22 MAY 1926
In their reply to the Government’s mining proposals the coalowners urged the need for a return to the eight hour day and for freedom from political interference.
At a joint meeting of railway companies and railway Unions in London arrangements satisfactory to both parties were made for suspension of the guaranteed week. These arrangements, it is stated, will enable the companies to spread out work so as to remove the difficulties which have arisen as to reinstatement of the staff who were recently on strike.
Replying in a speech at Bournemouth to criticism directed against the Trade Union leaders who called off the general strike, Mr J. R. Clynes, M.P., said the whole idea of trying to settle anything by such a method was a delusion; but out of the result they could gather a most profitable experience if the leaders maintained anything like the unity and loyalty of the rank and file.
Mr Philip Snowden writes to the Socialist candidate in the Hammersmith by-election that the great lesson of the recent deplorable industrial stoppage is the need of increased Labour representation in Parliament, so that industrial questions may be settled by peaceful methods and without resort to steps which inflict injury on the country.