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HAPPY HIT
PRESS. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6TH, 1919.
SHORT HOURS AND LOW OUTPUT.
COAL NATIONALISATION, * Lord Joicey held the view that the Coal | the miners represented. On the contrary, ernment, which had not come to a deci- DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS, Commission was not impartial. Every he wished to get a cia medin along which sion in this subject that whatever might mau on it had his own views regarding the conflitting interests might be brought be their own feelings or inclinations in In the House of Lords on July 16th.nationalisation, and no evidence brought together.
this matter. it was hardly possible to Fari Hrasey called the attention of the before it would make much difference to Ons if the gent recommendations of doubt that there was an irresistible clains Hard to the recommendations relating their opinións. Nationalisation, as shown nationalisation was that the State, after by opinion not only in this country, but to the nationalisation of the cual indus. by every Governmencontrolled industry, all, was to some extent the miners them-in-all countries of advanced civilisation try contained in the reports of the Coal meant higher costs, higher fares" more selves. The only way of dealing with the which might result in a greater awa Commission, l E+ the disastrous ineficiency. He was one of those who problem was to bring the miners under sure of public ownership aik control the leadership and control of different thus had existed in the past in vegare in effects of bureaur patie interference in had suffered Frute Government "control.
set of men.
so fundamentek a antional asset as mar trade and industry." Government dead he considered it would be the mad
dest thing for Parliament to put this Lord Gainford wontended chat how coul industry, partments should aut degre advances in industry under a Govermeat" desart. ever men were trained they would never But when he spoke of public control wages and reductions of hours perfectly ment
do the same efficient work for the Cow he wished emphatically to repudiate the (irrespectiva of the capacity of the indus
ernment as they would under a well-cou-suggestion that a great industrial and try to bear it. The eoncessione which
fis experience of shorter hours was ducted private enterprise system. It was commercial concern could be run trout had been made had not removed the day that it always tetherd production, and quite impossible for à Giovefnment to run Whitehall on the ordinary principles of ger of Belshevism. The people of this he was looking for a large decrease in business on the same economie linek na the Civil Service. The training: pri- country unted everwhelmingly against production when the seven and six hour private individuals, While they were fence, and whole habit of men of the Civil Bolshevism at the last election, and the days came into force. When he discover moral in character, honest in conduct. Service were not relevant to the condit certainly did not qut the present Governed that Amerien produced 110 tons per and attended to their calling fegularly,
of industrial and Commercial concerns ment into power to encourage, 10. Quran per annum against our output of inefficient workers in the public service. They had heard nothing from start to sacrifices during the war would be 240 ton he made inquiries, and the de- could not be eliminated.
Anish xept the deplorable consequences vain, our victory would be a hollow one cision arrived at as a consequence, was Half the men in the callieries he knew {of publig "control. Public control was if the trade of the country went to ruin that our system was better than the Ames were reiving a minimum wage, and apparently regaeiled as to a great exterit Trims the prople came to their senses werian, but that the American coal-gotter they were not doing their best. It was responsible for the present difficulty in wern in for disaster similar to that worked long hours and extremely, hard. idle to suggest that it was a question of the ecul tradis But for the public en which lafel the Roman Empire in ita last In Durham to-day the minimum wage wagons and trucks. In 1906 the average trof of practically everything daring the days..
The first thing the people had to realise was as per day up and cutput per man was 294 tons per year in later years of the war we should have enat. The inen were content with this. 1911 it went down 12 In spite of the one to complete disaster. Excepting fur was that wages had got to conje down and did not see the necessity for working | Sankey report, it had gone down to 212 America, this country had come through and not go up. The Government surrender, a fact which accounted to some tems per year, and it would go down with the least suffering apart from tha der to the demand of the Triple Alliance Extent for the reduction in outpat.
te 100 tons in the year ending July next real injuries of the war, and with th six months ago was the chilf caus of Illustrating the effect of lower outputThat was compared with 600 tons perlesst general discontent. phe trouble we had to tacy, There was upon the country industries, the sohle year per man in American before the whether de-control had not bevis too rapid, a justification for the rise in wag atord mentioned that Americans could now
What they had done in the war was vastly that time. No class in the country apply steel at 3 to £1 per on cheaper
The export trade had been built an to better than if they had left things to their more patriotic than the miners, and if than we could produce it. Enless we s0,000,000 tons per year before the war, course according to the ordinary rules the Government faved the question secured increased production to gounipen
and it was built up by individuals get of private competition, they should have done at the time our trade and industry would not be in its present cendition.
