The owners are still holding out stubbornly against a national
agreement, and in doing so they fight on rather favourable terrain. They say that there is no question of refusing to deal with the Trade Unions— which they are doing and will always be glad to do— but that the Miners' Federation is not a Trade Union. It might be thought that the Government would try to force the owners' hands in this matter, but the facts are against them. 'At the Trades Union Congress the General Council would have nothing to say to the forma- tion of large centralized unions for the various industries, and, therefore, if the Government tried to force the owner's to treat with the Miners' Federation, they would be asserting the very principle which the General Council of the Trades Union Congress rejected. At their meeting with the Cabinet Committee on Wednesday the owners were able to describe the substance of their marketing scheme andi apparently, the Committee did not find fault with it, although several details were lacking.
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