The Washington herald., 1921-04-07
British Labor.


rightly Judge the labor situation in Great Brit
= ain. But it is possible to make fairly good
deduction from the mass of reports along with all
that has led up to the present very critical situa-
ton. One thing is true there in the United
States-no such action is ever really unan-
nous There is always considerable minority,
much larger than the strike vote shows, who do
not favor what the majority demand, direct
action to support the demand. ...
More than this, it is evident that the miners
strike is not based on Communism The Com
munsts taking every advantage of the situa-
ton, but Britons will never be Boshevist 1t is a
distinctly trades union movement, with back
ground of many years of great profits to the mine
owners and low wages to the miners When the
war came the government took control of the
mines, fixing the wages and prices, with guarantees
to the owners.
When profits failed, as they did to our. railroads.
the difference was made up by taxes. 1t was this
which gave substance for the demand for the ma
tonalization of the industry, just here for the
naturalization of the railroads, and there as here
the owners claim that operation at a profit is i'm
possible without material decrease in the wage scale
There as here, also, the workers want national
Agreement, while the operators district agree
fnents based upon varying district conditions,
costs etc.
Two things wholly new in labor adjustment
came in Great Britain from the war. First was the
liking OF labors wage not supply and demand,
but the cost of living. 1t is well to remember
right here that had supply and demand ruled, wages
would probably have been much higher than they
were, and if supply and demand can be ignored to
keep wages from too high advance it may be
pleaded that it should be ignored to keep the scale
from going below like line
With this and government control came ma
tionl agreements, the same scales applying alike
to all the kingdom, just was done here on the
railroads and in the shipysrds Finally, at the time
of the settlement of the last STRIKE another import
ant change came in the concession by the miners
that quantity production should be taken as an elc
ment in fixing wagess This too, was recognized by
our own national federation
What the British miners now ask with the re-
turn of control of the properties to private owner
ship, is the final naturalization of the coal industry
They want the government to take over the mines
As owners Back of this is probably the belief that
ii strong enough to force this, they will have the
power to compel sustained high wage supported,
when necessary, by taxation. In lieu OF this the
demand is for continuance of government sup
port of wages by tax if in fact the industry itself
is unable to pay them.
The worst feature of the strike is calling out the
pump and engine men indicating willingness to
ucSloy the properties Dy nooding them, unless the
demands were at once conceded. This is foolish as
il but arouses public hostility. Coal is the basic
British commodity which her industry is founded
and also is her chief bulk export. To ruin the
mines is to ruin Britain and would make it impos-
sible for the miners to win in any event.
Whether not the railroad and transport or
ganizations will join the miners is to be decided
today. These three form Britan's triple alliance"
II the other two strike in sympathy, "Merrie Eng
land will be decided misnomer. 1t will then be
4 struggle to the death If labor wins it will con-
troll Great Britain with the probability of untold up
heavals in that most conservative and dependable
government
1t is significant, however, that many of the
foremost labor leaders of Britain, men like Hender-
son, Thomas and Barnes. reported as not in
sympathy with the miners strike. with the pro-
posed sympathetic strike, though they are usually
known radicals and Socialists. But it appears,
they place country first and realize what the results
may be Great Britain at this most critical period
of her history. Like many American labor leaders,
khey prove at critical times more conservative than
heir supposed followers