༔ ༔་
PP-
I
war,
"
Lord Nunburnholme said he did not wish to say anything against the colliers They were splendid fellows, and all re membered the gallant deeds of the miners battalions--(bear. hear)-but he did think some of their learers went too far in pressing these demands." They were jeopardising the whole trade of the coun- try
sate for higher prices we should sufferting to know individuals in foreign ports most seriously from the competition of and making themselves responsible for all kinds of business complications work Amerien, Germany, and Japan. If we In his report Mr. Justice, Sankey had had not sufficient cool for expert the which it would be impossible for any observed that the present systera of ownershin stand condemned and that right for import would greatly in Government department to undertake
crease. If our esnart、 of coal weTA The Government should decontrol the coal some other system mirst be substituted duced changes would go against the industry. Their suggestion that the for it. That proposition could not be
country. He hoped the Government profit should be a 2 per ton was not justified It was under private ndner would but its font down when the inacceptable to the coal trade. It was Sif ship that the output of coal in the countercets of a section wen: against the in-
or d. below 'what we agreed to in 1917. try row from. 128,000.000 tons in 1973 to trests of the whoh population,
As to rovalties. the "Government had $87,000,000 tons in 1913. This develop Ford (hehenpe said nationalisation, was nothing to gain by purchasing them ment was due to private enterprise and nothing more or less than syndicalism and as to the coal-owners' relations with to the willingness of capitalists to sink. It was propose not in the interests of the the men, he was quite certain that if they money in nits and expansive plant. Tablic as a whole. hut solely in the in- could get over these troublon times there was also due to the enterorise of our terets of a particular class. As a profit-
was no reason these relationships should merchants in seeking markets abroad-
making proposition to industry could not resume their old form. The system of administration sketched sucessfully worked by the State. out by Mr. Justice Sanker for the ad
Nationalisation would not be of the ministration of the mine under national lightest benefit to the worker. Nationa. control did not rommend itself to these Tisation was aimed at in the case of who were experienced in ane manage shipping. That had cone by the board. ment. There could be divided respon. In the second place it was aimed at the sibility in the pit. There must be one mines, and then at the railways. If these man preponsible and "one only.
Mr two great industries were taken over by Justice Sankey further considered that, as
the Government all other industries the result of the war, there was a new would be in danger, and we should finish classmen who were inst as keen top by attempting to earn our livelihood serve the State as a private employer by taking in each other's washing. The But to run an industry during the war. national expenditure would he at least irrespective of the cost of production, was EST0,000,000 a year, but the inhabitants a totally diferent thing from running of the British Isles would be able to meet one in Pence time when everything the charge if the Government would turn pended upon keeping down the cool down wild-cat schemes and if the inflation production (Cheers.) He hoped most caused by paper currency were got rid of sincerely that the Government would not They must leave industries to work out be debarred by the threats of Mr, Smillie their own salvation by freeing them from Brothers from doing their duty. Inbureaucratic control. They must face a view of the falling off of outout the higher bank rate than 5 per cent, and Government were certainly not justified prices would go down as the bank rate in further reducing the hours of labor went up. The whole financial structure He did not think the miners were wholly was artificial, and they must get back to to blame for the shortage of output as sound policy. there was a shortage of mining appli ance and trucks, but certainly they were martly to blame. He was against national
A TRIDETE TO MR. SMILLIE.
remarks thout Mr. Smillie to go out un- Lord Askwith said he did not wish the challenged. Mr. Smillie was a man whom he had known for many years; he was a dificult man to make an agreement with but when he made an agreement he would keep it for all he was worth. Although Mr. Smillie would not sign one agre mont, his executive did, and he was bound by that agreement, and loyally adhered
to it.
derstood to say he did not attack. Mr. The Duke of Northumberland was an Smillie's private honour, but he thought it was inconsistent with the dignity of Nationalisation of industry or Syndin view of his record during the war-
this country to rely upon his assurance calian would destroy the whole fabric
denbest
Before the war the cost of production in the mines was increasing. The winges" were increasing, and the output per head wac falling off. "Two or three years be fore the war they had one of the biggest strikes in the history of this country, mul it, nearly brought industry to a standstill. In spite of the huge concesions mad ti the miners, there was not satisfactio and rest in the industry, and, at the rinse the war broke out, we were -king t another crisis.
