Letters and Papers Concerning the Trans-Persian Railway and Other Railways in Persia [‎183r] (365/442)

'^01 Coal Mines [25 May 1914] (Northumberland) Bill. 302
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tion to a feeling of grievance which un- could be got rid of in the management of
doubtedly exists. the mines.
I cannot support this Bill. I agree with T , 1
the criticisms of my noble friend Lord am P ro ^ oun< ^v - convinced that we can-
Crawford. I do not‘think the Bill would n0 J t lgnore ’ in the minin g or a ny other
do good ; in fact, I am afraid it would feelm g of unrest which is
do harm. But that does not prevent me undoubtedly abroad amongst the labourers,
from saying that to ventilate this grievance ou ght not to be. There must be
does good, and nothing has been more s onieth m g wrong. It ( is no good pretending
satisfactory in this debate than the very ^uere is nothing wrong when there is
conciliatory way in which the grievance a P r0 ^ <,un( i feeling of unrest such as we see.
has been discussed by every speaker As your Lordshi P s k now, I was born and
Lord Joicey, for whose knowledge of the bre( t a Conservative, with all a Conserva-
subject we have the most profound respect, t [ ve . s feelings and beliefs; but I do not
admitted that there were inconveniences, th , e of the country can do
as he put it inevitable inconveniences, in better than investigate and try to solve
the particular form of working which the reason for . thls unrest. Conciliation we
prevails in these particular collieries Un- nmst try to biing about ; and I have some-
doubtedly the three-shift system—we can- !; lmes thou " ht that a P rinci ple which has
not disguise it from ourselves—must be bee1 ?. P ut forward and which has been
exceedingly uncomfortable for those who a PP lled to a certam number of industries
have to work under it, and we should be Wltb 8 reat success mi g ht be more widel J
doing not good but harm if it got to be a PP lled to other industries. I mean the
thought outside that your Lordships had ei ? of P rofit sbarln g and co-operation,
not sympathy with people who were un- Whether that can be applied to the coal
doubtedly working under uncomfortable industry is more than I can say, but I
conditions. Of course we have sympathy hehe ™ tliat lf we could only find some
with them, and I am only too glad that method > n °f m erely to get rid of proved
my noble friend has been able to elicit g nevances > bu t of alleged and even false
that sympathy from every part of your g ne ™nces which ought not to be alleged
Lordships’ House. at a U’ we should have done great good to
the mining industry and every other
Lord Joicey said that the grievance w r as industry. It is for these reasons that I
felt by very few people. I am glad to hear cannot regret that my noble friend has
that, because that makes the problem brought forward his Bill. But I think
easier. But from certain evidence that has he will allow me to say that his Bill is not
been laid before me I have some doubt a good one. I cannot, therefore, support it,
whether the grievance is as small as he and I hope he will be satisfied with the
made out. Do not think that I pose as an discussion and not put your Lordships
expert. I do not profess to be an expert to the trouble of a Division,
in any respect, but I have seen an
allegation, which I believe to be true, that *The LORD PRIVY SEAL and
when there was a demand for a strike the SECRETARY op STATE for INDIA
other day upon this subject the men belong- (The Marquess op Crewe) : My Lords,
ing to these collieries voted unanimously the noble Marquess who has just sat down
in favour of it. I have no doubt there was appeared to believe that some speakers
a great deal to be said on the other side, had expressed the opinion that your Lord-
but that fact shows that there is a fairly ships’ House was scarcely competent to
widespread wish that, if possible, the consider a subject of this kind. My impres-
conditions which prevail should be miti- sion of the debate was not the same. I
gated. That is really the point. The noble heard no suggestion of the kind made.
Lord said that the management were always I heard a certain amount of quite good-
anxious to mitigate grievances. The noble humoured banter directed at the noble
Lord representing the Government also Lord who introduced this measure on the
referred to that. Lord Crawford said ground that he does not come from where
exactly the same thing, and he went the coal comes from, the same kind of
® r because he said that he thought banter which is directed at those of purely
this debate itself would stimulate those urban experience who express sympathy
en g a g ed in the industry to do their utmost with the grievances of agricultural labourers,
to get rid of all these rubs as far as they But I do not think it was ever hinted by
(d 570) B