The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1919-05-22
NINE OWNERSHIP
CASE TRIED BY
BRITISH COURT
Coal Miners Present Plans Of
Naturalization,
ey PselpsoesI Nsws Service.

pf NuNlpfocbI NeWo osVN'css
LONDON April Is (By Ms,l)--
The coal industry commission this
week resumed is public si,,inss. The
miners accepted the governments
terms with regard TO wages and
hours biased on the report which
bears the name OF the commission,
chairman, Mr. Justice Sankey) on
condition that the commission con.
tirue It's work and make an inquiry
into the whole question OF nationali-
yation report 10 be presented by
MAY ~ This investigation has now
begun.
The commission sits In the kings
fohina room in the house OF lords
and the gaudy suroundings-gold
ceiling. paintings OF Ar,hurs knights
on the walls, and at the end the gilt
oanopied dais. decorated with the
royal arms-aiiord a piquant contrast
10 the very modern. businss.like ex-
pedl,Ion with which the proceeding,
are conducted.
FH-Rsaehing Effect.
Despite the quiet and decorous ma
ture of the proceedings and the at
mosphere Of ameni,y created by the
chairmlns suave and genial person
Atty the scene possesses Q dramatic
interest in view OF the vast economic
forces behind the pro,agonis's and the
fsr-reaching character Of the battle
(which - ,A,n.H TIL. I.z.a,a,,
on the methods OF control to be en-.
ployed in the coal industry Is bound
90 have profound effect on many
o,htr branches Of industry and on the
whole question Of public versus pri-
Sate ownership
On the purely personal side the
workers representatives are by far
the more interesting; Smillie, gray
and worn, ever stressing the human
note in his plaintive Scotch voice, a
leader whom all men instinctively
respect and his followers implicitly
trust, Sidncy Webb, smiling and i'm
psrturbable, most deadly Of cross
examiners, an encyclopedia OF indus
trial knowledge; dapper Sir Leo
Chio,ra Money, brisuing with Stats
tics and embracing = huge album OF
newspaper clippings, to supplement,
memory-gif,ed, moreover, with an
aggressive persistence which re-
ealcitran, witnc. must find extreme
ly irritating.
The employers. mostly elderly men.
have said little so far. But that i,
probably due TO the class OF wit
ncsses first examined-scientific eco.
nomisIs mostly concerned with the
general theories without much refer
ence to the specific conditions pre-
cviiing IN the coal industry. on which
thN employers would naturally have
pso-. 10 say.
Lines Of Inquiry Narrow.
The advocates Of naturalization
start with great advantages in their
favor. First, the interim report.
which has already been accepted,
ruled out any return TO the pre-war
system Of individual and uncon.
Holled ownership, England will
never 90 back 10 that. The report
declared that some other system must
be substituted. either naturalization.
national purchase. or Joint control"
and that the workers shall In future
"have an effective voice in the direc.
tion OF the mines" The lines OF the
inquiry are therefore greatly mar
rowed. The alternatives are simply
I, naturalization and some form OF
] uuifieation which will retain the prin-
ciple OF private ownership, however
curtailed the latter may be in prac-
tice; or. to pun the matter more
simply. between government owner
ship with control shared between the
sts(e and the miners federation and
. system Of joint control on the
Inns Of the Whitley councils. The
opponents Of naEonalixation will hrve
% prove that there are some great
advantages inherent In joint control
with the retention Of private interests
which would be lost under complete
naturalization or that there are
grave dangers to be feared under the
later which might be avoided by
stopping half way.
The miners have the advantage Of
knowing exactly, what they want.
They are whole -heaftedly and deter.
minedly for naturalization and have
already pu, forward . definite scheme
for public consideration. The employ
ers, 80 far, have not proposed any
alternative constructive plan based on
The principle of joint control. - |,
was rumored some time ego they
might do, eontenting themselves with
. negative and defensive attitude. But
The ligh,--for fight II Is, under the