The war slayed the crisis; it did not create it. They had got to face not necesarily nationalisation, Bus vast changes in the system under which coal in the country was produced and die, tributed,
The fact was that the whole face of in- dustry was undergoing transformation. not only in this untry, but in propy country in the word. The old adustrial order was passing away. They had to try and fend a hand in the peaceful establish. ment of the new "order". He believed that in the future, ny in the nest, there would be room for the development of private enterprise and an increasing amount of The trend of modern public control. thought and modern social development as well as political development was alf certain fundamental and basis industries. in favour of the greater sacinlisation of Conf might be one. It did not follow that even if the tendency was a right tra dency it could be achieved in a day,
18
EXPERIMENT IS PUBLIC CÙNTROL.
CIGARETTES lisation beettise it world he fatal to the rested, and, if it were adopted, a gears pubile was up against three bald facts: would expect some of their lordships to
Cigarette Manufacture.
"DISCREDITABLE AFFAIR."
"
A MIDDLE COURSE,
he emphatically asserted that if nationa lisation of the coal industry meant put- ting i under the ordinary Civil service, that body was quite unfitted for the work, and be would oppose the proposal root and branch."
GOVERNMENT REPLÝ,
The Marquis of Salisbury described the contrast between the English and Ame- rican output of coal as most appalling.
Viscount Milner thought there were" some special reasons. The German out- put was not better than the English bew. fore the war.
He bad never been able to understand why they should not try, in the matter of the production of coal, the experiment public control a certain area of mines, of public working of working under and seeing what the result was. If the result were a failure, the man with the open mind would not wish to go further on which the prosperity of the nation Lord Askwith, continuing, said the on these lines. If it were favourable, he industry In his opinion the renuis was tion or two would ace Gront Britain) There was going to be an increase in converted to what was very unpopular to groan the minis in rach district. There lowered to the position of a fourth-class the rate of wages; (2) there was going that House at present. They should was great value in having mines grouped Power, her magnificent trade gone, her
to be a decrease in the number of hours hot let themselves be divided into two together. The improved conditions for population reduced by one-half, her re-
worked, which must cause reduced pro-
bostile camps. All men of goodwill The Real Burley Cigarette employee "from the employer, who sources bankrupt, and her credit extinct. duction; (3) there was going to be no should do their best to realise the in
conducter his business well and made a If necessary, they must as patriots, in the alarming decrease in production, and this tente gravity "of the situation and the good profit, and it was the duty of their best interests of the country and in the was a serious proposition for the coming vast national issues stake, and work Lordships to curb bureaucracy and see best interests of the working classes them
winter. Employers and miners abould out a solution which would bring about IT'S TOASTED. that individual enterprise was given fair selves. Face the situation boldly, feeling discuss together methods of securing the a better social relation between all those
play!
assured that everything would eventually supplies which were essential to increased who were interested in the conduct of this
industry, As an old Civil servant, come right. There might be a few Bol production. The Duke of Northumberland said thevika in these islands, but they did not was the universal opinion of the people number more than one in a hundred of the country that the Coal Commission thousand, and our people, both men and An entirely New principle in was a most discreditable affair, and de women, were far to sensible to be led plorable in its results. Hear, hear along the path which would inevitably Some cynical person had observed that lead to the destruction, not only of them the Government had acted wisely in selves, individually, but of the nation s appointing thi, Commission because they whol (Henr, heat.)
The Marquis of Salisbury said the had given the niners representatives;
Viscount Milner, replying for the Sankey report was made in a panic, and sufficient rope to hang themselves. He did Viscount Haldane paid the Government had been a rather gloomy one. Although the paper on which it was written.
Government, said the tone of the debate a report made in a panic was not worth not say so himself, but the Government served the country when it appointed the he realised that the position was serious, greed that the status of workers should HA bad themselves to blame for any such con- Coal Commission. The cout strike, which he was not prepared to sit down and be raised. They should become partners clusion being drawn. It was somewhat was only averted by a few hours, would wail. Indeed, in some respects there were and not merely wage-earners. He believ unfortunate that one of our most eminent have plunged the country into char fresh elements of hope..and the very judges was selected a chairman of the and disaster, Mr. Justice Sankey did great shock which the public bad received State, and he shrank from seeing it de
nd that industry was a high duty to the Commission, because it gave it the ap his work admirably. pearance of a judicial inquiry, which it other matters, he neither agreed with the realise the situation might be the com
With regard to during the past week by being made to graded by those temptations and oppor never was. The report involved a decep- Duke of Northumberland's opinion of mencement of better things. It was now ownership might carry with it.
