NEWS OF TUE WEEK
LAST week we said that the static situation, the trench warfare, in the coal dispute was being broken down by the introduction of the Eight Hours Bill. Since then the general mobility has become much more marked though, also, as was to be expected, much more uncertain in its tendencies. When we write nobody would care to take the risk of predicting exactly what will happen, though everybody feels that something will probably emerge before long either from the various mediatory efforts behind the scenes or from the effect of increased hours in the -coalfields. Meanwhile, the anger of the Opposition in the House of Commons is mainly due to their resentment at the possibility of negotiations passing entirely out of their control. They fear, with very good reason, that if, when the Hours Bill has become law, about half the owners publish announcements that they will pay the old rates of wages for an eight hours day the miners will return to work in large numbers. ghat is why. they asked the Prime Minister to take the Bill for reorganization before the Hours Bill. They hoped that the breathing space would give time for a settlement hieh would make the Hours Bill unnecessary.
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