BRITAIN'S WORRIES.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18680, 1 May 1926, Page 15

BRITAIN'S WORRIES.

Europe's Hatreds Persist. - ' ;, LOCARNO "A GRIM JEST." ; At Home: The Coal Crisis. Mr —■: • . " ■ (Special to " The Press.")

Jit- H° n ' fidvid Lloyd George, 0.M., M.V., ex-Prime Minister'of ■ Great Britain.)

LONDON, March 19. .?!»]&> European countries hare their 'l**'' post-war troubles—some of these share with,their neigh* ifVom.® are peculiarly their own. i« no exception. Those days the British public has 'tifcVSgitated by two events—the ReCoal Commission and the ing^Jof f the Locarno spirit at. . The proceedings at the gathrffneitions on the banks of Lake Shire been profoundly disquiets have disappointed the hopes who had been taught by the 'ffiunrt* and sustained rejoicings of weeks to expect a new and fraternity as a re'ffif new Pentecost in th e South'|jifiylftg. The Locajno spirit had doform of a-dove of peace -on'ift&Heads of the assembled statesForeign Minister walked ; iij^t < ii^6''a , man .with a dazzling halo. / he;was holding his head it' fall- : off.' .I'j^nißr^era.had'dawned on.the world. ' !B^d ,, 6vil'dispensation of war and ' mShiitf groups had gone for ever. Europe was a .brotherhood, ritttSlerhaps: still one naughty brother far country—Russia. ; s |^ypa^e-Geneva.with its wailing of teeth, revealing bot- ' °f flaming suspicions The lid was taken, off it was no longer the Society, -of Nations, but the war. The lid has effort been pushed back,, but tljcre. The Locarno spirit' ' became' rfn appeal. It is ■ jest. , What appeared to . jaJter-s^l[ but the fumes miserable spectacle ,4SwF*Md-yilie impression of those been convinced ,presence .'of America W'Ktftiwis.• may well be- ' cowja^aßfeer. * ( ' ( What of America? h 'lfc#wientto ,to, its successful work- ' should b» one great . jM?«milnant. Power which has no .twdtoW;;concern .in the .feuds of , 'THMjUama^i*hose sole interest is -'bay's'' • of justice and '«iPW'* o ißake B ' l appeal, to America. ' taahit. opinion in America must have Tlßrdfegnkea'.by this repellent sight 'snarling and scramTo invitation X 6 America wV tift'jjiie ' -attar, ■''ings at Gineva iuflt her #ith .a.'card , inscribed V;73wlocbl. Ab Ifoine.' H'eneva; Ides i' '<P4ct»iM»-oply,' made j •jpnjsibW, bya vfeeling of ,utiiversal ex- • There."i» • Vjraii&ftl' desire the most :<lfij|wgKftfe t rafcial' jpJisaiohs ''could Have ] natiojjs ; recent ex- j (hiHtibn.i.vThetir^feeljng: will now j ' 4 its'Wiy]- «fd> nothing serious . !! wuffiappieh.' Neither Governments nor j war?/, ;B?en T inilitary ,par-1 , and aro | Bnist jbefcitisfred ■ w i th a; deferred sacrihas beein, a gleam of . t ;jliivftg»,;ant{eipat!ori in his • crnel eyes : ;; : rthw ? 'T«st- . daja.: - - '■sWifti* Kip- -., . . :pOal. ■ ■ '!»{•» A # - woTry with .which British ' is confronted.'is the coal This is ininiediato, 'lf'the .as >badly as-they M situation, Great Britain , 'into ' the ..worst ""J struggle^it ,fexperienced.; To go', the 1 ojtit bt the dangerous po?i<joir t 'indrfowy. has s®frf>d- tal slitherv Jwill - n seil the I tmypfent direction; and the most ! -or -iorces. ?*or I everybody, concerned in ; o\inness;'is by ;Way: of being excep.'firr'Cdok, the miners' and Sir EtanJ >\ T illiams, t of the Mine Owners' As-' [ , are .treading", their way in underground in slippered feet. »W f 'Britißh ..coalmine ' is full of gases [ 'Wlt'htng.-aboiit ' ai'ound corners and L have adcliiniulated for I . and * the ventilation seems tbrem all over f /jwfflipe -than to nave swept them out. : M^ le3 J lilve . been loosoly dropped on ; |®£jtraoka by reckless: hands; and if is to be' averted, then walk ■about with anguished i o, .explanation of the apJram. esaggera'tcd caution with fjj«ph-partisans have moved since the 'lfflS-'Of report. This stooping is the measure of the my Which, all. those in the know hangs over, not only this in- • ft!®"?' "hole of, British tride business. Long may this spirit 1 is the right atmosphere to. settle. But. the Governnot to lose tijme in taking 'XSwWge of it.' Every moment's doJrwoeyond what is necessary, for giving thoughtful consideration to of the report imof settlement.. ''Sflt 1 ® B®' 8 ®'' 1 involve heavy sacrifices «™W Jjfidsi.,. it f -ia- just, the situation - T '°l6nt person, who only of the problem, may fiym one of the parties that its share of the - ls lin ' a ' r compared with the is an able document, and utmXS" 11 * 11 ' ie position of the coal Great Britain, with its and. permanent difißculties, ' v nee- from any taint of partiali essentially > judicial docui or e recommendations, irith' the :present situation fttttire development, of the inSS2.I re E a rds • the latter, the IwlSStf. f°r*ard on behalf of the J. ° n< i trade ' unionists, are vi r " ese nre dismissed as " mSr " no clear ISw " The Commissioners go - say that they'perceive in ' 'Ki'' # #J economic danger?." . Sfcf "" The Beport. wojjtls used to char»wohijioiiary plan are char- '* .spirit . in, which the ■ ijilWw 'have discharged their The proposals thev put for-

