When the miners' leaders returned to the Board of Trade
on Friday, Sir Robert Home made it clear that the Government would refer the dispute about the increase of two shillings a day to an impartial court. If the miners' leaders were in earnest about a larger output, he thought that they might agree with the coal-owners in fixing a normal total production, so that, if more coal were raised, the additional profit could be shared between the industry and the State. Instead of welcoming this very reason- able suggestion, Mr. Smillie retorted that he had not corns there to talk about increasing output, though he would like to know why the output had declined. His claim was for an immediate increase of wages. His conference of delegates would not consider any other question unless he put it before them. Sir Robert Horne reminded hint that before the war the yearly output was 287,000,000 tons, that Mr. Justice Sankey thought it should be at least 250,000,000 tons even with the seven-hour day, and that it was now only 232,000,000 tons. But Mr. Smillie professed ignorance as to the causes of this fatal reduction:
