The three coal-owners and two of the independent Com- missioners
declared in their Report that State management, inevitably influenced by politics, would be fatal to the coal industry. Nationalization would not cheapen coal, increase output, or prevent strikes. It was untrue to say that coal- owners and miners were all at daggers drawn, though a few agitators had caused unrest in some districts. The Miners' Federation had demanded nationalization, virtually under its own control, as a political move. The causes of the fall in output should be investigated. It was unjust to blame the coal-owners because some miners, like other workmen, were badly housed. In the general interests of the industry, coal- owners and miners should meet in Pit Committees, District Councils, and a National Connell to discuss conditions of labour and other matters. To cheapen the distribution of household coal, Local Authorities should be empowered to act as coal- dealers in competition with the trade.
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