Mr. Bevin's Mine Policy
Upon Mr. Bevin, who bears no responsibility for either the pre- war or the war-time mistakes which have combined to produce our coal shortage, has fallen the invidious task of finding the indispensable labour to cope with it. Some time ago he induced the Government to allow young men to volunteer for mining instead of military service ; and as the offer has yielded only 3,000 additional workers, or not more than to per cent, of the minimum number needed, he finds himself reduced now to the alternative of " directing," i.e., conscribing, young workeis into the mines. Wisely he announced this in the first instance to the conference of the Mineworkers' Federation, with a delegation from which he will arrange terms and details. The Federation db not like the idea, but as patriotic men they will reconcile themselves to its necessity. There is still an alternative, if they could (no one else can) bring it about. That is to overcome the absenteeism of a certain per- centage of their members, who regularly take Monday off and usually one or more other days in the week as well. The attitude of the Federation officials on this matter has been to resent anyone else talking about it, and to declare that they can' and will put it right themselves. But unfortunately they have not been able to ; it continues. The truth is that the trade union officials are on difficult ground for dealing with it. For most of the absentees belong to the young and unmarried, that is, to the very class apt to preponderate at the otherwise ill-attended lodge meetings, by whose votes the Federation is in the main ruled.
Previous page
