May 6.
However much Mr. J. H. Thomas may desire the world to believe that the General! Strike in Great Britain is merely an industrial dispute, it ie to be doubted whether there are many, even of his own following who do not appreciate the significance of the course upon which Labour has been embarked by its despotic leaders. The strike attempt to force upon an unwilling Government a policy of which it disapproves, vi nationalization of the mines. While it may be true that the rank and file of the miners are only concerned with the wages paid them, and are supporting) the action of their leaders because they hope to prevent the reduction of their earnings level within the economic 3 of the industry political leaders of labour engaged in a much more Important struggle. They are in effect endeavouring to foist the desires of a minority upon the people of Great Britain, by industrial disruption, where ordinary political methods would be foredoomed to failure. It is in the introduction of the strike as a political instrument that we are faced with what amounts to a revolutionary proceeding. Great Britain has, by the expression of opinion in recent elections, pronounced decidedly against the introduction of socialistic such as the legislation on lines involving
nationalls While we are aware that during the late War vital interests were controlled and under that control became a charge upon the pockets of the British tax-payers, it was not, in fact, anything but pure emergency legislation calculated to meet. the situation then existing.
The miner, who, under] Government control, received increases of wages com: mensurate with the enhanced cost of living, following upon' the decontrol' of the mining industry, was put back to a position where economic factors, rather than political, decide his remuneration. One of the most important of those factors was to be found in the variation of products between different mining districts. It was obvious the where a particular kind of coal was obtained which does not command so high a market-price, thie application of ordinary economic laws would mean that miners who get the coal could not be paid such high wages as in districts, where a more valuable product was obtained. The miners' reply to any such contention! was that if all the mines in Great Britain were nationalized, the. profits made by the sale of high grade -coals deuld be "pooled and, from the fund 80 created, adjustments could lbe made whereby a standard] national wage for miners could]
instituted. The electorate of Great Britain was opposed to] this purely socialistic form of]
When the struggle _recommenced in the early part lof Jast year, Mr. Baldwin] temporized with the labour} leaders by granting a new] subsidy. At most, it could but} be a temporary measure during} ich time as an investigation as made of the coal industry, in order to decide what could] be done in the interest not] only of the miners but of] the industry itself. The result Jof the Commission's report showed that extensive—_reorganization waa necessary and pronounced strongly against the continuation of the—subsid; The reason for this pronunei tion" is obvious. is economically unsound, that for the purpose of bolstering up the wages of one class of labour} all the other classes should) be taxed.
Mr, Baldwin "was in an unfortunate position from the very moment he decided to! intervene in the dispute which rose again in the early part of month. He stood with the Labour pistol pointed at his head. I he failed to obtain a settlement which the miners] approved, he was told al ral strike would follow. ther words, the Prime Mini er of England was being! subjected to the threat that unless he nationalized the mines, the whole of the} country's industries would be disrupted and a strike involving the whole of the industrial fortunes of Great Britain would be declared. If there is any) deduction to be drawn from this statement of fact, it is} that Labour, which is the minority, is endeavouring' to dictate the policies of a Government appointed by majority thereby superseding jeonstitutional procedure by use, of the strike. Did it succeed, the constitution of Great Britain, evolved as a result! of a' struggle of—several centuries, would become worse than a dead letter. For that! that econ succeed, We have no doubt that the struggle, whether it is long lor short. will be a bitter one.
'There is a danger that, if the Government wins, reactionary forces may, for a\ time, gain' the upper hand: that would be regrettable. But Labour has! brought this dispute upon itself and it is to be supposed has; calculated all the consequences, Even then the great work in connexion with this dispute will not be the waging of this kind of warfare, to a successful conclusion on' the part of Government, so much as maki there necessary adjustments which may ensure Great Britain those years of peace which 80 necessary for _any rehabilitation of her industry.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.