On Monday in the House of Commons the Prime Minis.
ter announced that the Government had decided to set up a Court. of Inquiry into the whole dispute. The mem- bers of the Court are Mr. H. P. Macmillan (Chairman), Sir Josiah Stamp, and Mr. W. Sherwood. If a Court of Inquiry is necessary there could not be better appoint- ments. Mr. Macmillan is a highly-experienced lawyer of admirable judgment and diplomatic talents who, it will be remembered, held non-political office as Lord AdvoCate of Scotland under the Labour Government. Sir Josiah Stamp knows practically all that there is to be known about the -economies of industry, and Mr. W. Sher- wood is a capable Labour leader. The miners have been complaining that they,,,were not consulted about the constitution of the Court, but the Minister of Labour is required as part of his ordinary duties to appoint a Court on his own authority if there is a stoppage of industry, or even if a stoppage is feared. Such a Court is really for publicity. It has no powers except to investigate thc case, form its own opinions, and let the public know the facts.
