• As for the miners, the Federation is still, when
we write on Thursday, awaiting reports from the various districts. The Federation in its reply to the owners' statement has, however, hinted—though perhaps a stronger word might be justly used—that no reduction of wages will be con- sidered. We have always regretted that the Commis- sioners thought it necessary formally to propose any • reduction. However true it may be that a reduction can be softened by mitigating expedients, the wage-earner invariably resents it. • He is not clever at seeing round a question, and the mere mention of a reduction, even though it be proposed, as in this case, as a temporary measure to get him better wages later on, he persists in regarding as a blow at his heart. If we turn from the question of wisdom to the question of justice we must admit that if ever a proposal for a reduction was justified on purely economic grounds this one was. The Commissioners 'came, as they said, " reluctantly but unhesitatingly to the conclusion that the costsbf production with the present hours and wages are greater than the industry can bear."
