MINERS' LEADER DEAD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21020, 3 November 1931, Page 9

MINERS' LEADER DEAD.

MR. ARTHUR J. COOK, INCIDENTS IN CAREER. (Received November 3, 12.35 a.m.) LOKDOS, Sot. 1 The death has occurred of Mr. A. J. Cook, general secretary of the Miners' Federation. Mr. Arthur James Cook, the British miners* leader, was born at Wookey, near Wells, Somerset, in 1884. The son of a soldier, he was brought up in barracks and educated at army and elementary schools. As a youth of 17 he preached in a Baptist chapeL In 1805 he joined the Independent Labour Party. He worked at the Lewis Merthyr Joint Collieries in South Wales, where he became a checkweighman. In connection with the South Wales Miners" Federation he held various positions ox trust. In 1921 he was elected to the executive or. the Miners' Federation of Britain, of which in 1924 he became secretary. In his early days Mr. Cook worked down the mine and it was the death of a comrade through a fall of roof, dae to inadequate propping, that brought him to the front'in protest- _ He became an agitator and took part in the Ehondda disturbances. For some time Mr. Cook was a student at the Labour College in London, an offshoot of Raskin College After this short break for study Mr. Cook returned to work in the pits, being pledged to teach economics to his fellowworkers. As, however, he was an object lor suspicion in the eyes or the employers and. managers, be found aa outlet for his energies in propaganda for the betterment of working conditions. After the great coal strike of 1912 he was largely responsible for obtaining recognition of the principle of a minimum wage for miners. During the war he served two terms of imprisonment on charges of making seditious speeches. After he became secretary of the Miners' Federation he retained the confidence of the men throughout a period of storpj and .stress. He worked hard to get better conditions and was insistent in his demand for the reorganisation of the industry, .the elimination of the royalty-owner, middlemen, obsolete pits and international competition, but considered Ratio naEsat iocs the best course. Mr. Cook spoke frequently and violently. In January. 1926, he had a bitter duel of words with Mr. J. H. Thomas. During the great general strike of May, 1926, arising out of the miners* opposition to wage cuts, Mr. Cook was much criticised for accepting large sums from Russia for the upkeep of miners' families. The report of the council of the Trades Union Congress, : issued: on July 6, attacked him and ether miners' leaders for their obduracy which, it was stated, led the council to end the strike. During his visit to Germany in connection with the strike, Mr. Cook was sharply attacked for his criticisms of the German trades unions. The Soviet elected him an honorary member of its "Presidium," and in December, 1926, tie visited. Moscow to thank the Russians for their help. There he spoke of what be had done to infuse Bolshevism into Britain, and declared that a revolution was . inevitable.