The actual minimum offered the of our coal fields the minimum be maximum—is a money wai 20 per cent, above that paid in 1914. A few years ago it was generaily admitted that the wage rates in the mining industry in pre-war years were a national dis-Brace. The present cost of living according to the figures of the Board of Trade is just over 70 per cent. above that of 1914. From these figures it is easy to see that 'a miner who earned 25/-per week in 1914, would earn 30/-per_ week under the owners' new proposal and the trial pou Tined Teceptance brought the whole problem once more down to the Plane of equalld bargaining out of Which it was hoped the Coal Com-Mission had lifted it. That we, with the majority of trade unionists, id not believe in the Coal Commis: tion's recommendations does not in y way affect this conclusion, Like many more, the slow logic of events, has convinced us that complete nationalization of the industry is its only hope, From the publication of the Report to the great meeting of trade inion executives in London, Cook, with his glib. slogan, '"Not penny off the pay, not a second off the day," had been steadily ading "into the background. older and more moderate miners Teaders once more took the stage, swith that typical Yorkshireman, Mr. Herbert Smith, in the foreground. Cautious, not to commit themselves to any premature and.sweeping condemnation of the Commission's Report; anxious to get public opi-inion on their side; determined that if possible they would not let the miner's low standard of living be even further depressed; they" patently waited to see wha the actual offer of the mineowners and the Government would be.
The Owners! Proposals In the meantime the owners posted up at the local pit heads the new scales of wages. In.a few: fortunate districts there was little change, but in most of the others there were smashing reductions and {the existing semi-starvation rates were almost cut in half] "The Miner's Federation took little heed fof these proposed new rates. They Fightly considered them asa preliminary manguyre to the making of a national offer. This offer was handed to the miners' leaders on the afternoon of the day on which the the 1914
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.