The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-07-05 00:00:00

THE COMMITTEE ON THE COAL
OIIESTION.
or. rit.nday's Tiswii ;

The Committee on Coal, appointed early in the
Session by the Howe of Commons, haa now brought
its inquiries to a close, and will, it le understood, re
assemble thie day week to eionskier its Report. We
hope the remit will convey a full explanation of one of
the strangest and roost unwelcime phenomena of our
own times, but in the meanwhile we commend to our
readers' attention this morning the evidence of the two
witnesses lead examined. The statements and opinions
gives by Mr. Normaneell on the one hand, and by
Mr. Elliott on tbe other, will be found extremely in-
teresting, eapecially when the authority of the speakers
is taken into aocomat. Mr. N irmansall, whose name
will be remembered in connexion with the reoentdiepute
between Lord Fitxwilliam and his Colliers, I. not merely
the Secretary of the South Yorksbir Minera' Associa-
tion, but is the master spirit of the Union itaelf. He did
not deny that the deciaions of the Union might be re-
garded practically as his own decisions, and he in-
formed the Committee that be was, in fact, a kind of
Premier, "like Gladstone is with you." Mr. George
Elliott, member for North Durham, and himeelf sitting
on the Committee, is owner of extensive colleens not
only in the North of England, but in Staffordshire and
Wales also, and he ham been at the pain, of collecting
and comparing the prices of Newcastle Coal for the
last thirty years. Of course there is a oertain contrast
between the views of three two witnesses, but iii, to
be remarked that both allowed the prioe of Coal to be
too high— Mr. Elliot in direct terms, Mr. Normansell
by explaining how it should be lowered.

_
That miners at the present time not only earned
mare, but worked less, than formerly, Mr. Norman-
sell did not attempt to deny. On the contrary, he
said plainly that they never meant again to work so
hard an they had done. He added that, in general,
"the more you educate men the lees physical labour
you get out of them, and unite right too." Ac-
tually, according to his Information, miners had
worked eight hours a day, but only a certain xro-
portion worked six days in the week. Three days
sufficed for some of them, and the average he put at
tee. As to the report that the increased wages of
the men were spent occasionally on champagne, he
believed that such an indulgence was never dreamt
of till the questions asked by the Committee on the
subject put it into the men's heads. Since that time,
he admitted, " people had met together to open " a
bottle" aud see how it tutted, as in his opinion, they
had a right to do. Neverthelem, though he thus ac-
knowledged, and very naturally Unaided, the claims
of the miner* to eaMer and more mil yable lien, he
contended that no decrease had o mural in the
output of Coal, and denied that the men were op-
posed to accumulation, of sto.ik. He gave figures
to prove that in his district the production wan
greater in 1872 than in 1870, and he believed the
increase to be at the same rate for the present
year. On the criti, al question of reducing the p ioe
of Coal his opinion appeared to be that middlemen,
or coal merchants, should be excluded from the
trade, and that matters or managers and men shoal
first "come together more" themselvts, and then, sitar
tettling their own affairs, deal directly with consumers.
As regarded the share of the men in drieing up pricey,
he said there was no regular proportion between the
rate of wages and the coot of coal. Labour was dear
or cheap according to the supply arsiladie in the dis-
trict. Just now, ' strangers were coming in to work."
new seams were opened, and he thought prices won d
fall. Unfortunately. he put this desirable common
nation a long way off, an I only smticipated the result
in eighteen months' or two yews' time.
_ _ _

M.;. Elliot, who followed, gave some very clear eta-
istics of the Coal-market for thirty years past. The
fluctuations, it appears, had been inconsiderable up to
the " strike " of the South Wales Colliers in 187 L
That strike, however, lasted thirteen weeks, and, as
supply and demand were already "running neck and
neck when it began, the long suspension of labour
completely turned the scale. At that moment, too,
there came the extraordinary demands of the don
trade, which operated in the same direction, and then
followed the panic, which did more mischief than all.
Consumers apprehended ecarcily, and bid against each
other for the isdispeneable supplies till Coal rose like
money in a financial crisis. As to be remedy, it
was Lot, with a particular exc,-ption, very clearly
stated. Mr. Elliot acknowledged that prices were
"a great deal too high," but for reducing them he
looked to "a reasonable sesurence against the on-
tuatara' condition in which exorbitant profits were
sometimes made, and losses at others." How this
guarantee is to be given, or how it is to operate upon
the market, we do not Morn, tat according to Mr.
Elliot's experience It is only recently that the trade hem
been profitable. Ep to 1870 it had been otherwise,
and though .11111011 then "It had been making up for all
the bad tames," the net result might Rot be each as to
attract tame capitol into the trade, and so bring down
prior by competition. Mr. art, however, did mg-

pit • penothrld lueuadY--- tier tit pa& grimace. IT
was not proposed for the first tier la theme isquiries,
but IL WY very clearly explained and well supported.
The double-shift system would teed to give the public
what they wad, without detriment to the interests of
I either masters or men.

We have enlarged upon this point on previous axe
done, and. indeed, it arises almost naturally teolll a
consideration of the case. Allowing—a. may well be
allowed—that eight hours represent a good day's work
in the pit, we still cannot but am that they by no
means represent the length ef a working day.
There is ample room for two shifts of workmen, who
might succeed each other without discomfort or pres-
sure. Mr. Elliot proposed an aggregate working
time from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m., to be divided at twelve
or one o'clock in the day. By such a division
no man would be mot into the pit unreasonably
early or be kept there unreasonably late, while
every miner would find half the day his own. He
might begin work at four in the morning and leave
off at noon, or begin at noon and be at home again by
eight in the evening—no oppressive conditions of work-
ing his. Wages would remain unaffected by the
system, while double the number of workmen would
find employment. The Lkalowners would get their
profits on an increseed yield of Coal, and the public
would =joy the advantage of the enlarged supply. It
ham certainly always appeared to us that the arra-
toentg in favour of this system were exceedingly strong,
and the argtimenti againat it, so far as they were
avowed, singularly weak. If the men really behave
that the increased output of Coal, whatever
may now be mid to the contrary, must, maser
or later, bring down not only prisms, but
'wages, they may naturally look with didavour on
the proposal ; but that objection is not commonly con-
fessed. Mr. Noemanaill yam content to urge last week
that mines required to be ventilated or aired, and that
just as another Committee could not well sit in the
room in which be was standing after it had been oc-
cupied eight hours, so a second shift of Colliers would
not find the mine agreeable after the departure of the
first. A previous witness, of considerable authority,
on the same side had argued that the system would
deprive the men of the reasonable opportunities or
comforts of social life, but it is impossible to main-
tain that any such ooneemunces could ensue from
such conditions of labour as we have described above.
On the point itself Mr. Elliot spoke decinvely. There
must, he said, "be more time worked," or "a much
larger prioe must be inevitably charged to the con-
sumer." The conclusion seems clear, sad, as the con.
pumas do not desire that miners should be overworked,
but only that work should be toting, as it can be
found, for twice the present number of workmen, It
would be hard to complain of their expectations.