When the subsidy was originally offered we took the view
that as tho owners had not managed things well and there ,;as much symtpathy with the miners,it was justifiable to pay the subsidy and 4ive the country a breathing space to thrtnTh the whole matter cut. 770 said that if in the end the niners wore pervorse and unreasonable when a °l our issue had been presented, there 7pula be nothing for it but to face a deplorable struggle. Yet here we are,nine months later, g :::ith the issue still by no means_ as clear as it,ought to be. From this point of view the subsidy has Veen paid in vain. Notsof course that we place all the blame we do not place • oven the greater pa rt of it on the Governmont and the owners. LT.. Cooks the Liners' Secretary, has issued a statement that "under ne circumstances" would the miners over consent to a reduction of wages. Of course if the miners supported Cook in that foolish recalcitrance, it would to quite useless to discuss the Report a a whole. The miners should not bind the mners in advance any more than the owners or the Government should bind the minors. Unfortunately the miners' leaders failed from the beginning tc give the men throughout the various districts any proper guidance, with the result that the men concentrated their attention upon one part of the Report that dealing with wages and soon became bemused by the mechanical incantation of Not a penny off the pay, Not a minute on the day.
By expressions of opinion from the districts -dlch were all inspired with this spirit, the miners' leaders in London were directed and tied.
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