tunities for corruption which State tion of the public at which the Govern Mr. Smillie hor with Mr. Smillies fully admitted by the miners themselves The motion was by leave withdrawri. ment had congiver]. Both the executive opinion of the noble Juke. of the Viners Federation and the Fabien paint of the debate was that they had for the great increase in the cost of pr
His com that means must be found to compensate Society had ulterior aims. The ultimate been discussing the wrong point. They duction, otherwise we were threatened purpose for which they worked was the were now living under a democracy, in a expropriation of all land and minerals. sense which was unknown a few years 289 inevitably involve the loss by the miners as a nation with, disaster which would The majority vote for the nationalisation Labour was now tremendously organised.
The following is a further list of sub- of con!. therefore, was really a vote for hoth politically and industrially. Off the very benefits they had recurly the nationalisation of all private pro. course, it ws, all very beautiful to talk recessity the mother of invention.
secured. He was firmly convinced that scribers to the above fund:-
Per Dr. Marsh perty and enterprise.
of "no surrender" but if they did not would find a way out. More than that, Shanghai Bir J. Sankey proposed to trust, to the surrender, what then. If they fought the he believed that nothing else, but sher A, Stephen, Shang- honour of the miners and their leaders miners they might have to rht the rail necessity would ever have got this roa bui... to make nationalisation a success. It wasmen and the transport workers as well. try to adopt improvements, economie in Per W. Roberts, was a well known to Sir J. Sankey as to What were they going to do? everyone else that the leaders had made The coal-owners asked to be left alone, production, distribution and the use most solemn promises to the Government and said they could manage the miners of coal. suggested, advocated, and preach. which they had been unable to bind their Put they bail not managed the miners.ed by expert authorities for years and men to observe. Who were the miners' It might be that the State could not Ieaders?
manage this industry as well as private enterprise, and he did not know whether ptimalisation was practical. But there was a case, for inquiry.
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Compensation for higher wages and shorter hours must be achieved in two ways: (1) By greater energy and skill on the part of the workers; (2) by latest appliances, and organization in the pro Anonymous duction and distribution of coal, and by 27th, Co., B.A.M.C., a more scientific use of it. This was the Rank and file ..... only real road to selvation. He believed. C. L. Sandes........ that there was room for improvement in both these respects to an extent which
It is, the noble Duke continued,- per fectly well-known fact that the president of the Miners' Federation was engaged in fomenting revolution during the war. Referring to Sir John Sankey's belief We know he was engaged in forming in the existence of a new class of men Workman's and Soldiers' Councils. He who would take service with the State, said. so himself. The man is perfectly the noble Viscount mentioned that there sincere; but that is what he was doing was an experimental period of three years He is even now threatening direct action provided for under the report, during if certain demands" are not granted. I which period there men might be trained, want to know whether it consistent with Could we by an adequate system of train would not only edupensate for the recent Previously acknow. the dignity and honour of this country ing produce men of that kenness of increases, but would make the industry that we should have to depend upon the spirit which would enable them to deal prospergus and a source of strength to honour of this gentleman with regard to wich an entirely new business? Bir John the nation.
the future conduct of the most vital of Sankey was as well aware as their lord-f The debate had consisted very largely All our industries. In this great erisia, shins of the disadvantages of State enter of an attack upon what was known as the
ledged
25. 0.0
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70:00
30.00
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50.00
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£200. 5.0
$ 271.00
-154 0.0
3.233.47
Tatal£254.11.0. $3,504.47
The subcription-list han now been closed
gome,
it was absolutely essential that the casa-prise, but what he said was: "The sit-system of nationalisation. There were in Hongkong, and a sum of £1,162.15.7 try should have leadership (Cheers) If nation is so grave that net you must and two totally different proponta which were it was to have leadership it was equally this is the method by which you can act both described as nationalisation, but essential that the Government should with the best prospect of success" He which were in many ementials utterly, substitute conviction and principle tor (Viscount Haldane) did not say that they unlike one another. He must my-not "an open mind." (Cheers.)
should surrender to the great forces which speaking as the mouthpiece of the Gov“
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