New-York tribune., 1921-04-15

3 y X
sal response of labor to the miners
call. For example. in no previous
strike has the union of the locomotive
men acted with the National Union OF
Railwaymen. Other railway services
in the svent of strike, may be re
placed by volunteers, but it will be
difficult to find competent drivers.
The. decision Of the Federation Of
General Workers to support the Triple
Alliance is also highly important. The
does not mean that the unions con-
cerneds representing 100000 workers
will strike, but means that it is their
intention to consult with the Triple
Alliance in all steps and give it gen
eral support. The federation's resolu-
tion pledged support to the Triple
Alliance "in its effort to resist whole
sale reductions in wages and 20 main
tain national standards of wace and
conditions of labor"
Various members of the government
have been appointed commissioners of
the dozen districts into which the king
dom is divided for the organization of
public services, while a great number
Of divisional road commissioners have
been appointed to organize transport.
The COVE rnment's actual plan of cam
paign will not be published unless or
until the strike actually begins, but
the emergency machinery devised. in
the railway strike of 1919 has been
continuously improved and is every
where ready for action. Great mill
tary camps are forming at Wormwood
Scrubbs and Wimbledon Common, and
another camp in the eastern suburbs
of London for additional food and milk
supplies.
Resort to Ballot Urged
During the morning conference be-
tween Mr.. Lloyd George and delega-
ton of the Triple Alliance, it developed,
Mr.. Lloyd George made plea to the
labor men that they resort to the bal
lot, suggesting that they put their case
to the nation and saying that the gov
ernment would do likewise with its
case and let the nation decide the is
sue.
The railwaymen and the transport
workers went to Downing Street, where
Mr. Lloyd George and other members
of the Cabinet met them on ther
own initiative. Their ostensible er-
rand was to deliver in person the an
swer to the Premier's request of last
night that the miners set forth speci-
fically the reasons for their rejection
of his proposals for adjusting the dis-
pute between the miners and the mine
owners.
When Harry Gosling, for the trans
rcrt workers, and Mr.. Thomas, for the
ralwaymen, had finished their presen-
tztions of the miners case and had
outlined their reasons for deciding to
support it by sympathetic strikes, if
necessary, Mr.. Lloyd George appealed
to them to consider whether reason
was on their side. If so, he asked why
they had not availed themselves of the
ballot box.
starvation is not your only weapon"
said the Prime Minister, "you have
exactly the weapons you had before,
the weapons of civilization--persua
sion, argument and reason. You can
leave it to the nation to decide. You
have your plan, we have ours. Put it
to the nation and we will put ours to
your plan is the right one why should
You starye your people in order to
achieve something which you can
achieve by reason, if reason is on your
side.
"If reason is not on your side why
SHOULD you force the nation, by starv-
ing it, to surrender to unreason ?"
asked the Prime Minister. "They are
not an unreasonable people. The vast
majority of the people you appeal to
are workmen. If the workmen are
against US we have no chance"
Pool Declared Impossible
These declarations were made by
the Prime Minister when he was
pointing out the impossibility of the
government accepting the miners de-
mand for a national pooling of profits,
which he defined as NATURALIZATION up
to the point of meddiing, and not Of
managing, which is a worse form of
naturalization"
In furtherance of his argument, Mr..
Lloyd George said the miners scheme
for a pool in order to equalize wages
represented neither private ownership
nor naturalization, but had the defects
of both. He continued:
'"NatlonallZation is an idea and pri-
vate enterprise is an idea, but / never
heard anybody advancing such a propo-
sition as this except as sort of make
shift IN order to get over a temporary
difficulty, and while attempting to get
over our temporary difficulties we
would be landing the nation, the mine
owners and the miners in infinitely
worse difficulties than they ever were
in before.
"If we had not had nearly seven
years experience Of that system it
might be argued, but having seen it
actually operating l can not under
stand Mr.. Hodges secretary of the
miners union1 recommending it again
He is q nationalizer-very we'll, let him
put his case for naturalization But
that he should recommend this sort O,
mongrel scheme is a thing I cannot
understand man of his intelligence
putting forward"
Mr.. Gosling interrupted: eff he rec
commended complete naturalization
you would not accept it, would you? ?"
Action by Commons Necessary
Mr.. Lloyd George answered: "Yo,
would have to go to the Commons ant
ask them virtually to restore control
which every one wanted to get rid of
The Commons would ask, How did i
work. We would say badly. TIL,
House would ask, Did it improve tn,
outlook We would say it destroyed
the outlook. The House would ask
: Did it reduce the cost of the mines
We would say no, it increased the
costs. Then the House would ask, why
did you recommend it?' We would say
well, there was a strike of the miner:
and the transport men said they came
out in spirit of comradeship.'
Here Mr.. Thomas interjected: Gus
tice, not comradeship alone" Th'
Prime Minister continues: