The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-28
BY A. J. COOK, Secretary
of the British Miners Federation.

CThis is the first of two articles by
A. J. Cook, secretary of the Miners
Federation of Great Britain, on the ap-
preaching coal industry crisis.)
| A CRISIS of the greatest magnitude
\ faces the British working-cIass
movement. Capitalism in the mining
industry has reached a stage at which
the maintenance of the present basis
has become impossible and drastic
changes must take place if the indus
try is to continue to exist.
The mining industry is the kew to
the economic position of Great Brit
ain. In the period of progressive de-
velopment of British capitalism. the
miners were in the vanguard of the
working class movement, building up
national industrial trade union or
ganization and leading the way in the
struggle for better conditions and
workers control of industry. In the
present period of capitalist decline the
miners once again occupy the KEY
position, but in a different way. They
are now the most exposed to the cap
italist attack, bearing the brunt of the
attempt of capitalism to re-establish
itself at the expense of the workers.
The first attempt in this direction in
1921 ended VIGOROUSLY for the en-
ployers, but it only STAYED off the
crisis without providing any lasting
solution for the problems facing the
industry. The critical situation that
has now arisen is direct consequence
Of the fouting of the recommendations
of the Sankey commission. If the San
key pledges had been honored the coal
industry would have been in a far
sounder position altogether, it would
have been in a position in a large
measure to meet satisfactorily the diff
ficulties of the present economic situa-
ton, and the crisis as 1t is now would
never have come into existence
The Sankey Commission.
THE Sankey commission recognized
and stated in the clearest terms,
that:
THE present system of ownership
and working system Of ownership
stands condemned, and some other sys-
tenn must be substituted for it, either
naturalization or a method of uni
fication by national purchase or by
joint control"
The second report of the Sankey
commission was devoted to working
out in detail how the substitution
should be made. The report was ig-
nOred and the mine owners were per-
mitted to carry on their short-sighted
policy unchecked. The result is seen
in the position of the industry today
No one can challenge the fact that
private ownership has created chaos,
conflict and confusion. While the min
ers' standard of living has been forced
down below the pre-war level, all the
tremendous economic waste of royal
ties, profit-making on inflated capital
and uneconomical working and organi
cation have been retained
Real Wages Decline.
A 7 the present time wages are ap-
"A pallingly low. The average earn
ings per day worked vary from IS sd
"a shilling is 1914 cents) to los 4d,
for the most part the increase
over the wages paid in July, 1914,
lying between so to so per cent.
altho the official index of cost of
living is rs per cent above pre-war.
Even the mine owners in presenting
their case quoted a figure of only 81
per cent as the increase in miners
wages over the pre-war level, and their
figure took no account of short time
and, therefore, is considerably in ex
cess of the actual earnings. The aT.
erage actual weekly earnings of the
miner do not amount to more than
ASS cd per week. At this level, and
! there are many thousands of miners
who are getting considerably less, the
miners are receiving far less than any
decent minimum of subsistence. Yet
it is well known that the industry has
been very profitable one in the past.
The following table shows the aggre-
gate profits made in the industry since
the year 1913: