BRITISH COAL MINERS

Evening Star, Issue 18999, 22 July 1925, Page 5

BRITISH COAL MINERS

THE PRESENT CRISIS MS BOOK’S OFFER Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, July 20. The ‘ Daily Herald ’ says it is understood that steps wore taken late last night to enable the Prime Minister to get into personal touch with the leaders of tho miners and the coalownors.

Mr A. J. Cook (the minors’ secretary), in a statement in the ‘ Herald,’ says that if the owners informed the miners that their proposals would In withdrawn a meeting could ho arranged forthwith.—A. and X.Z. Cable. MR A. J. COOK’S MEEKNESS.

“I AM MORE FOND OF WATER THAN BLOOD.”

Addressing a May Day mooting at Pontypridd, Mr A. J. Cook, general secretary of the Minors’ Federation ot Great .Britain, referred to the publicity ho was getting, and added: “I am more fond of water than blood, whatever they say about me.” In one section of the Press he was a Mussolini and a Lenin combined: and in another he was an ignoramus not worth troubling about. What was behind it? From the Prime Minister down he got any amount of advice. He hoped ho would never bo too old to accept advice, but ho would not act on it until ho had examined it.

Tlie Press of this country, Jre said, was doing the working-class movement the greatest service they could by attacking the Miners’ leaders. Not a paper dared say that the miners were getting a living wage to-day, or that the mines were as safe as they could be. As wages came down men’s lives wore in danger. When the cos! of production was reduced it was safety that suffered. In reference to the seven-lumr day Mr Cook declared that the oniy way to absorb the unemployed was to reduce the hours of work. Ho had been invited to have a 'heart-to-heart talk by tlie owners. They told him the industry was ruined, and said they hoped lie would accept the logic of events. He realised their game. It was a, lovely game. It was a case of “Lullaby, baby.” He charged them at the present moment with misleading the British public on the whole situation. In reference to the now agreement, lie said no such agreement would be signed unless it contained a condition of membership of tlie union. He had said to the owners, “ You are out for eight hours; well, I am out for six hours.”