PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3414, 20 August 1919, Page 62

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

"THE LAND AND THE COMMUNITY." A fortnight ago I referred to this book, an enlargement of a thesis written by S. W. Thackeray, M.A. LL.D., when he applied for his degree of-Doctor of Laws; and wound up my chat by saying I should pursue the subject further and show (a) how by land-grabbing the barons became wealthy and immensely powerful; (b) how they evaded their land tax and threw their responsibilities on the people; and (c) how war debts originated and increased the miseries of a landless people. Then last week I quoted from the Times (London) and illustrated papers which came recently to hand showing a lamentable state of affairs exposed by the coal commission. To-day I'll continue my Chat of a fortnight ago. THE COAL COMMISSION AND ITS REPORT. On second thoughts, and following up my Chat of last, week, I'll have a kittle more to say on the coal question at Home, my sources being later numbers of the Times (June 23) and a -Graphic of May 17. First, take the latter. It gives a page on the coal crisis and tells about the Commission which sat in the Upper House. "You enter by the Norman Porch of the House of Lords, and, ascending an easy stair with rather worn carpet, you make your own way into the King's Robing Room," and there "you come across Mr Justice Saukey and his Commission. Mr Justice Sankey is one of the few public men who sport a big bandana. . ._ . True Demos, in his confrontation with King Coal is here right on the threshold of what Socialists call 'privilege' and 'vested interest.' Demos, otherwise Mr Robert Smillie and his colleagues, is the aggressor, but Demos has had to modify one expectation and may have to abate another. The anticipation that the Commission would report on nationalisation by May 20 is abandoned; the new limit fixes the date not later than June 20." [The Times June 23 contains the full report of the Commission which favours nationalisation.] The article —a conservative one—goes on to say : "Never before have we had a Commission on which Labour has had half the representation. Irt this Commission it has really something more, than half in effect, for it is no discourtesy to the employers' side to say that they are overmatched by the personalities on the Labour side."

Then we are told that the most- prominent personality is Mr Smillie; that Mr Sydney Wehb is a mere theorist by comparison ; that "it is not every day we can have the Earl of Durham telling of the coal he owns under 12,411 acres ; or other royalty owners more or less aristocratic. Royalties amount to £6.000,000 a year or about 6d a ton. _ Out of that £6,000,000 comes a great slice of income-tax to the State; but some South Wales miners are threatening to go on strike if they are required to pay income-tax." The article ends with the following paragraph : "So true is it that all virtue is never on one side. The natlonalisers have still failed to show that miners would be better worked or that strikes would disappear, if the profits that go into the pockets of the private owners were transferred to those of the State officials and miners. Nationalisation of minerals, however, may result from the Commission, while an impetus to 'Safety First' devices on behalf of the men may also be one of the results of the enquiry." The article is illustrated by a series of six pictures apparently "snapped" at the sittings of the Commission. The words and figures accompanying are these : (1) The Duke of Northumberland: coal area, 244,500 acres; royalties, £82,450; (2) The Marquess of Londonderry ; coal area, 5.808 acres; royalties and wayleaxes, £14,600; (c) The Marquis cf Bute; coal area, 48.878 acres; royalties and v.ayleaves, £115,700 ; (d) The Earl of Dunraven; coal area, 17,600 acres; rovalties and wayleaves, £64,370; (e) The Earl of Durham (seated) and Mr Smillie; the Earl's coal area, 12,411 acres; royalties, £35,600; wayleaves.

£3027; (f) Lord Tredegar before the Commission ; coal .area, 82,000 acres; royalties, £74,397; wayleaves, £9430. The article is headed : "King Coal and Demos : A Duel." Last week's Witness told of monster petitions against nationalisation ; and this week's tells us that a strike is imminent to force it. And here let me offer a word of advice to my readers soon to become of age. We are in a democracy where every one has a vote. Why, then, should we fly to strike when we cannot have our own way ? The Times in an article last Saturday quotes Mr M'Gurk, an active Labour leader at Home, as saying we were either constitutionalists or not constitutionalists" ; and further on, "the workers have the power of political salvation in their own hands." . The Home people in the mass are not educated so well as we, and have not had the universal suffrage as long as we; further, women had not the vote before the last election, and even then it was given only to those over 30 years of age. There is one defect in cur system : We do not provide for a referendum, and, as readers know, I have pointed out that we should have the initiative and confirming referendum. But we haven't and that ends v it, but it is our own fault and if we suffer by it we have ourselves to blame. So don't advocate the strike method of getting reform. THE COMMISSION'S FOUR REPORTS. As I have said, the Times, June 23, publishes the full text of tho report which is divided into four reports (a) The Chairman's report, (b) the Labour Members', (c) the Coalowners', and (d) report by Sir Arthur Duckham, K.C.8., M.I.C.E. (Member of the Institute of Civil Engineers). REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN, THE HON. MR JUSTICE SANKEY, G.B.E. Leaving out headings the following are the points that senior boys and girls can easily assimilate : I. I recommend that Parliament be invited immediately to pass legislation acquiring the. coal royalties for the State and pay fair and just compensation to the owners. 3. I recommend that the scheme for local administration hereafter set out, or any modification of it adopted by Parliament, be immediately set up with the aid of the Coal Controller's Department, and that Parliament be invited to pass legislation acquiring the coal mines for the State, after the scheme has been worked for three years from the date of this report, paying fair and just compensation to the owners. 4. This deals with the alarming lessening output and says each side blames the other, The cause must be investigated. The Chairman ends this section by saying, "My prescription is the old adage, 'Plenty of work and the heart to do it.'" 5. I make this report because I believe that the workers at present employed can, and will, maintain an output of 250,000,000 tons a year at least, which was the figure adopted in my interim report of March 20 last, presented by me and my three colleagues. I rely upon the honour of the men's leaders and of the men and of all the others concerned to achieve this result. In my opinion it can and ought to be done. If the output per man continues to go down the supremacy of this ■ country is in danger. 8. Coal is our principal national asset, and as it is a wasting asset, it is in the interest of the State that it should be won and used to the best advantage. 9. The seams of coal are now vested in the hands of nearly 4000 owners, most of whom are reasonable, but some of whom are a real hindrance to the development of the national asset. 11. Barriers of coal are left tin worked between the properties of various owners to an extent which, in many cases, are not necessary for the safe and proper working of the individual concern, and millions of tons of the national asset are thereby wasted. 15. Under State ownership there will be one owner instead of nearly 4000 . . . and the difficulties caused under the f »resent system in regard to barriers, drainaye, pumping, boundaries, and support, will largely disappear. 18. I regard as preferable to this extensive piecemeal machinery [defects of present individual control referred to] that the seams of coal should be acquired by the State once and for all in one final settlement. ... If the State only acquires' the seams from time to time it < means many arbitrations . . . and increased cost of administration. 22. Coal mining is our national key industry upon which nearly all others depend. A cheap and adequate coal supply is essential to the comfort of individuals and to the maintenance and trade of the country . . _ . the coal mining industry occupies a unique and exceptional place in our national life, and there is no other industry with which it can be compared. 44. The object of this part of the scheme is to take advantage'of the knowledge of the workers by allowing them to sit on the Councils, for the purpose of advising • the manager and to give them an effective voice in all questions where their own safety and health are concerned. 89. This deals with miscellaneous items but all important. For instance, here we have housing, baths and drying of clothes,' continuity of transport from the collieries and pooling of waggons, use of machinery and other allied subjects, elimination of unnecessary distributing: costs, etc. The rest I'll leave stand over until next week. This report marks a new era in coal mining in the Home Land and the developments as to nationalising of minerals at Home will be watched with great interest.