ward for reorganising the industry constitute an unequivocal adoption of every .suggestion made in the Liberal report on coal and power two years ago. The purchase of the minerals by the to unify and -amalgamate pits with a view to saving costs and more efficient workingwhore voluntary efforts to amalgamate fail through the obstinacy or greed of a recalcitrant owner, then crimpulsioji to be applied—a fuller partnership between employer and employed—improvement in the housing conditions and amenities of life of the miners—contribution from the mining royalties towards the miners' welfare —greater application of science to the winning and using of coal—State organisation and assistance for research—no working of mines by the State, but tho nation to utilise to the full its new power as owner of the mines to insjst. on more efficient equipment and organisation and better-conditions of life for. the miner and his family. The Report of the Commission has naturally given much satisfaction to the Liberal Press. When these recommendations were made by a Liberal Committee, Tories 6coffed at the idea, and Socialists abused the authors. All Parties now treat the proposals seriously, while still reserving full . right to abuse the authors, Tho Commissioners _ predict that if their _ recommendations are put into operation, tho industry will once more reach "heights of prosperity which will surpass anything in the past." Bub before we ever reach that efficient and prosperous future,. there is an abysmal present which must be bridged. The Coal Industry is, according to the Commissioners, on the brink of disaster. Without the Government subsidy the coal trade would now be working at a, loss of ls 6d per ton. Of the wages now. paid, over 20 per cent, is being found by tho British taxpayer, • Or to put it in another way, ls fed per ton of the profit, and. Is (kl per ton of tho wages c-qme straight from the (axes.

An Impossible Situation. That is an impossible situation for any country. It is quite_ indefensible! for ft country that bases its claims to confidence on the, ground of the soundness of its finance. The..Commission demands in language of stern force that the subsidy'should be brought to an end. On the other hand, if it ceases three-fourths of the pits close down, unless costs of production can be drastically and immediately reduced. Of the Northumberland coal; 99 per cent., is raised- at a loss —more than 90 per cent, of the Durham coal; • and over 80 per tent, of the South Wales and Scottish coal. How can costs be' reduced at, once? Tho Commissioners bluptly answer that it can only be done in three ways. The owners must go without profits until prices increase or methods, are improved. The miners must surrender the II per cent. ad-, vance on th© minimum basis which .they 1 secured in tho Ruhr'boom; and thirdly, the hopelessly unprofitable pits must close down, and the State must assist to transfer the miners to more profitable collieries. I fail to see how the cumulative effect of all these suggestions can bridge a chasm, which at present prices aggregates , £30,000,000 to £40,000,000 a year. But another and greater difficulty presents itself. The heaviest sacrifice is that which the miners are called upon to make. _ Can they be persuaded to. agree to 1 it ? I read with care the speeches of Mr Herbert Smith, Mr Cook, and other leaders. Temperate as they aro in form, on this point they seem to be adamant. I am' afaid tho' Chancellor of the Exchequer is not yet out of his He niust indeed be a sanguine man if ho thinks that May is the last month a Coal Bill will be presented to him for .payment. [Copyright by United Press Association of' America; reproduction in full or in part prohibited.]