It seems as though the popularity of district settlements is
growing. They have always had some support and at the Delegates' Conference there seems to have been more serious consideration of schemes, which, of course, are not new, by which district agreements would be recognized side by side with a national agreement ; that is to say, a national agreement for the division of profits, 87 per cent. to Labour and 18 per cent, to the owners, or whatever it may be, and minimum wages varying by districts according to the ability of the mines to provide them. This is a question to be con- sidered with very great care. The Royal Commissioners reported generally in favour of national arrangements: on points where they are possible, rather than of district, arrangements. If the Report is to be accepted as a whole, tot us, teres atque rotund us, nobody ought to boggle over one single point. If the Report is to be the common ground, although everybody objects to something in it,. and if it is to be the only accepted basis of agreement, single objections must be waived. But we know that the .colliery companies are in favour of district arrange- ments, and there are districts where the men seem to want to have their, own arrangements.
