Baldwin Speaks

COMMONWEALTH (British Commonwealth of Nations)

A million striking British coal miners (TIME, May 10, et seq.) all beginning to feel the pinch of living upon meagre union doles, awaited with anxious expectancy last week Premier Baldwin's long heralded address to the Commons outlining proposed legislation to end the strike.

Mr. Baldwin, compact, candid, assured, arose amid a portentous hush. Within five minutes Laborite M.P.'s were no more able to keep still than jumping beans upon a griddle. "Who forced this on you?" they shouted at the Premier. "This means a general election!"

Mr. Baldwin had demanded the temporary substitution of an eight hour miners' day for the seven hour schedule. For almost the first time in his career he was unable to command the undivided attention of the House. "You are going out!"

The Premier developed his thesis amid a stramash of interruptions. He had no desire to lower the miners' standard of living. Under present conditions the coal mining industry could not support the miners' standard of living unless they would work an extra hour. He proposed merely to suspend for perhaps three years the Seven Hours Act. During that period the coal industry could be put upon its feet by carrying out the recommendations of the Royal Coal Commission (TIME, Oct. 19 et seq.). The Government's offer of a -L-3,000,000 ($15,000,000) coal subsidy was still open. It might be better, however, to expend that sum for the relief of miners thrown out of work by readjustments in the industry. If this program were not at once put into operation and mining resumed, Britain's foreign coal competitors would succeed disastrously in capturing and holding British markets.

In a word, the Baldwin strategy was to enable the owners to paste up notices offering work to the miners at a tempting wage scale if they would desert their leaders, return to work eight hours per day.

Smacking down his fist the Premier concluded: "I will make no attempt to apportion the blame for the stubbornness and folly which have resulted in the continuance of this strike. ... I have laid before the House the steps which the government proposes to take whether a settlement between the miners and owners is reached or not!"

Though the government remained firm in its determination to jam through a suspension of the Seven Hours Act, the Labor party announced its irreconcilable opposition. Former Laborite-Premier Macdonald declared: "The Premier's speech was most disastrous,... will harden the miners into adamant resistance." Secretary "Emperor" Cook of the Miners' Federation apostrophized Premier Baldwin in a public speech: "You say, Mr. Baldwin, that you have no desire to lower the miners' standard of living. Baldwin, you lie!"

Crunching ominously, the Conservative political steam roller demolished a Laborite motion implying "no-confidence," 299 to 138.

At London the Baldwin eight hour stratagem evoked little enthusiasm from the man in the street; but of course, the present Government can put almost any program it chooses through Parliament.