ABSTRACT
From the end of July to the middle of November the whole of the Midland coalfield has been laid idle by a vast lock-out of miners. The annual output of coal from the districts involved is in round figures 90,000,000 tons. The Durham delegates reported that their members had not been balloted, but that their lodges had declared in favour of the dispute being settled by arbitration. In the meantime the general struggle had been dragging its way along almost without incident. Anticipating a long fight the men resolved not to accept dispute pay for the first two or three weeks. Since the foregoing was written several interesting developments have taken place. The South Wales miners, in an attempt to crystallize their revolt against the sliding scale, have formulated a scheme of local organisation on Trades Union lines. The effect is an almost complete paralysis of the iron, shipbuilding, and other Scotch industries through the lack of fuel.
