour on the other hand, has deprived itself of its best moans of keeping in touch with its sympathisers-. The declaration of the genero.1 strike did not preirent .the. eentinrance ofnegotine t ions . The Negot ing Ceezei-btee ed the Pr ime lane; oter at" nine e'l-c el: last .
" Sunday night, .ar.e. later -4,i:11'6'0i:her members of the General -Coireoil of the" r.7r.ades Union Congr OL.S.P.rld āthe elā dir.erleaders (-who had depiirted teethe country' but 'Had been hurriedly r-eoalI3d) also joined in the din missions, was all in vain:. A little after 1 o clack oneMorday morning failure was announced.' :The Government explained in a public .mee sage that they felt corn to refuse fur he' r.egdtiations, except. under -certain conditions . They hed beer._ pi-epee...ad-Go oorroin,Ae the 'subsidy for a fortnight if-ho riieeers, or the Trades Union .Cornitt,ee tee th-eir behalf., .hod been ready to aceopt t1e Repert of" the Commission as e. -,Colo, "Accept. ance" In the view. of the Governeiont, included the reorgalaissat ion .3 f the ,induetry, whioth could be put in hand at once, and pending. the . results of-ā¢the II' ooran a io n ; rilcri an adjustment ol "rage or Lours of Week. as vrould Make it,ā¢ecr_Inerntcally pi-cl.e to ā¢ carry on the inaustrys' 1.ac,,ā¢mesa.ge 'then added that while discuesions were in progress, noL only had the ā¢General Council of the Trades Union Congress sent out in.structions,, for -a eā'-ene-r:a. I str ike; but
ā¢ "overt" aots hades.lready been committed ther efore required a r epudiat ten of such , acts, and the unconditienal viithdrawal of the instructions for a general strike before they .could continue 'negotiations,
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