The Coal Crisis and the Government The discussions between the
Miners' Executive and the coal-owners are still in progress as we write, but it is clear enough that the men will not accept the owners' offers, varying from a shilling a shift in some fields to fivepcnce in the unfortunate South Wales area, and there is a grave prospect that the strike notices will be issued on Monday. That is not necessarily the last word. A fortnight will still remain before the notices become operative. If they do become operative the miners will lose the not inconsiderable advances now offered and will drop from regular wages to strike-pay, which is bound to be soon exhausted. In addition, of course, the industry of the whole country will be disas- trously affected. In face of that prospect the Government can obviously no longer maintain its non possumus attitude. It has made no helpful move so far, apart from pressing the adoption of marketing schemes out of which some economies, yet to be estimated, will accrue. Nor do the coal-owners appear to have done much, for the advances they now offer are due mainly if not wholly to the voluntary acceptance by the public —the one party that comes out of the affair with credit—of higher prices.
