Coal Strike Continues

A well-sleeked motor purred into London last week, its hood piled high with sprays of lilac, armfuls of bluebells. As the car sped down Whitehall, slowed, turned into Downing Street, passing Londoners smiled at the genial Briton who beamed from the tonneau upon the world in general. It was like Premier Baldwin, the Londoners told each other, to go motoring in the country for a few days, recreate himself thoroughly, and then return to grapple with the coal strike, which continued last week despite the calling off of the great "general strike" (TIME, May 24).

Deadlock. It soon became apparent that Premier Baldwin faced a titan's task in attempting to mediate between the Coal Miners' Federation and the Coal Owners' Mining Association, both of which seemed disposed to bargain for terms more favorable to themselves than those embodied by the Baldwin Government in its post-"general strike" proposal* for settling the coal strike.

Representatives of both factions met in London, during the week, and rejected the Government plan, though leaving open the way to future negotiation. Both miners and operators opposed fiercely the Government proposal to place the adjustment of wages in the hands of a board whose neutral chairman would have a casting vote over the equal representatives of mine capital and miner labor.

Anxious to hold out as long as possible, A. J. ("Emperor") Cook, Secretary of the Coal Miners' Federation, took it upon himself to accept 2,500,000 rubles ($1,250,000) which were cabled last week to the British miners' "strike fund" by Moscow labor groups. Britons tut-tutted at this, recalling how the Trada Union Council which directed the "general strike" had gained much approbation by refusing a similar Russian contribution (TIME, May 17). The Home Secretary, Sir William ("Jix") Joynson-Hicks, thereupon created a sensation by announcing that the Trade Union Council could not have accepted the Russian gift in any case, because he had personally stopped the Soviet money transfer under the Emergency Power Act. Sir William magnanimously added that, although the Emergency Power Act was still in force, he would not stop money transfers to the Miners' Federation, because their strike was "legal," whereas, in his opinion, the "general strike" was not.

Baldwin Chides. Premier Baldwin finally despatched letters to both the Owners' Association and the Miners' Federation upbraiding both impartially for their obstinacy, declaring that the Government's offer to supply financial aid while reconstruction of the coal industry is going on will be held open only 30 days.

Strike Quips. The London Sketch opened a contest last week to discover "the wildest strike rumor." A cheerful Ananias promptly submitted the following: "I heard during the strike that the King and Queen had fled to the U. S. after abdicating in favor of the Prince of Wales, who was then said to have been assassinated."

Chuckles were likewise rampant in London clubrooms at an alleged revelation of how the Government kept ultra-Tory organizations, the so-called "British Fascists," from violently attacking the strikers. When the "Fascists" reported for strike duty they were told that more trucks were imperatively needed to transport food supplies, and set to repairing several hundred vehicles from which "strikers" were alleged to have fiendishly removed essential parts. Actually the Government experts had carefully disabled the trucks. The Fascists, peacefully occupied in making repairs, were kept out of mischief.

*(TIME, May 24.) It envisions the temporary acceptance by the miners of a lowered wage to be set by a National (Coal) Wage (Revision) Board, and a 'imited amount of Government financial aid while the coal industry is being reorganized on lines laid down by the Royal Coal Commission (TIME, March 22).