It would be unjust to leave this important debate without
mentioning Sir Alfred Mond's remedy for the sickness of the coal-fields—a selling agency on the German model. What Germans have done in reconstituting the finance of their mines is really remarkable. There are many other lessons we might learn from abroad, not only in Germany. In France and Belgium the devastation of the War compelled the introduction of up-to-date machinery and more scientific methods in several industries. The results are wonderfully encouraging, but this fact is apparently not enough to instil the courage necessary for the general scrapping of old machinery in countries where the action must be voluntary. At least, America is the only exception. We can well believe that Sir Alfred Mond's scheme, and several other schemes that have been suggested for helping the British coal-fields, might be most valuable ; but as regards those which are not complementary to the Report, but are a substitute for it, we must say that it is impossible to hunt several hares at once. The sensible plan is to get on with the Report.
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