As I predicted last week the coal strike is over. The men are hurrying back, District agreements have now been made in Scotland, Lancashire and Cheshire, Notts, Derbyshire, Northumberland, and Yorkshire. In Notts, Derbyshire and Yorkshire a 7 hour day will be worked; in Northumberland there will bea 73 hour day for hewers, but other underground workers will work eight hours. Scotland, South Wales and Lancashire have agreed to work eight hours, The duration of the agreements is as follows:—Five years—Notts and Derbyshi three" years—Scotland, Yorkshire sand Lancashire; two years—Northumberland. Although the men ave been instructed to sign on for work agreements have yet to be Jcompleted in Warwickshire, Can-nock Chase, Staffordshire," North Wales, Bristol, the Forest of Dean, and other small districts.
The individual ballot taken of full financial members of lodges affiliate Jed to the Durham Miners? Association will probably reveal a majority against acceptance of what the Durham County Mining Fed: ration Board had declared to be "unjust Jand inhuman terms." Still the men fare returning.
Throughout the country it Jestimated that about 600,000 men Jout of 900,000 needed are at work, Ut is now apparent that the inereace for a few days will be gradual. Preparations have to be made to [bring some of the pits into working conditions, Mr, Cook, who is off to Moscow, appears to entertain a desire and 8 hope to create further trouble when the economic situation more favourable, but the fact that in most districts long term agrecments are being arranged should assure to the coalfields a fairly Rong period of pence. The experience of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire since the men went back_ jon a large scale has been that the miners are prepared to work with rood will, and marked improvements output, compared with the pro-Jduction before the stoppage, have been reported. For a considerable! time the demand for coal, both in this country and from abroad, likely to be so brisk that collieries should be in full operation from the day they get back to normal conditions. A reduction in the price Jof domestic coal is necessary, however, if the public are to place lorde: s at present for more than small quantities. Finally, there is little bitterness in the coalfields.
The Emergercy Regulations are in the meantime ending and all Lighting Restrictions have been The political situation still remains remarkable and I will give the first place the results of the three bye-elections:—
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.