The Irish standard., 1912-03-09
HOME RULE MEASURE
IS ALMOST READY
The Great Coal Strike Has Stirred
Great Britain From
End to End.
All Other Questions in England Are
Submerged by Miners
Dispute.
Introduction of Home Rule Bill
Likely to Take Place
Before Easter.

The fortunes of the coal strike vary
day by day and hour by hour. The
Intervention of the government is
hailed with enthusiastic and universal
applause and Premier Asquith, by his
complete grasp of all the facts, by his
impressive appeals to both combat
ground, to resort to drastic legislation,
if no other escape from the deadlock
is possible dominates the situation,
says II. Z. O'Connor in his cablcd let
ter to the Chicago Tribune OF March 2.
The journalists and legislators de-
sert the benches of the House of Com
mons and are filling the lobbies to dis
cuss feverishly every new report in
every hour Of the day. Never did one
great issue more completely submerge
every other question.
Leaving for the moment the particu-
lar incidents of the gigantic struggle
and the alterations of it's fortunes
and prospects, it is worth noting the
extraordinary developments OF the la
Dor position and public opinion dur
ing the last six months. AS l pointed
at the time OF the railway strike last
year there game a revelation to the
whole community and especially to Ia
Dor of it's extraordinary omnipotence
by combination, over the very exist
ence of the nation.
Though holly resented and mcrci.
lcssly repressed in some places and re-
sisted by the middle class everywhere
the railway strike still left an ipcffac-
was brought face to face with hunger
the cold winter and the stoppage of al
locomotion. 1t seemed like Il sudden
resurrection of all the terrors and in
conveniences of medieval life and fol
came u sense that the existing sOcia
fabric was shaken to it's very founda.
| ton.
Change in Public Attitude
The recollection of that terrible
lesson forms tho background OF the
present situation and accounts for tht
marvellous change Of the whole public
attitude towards the labor struggles
First, there is the sense of the omni'
potence Of labor. for the disorganizine
of all society disposes all the com
munity to exert every influence tt
prevent the strike and this involves
the more readiness to listen to the la
Dor demands by all classes of the com
munity than ever was seen before. II
spite of the wild harangues Of some o
the labor hothcads, in spite of the opcl
appeal to force by some Of the cx
trcme socialistic organs and in spit
of the prospects OF universal lossc
and discomfort, the general sympath.
of the public is with the miners.
Not one politician and not one news
paper Of any political party attempts
to deny the right of the miner to
minimum scale and every newspape
and every politician joined in that ap
peal to the government to interfer
and it. is doubtful if even drastic leg
islation, compelling the adoption o
compulsory arbitration and q. compul
sorry minimum wage, would meet wit
serious opposition in any party ii
either house of parliament.
Another remarkable sign of tn
times is the mention, without any hor
, ror, of the theory, hitherto confined t
the extreme socialists, of the acquisi
, ton by the state Of such necessit
, to society as the mines. This idea
partly stimulated by the fact that tn
British navy is entirely dependent 70
the particular coal suitable to battle
ships on few mines in Wales an
! the movement to acquire such mine
: in the interest of national existenc
q has made a big Roadway since the be
|, ginning OF the struggle.
Another sign of the times is tn
= closer solidarity of the different labG
= sections, in other words, the progres
r of the idea of syndicatism. This figf
0 is not an English miners' fight. fc
e England could have settled that quar-
q rel q month ago.
The whole line of battle was wheele