THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 1926. BRITISH COAL STRIKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19417, 27 August 1926, Page 10

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 1926. BRITISH COAL STRIKE.

The British coal strike is now nearly at the end of its fourth month. Hopes of a formal settlement on a nation-wide basis have been fluctuating lately. The position in that respect is still badly defined, for while the miners are undoubtedly drifting back to work in considerable numbers their leaders have continued officially to scout the idea of surrender, or abatement in any degree of their original terms. Yet the violence of the language used by Mr. Cook, for instance, is probably dictated by fear lest the movement should collapse under their hands, lest they should be left demanding their own terms with the mines fully manned by men working under the terms offered at the pithead. The chance of this happening grows with every man who returns. Such a movement is likely to reach a point where it develops into a rush. Too great a delay threatens to leave many men lamenting, for, to put it in its plainest terms, the industry is, and for some time has been, over-manned. If, as is generally believed, a number of pits will never open again, no matter what settlement is made, some miners must face the position of being unemployed and unemployable. It is one of the tragedies of the deadlock. Time promises no alleviation. It has been cited before as one of the reasons why the Miners' Federation has resisted the eight-hours day so strenuously. Its general adoption would lessen the demand for labour, and aggravate a position which the men's organisation always has in mind when any policy question arises. The labour situation in the minefields is the weak spot in the federation's armour.

According to figures quoted by the Coal Commission in its report, the persons employed in coalmining,' above and below ground, in 1905 numbered 837,000. The output of coal in that year was 233,000,000 tons. In 1924, the last year for which returns are available, the personnel had risen to 1,213,000, an increase of 45 per cent., while the output of coal had increased to 267,000,000 tons, a gain of 15 per cent. According to the same authoritative source, the greatest increase has been in unskilled workers employed underground. The skilled men employed at the face increased by 27 per cent.; the unskilled workers by 65 per cent. Official figures thus show nearly 1\ million persons to be employed in the coalmines of Great Britain. Averaging the dependants at two for each em-ployee—-not a high average surely—this shows that practically 4,000,000 have to be supported by the wages fund of the industry. From such a figure can be gained a hint of the tragedy underlying this prolonged strike. It explains the outbursts of ugly temper in the strikers against those men who are going back to the pits. It makes more marvellous the fact that, during all these long weary weeks, there has been so little evidence of unrest. It also shows the weight of responsibility resting on those in whose hands are the issues leading to further prolongation of the strife or to a settlement of it. To conduct negotiations powerfully affecting the lives of so many human souls is indeed a crushing task. There is a further task and a further responsibility. When the resumption of work is general, when the situation can be balanced, when it is known what pits will never work again, there must be some disposition of the forces thus bereft of occupation. They cannot be left to settle their own fate. The social problem is too great to be ignored. The displacement of labour threatened when the strike ends does not come from conditions wholly arising out of it. The coal I report recognised there must be closing of uneconomic pits, a process which would leave personnel to be placed afresh, A member of Parliament representing the miners said, so recently as last April, that 40 per cent, of the mines in the country were efficient, 40 per cent, might be made efficient, but the remaining j 20 per cent, would certainly have to j close down. This position is the fruit of world conditions oppressing the coal industry everywhere. Some of the pits classed as hopelessly inefficient may have been highly prosperous when the demand was keener and the world market less copiously supplied than to-day. It is, after all, only the aggravation of a feature which has always distinguished coalmining. No seam is inexhaustible. The obsolescence and closing of mines is a normal feature of the industry essential to its nature, to quote words used by the Coal Commission in its report. The added difficulty at present is that, with the ranks of the miners swelled beyond economic limits, world-wide over-production affecting the markets on which Britain de pends heavily, and the added effects of a prolonged stoppage which has certainly dealt a death-blow to some pits that might otherwise have struggled on, the end of the strike, whatever it may be, will leave a large number of men to be thrown on the labour market already unable to absorb all the candidates for employment. The result in the ultimate may be beneficial to mining, but it will create a great social problem to be solved by a country already facing, and bravely facing, stupendous difficulties. The after math of the strike will not be easily dealt with when once its long-drawn , term comes to an end.

THE DAVIS CUP. Another Davis Cup contest is nearing the stage when interest really begins to concentrate on the result. The representatives of France and Japan are on the eve of meeting. The team which wins will play the United States. Critics agree'in predicting that France will be the opponent of the nation which holds the trophy. This is in accordance with form; and while form is sometimes deceptive, it would be a greater surprise if Japan beat France than if France was successful agninst the Americans who have been so long supreme. The two famous French players who have carried the challenge of Europe to the United States have shown brilliance and consistency enough to make them very serious opponents for the best the defending nation can put against them. It would be consistent with the general course of athletic success if they achieved victory. According to predictions, the brunt of the battle on the American side will fall again upon Tilden and Johnston. It is not necessary to enlarge upon their prowess. Since the cup was won for America in the final played at Auckland, these two have been principally instrumental in retaining it, as they were wholly responsible for gaining it. Yet it is notable that in the years between, only one young player, Richards, has developed sufficiently to be counted as of Davis Cup calibre. His probable partner in the doubles, Williams, was already a national figure when the trophy was won. However good the veteran stalwarts may be, their time of decline must come. To all appearances they are still capable of carrying the best the world can produce to the furthest limits in a cup struggle. Soon it will be proved whether this is so in truth as well as appearance. If not, it will be good for tennis to have the cup leave America, and especially good for the game if France carries it away.