It is stated that a severe crisis is coming on
in the Iron trade, which will again affect the miners. According to the Telegraph, all iron work will shortly cease, and one great Company in the North has closed all contracts and dismissed all hands. One-half the puddling works in the North of England have stopped or given notice, and the remainder are working without profit. The coalowners feel the suspension of the demand, and are threaten- ing everywhere a reduction of twenty per cent. in miners' wages, which the men, on the other hand, intend to resist by a general strike. This is pleasant news, at the beginning of a winter which, according to the weather-prophets, will be unusually long and severe. Such a winter, they say, always follows a flooded autumn, such as we have just passed through. It is pos- sible, however, that the men, remembering their long strike against Companies which immediately afterwards failed, may be willing to arrange some compromise.
