consciousness that it meant a reduction in wages. Both urged that they had had to accept reductions in wages, and the miners would have to do the same.
We did have some friends who will yet, I am sure, prove themselves true friends of the miners, and I left the meeting without a decision being arrived at in my presence. I have not yet learnt whether the whole General Council arrived at a decision to accept that formula. I left, believing that they would not meet the Prime Minister again without the miners' representatives.
My colleagues arrived—as many as possible—on Sunday evening—practically the majority of the Executive—when I informed them of what had taken place, and my President and Committee unanimously endorsed my action.
I had my second surprise when, ’phoning to Eccleston Square on the arrival of my colleagues, I learnt that the whole General Council was at Downing Street, with Messrs. Ramsay MacDonald and J.H. Thomas. I further learnt from other sources that a small sub-committee were meeting the Prime Minister and his colleagues. I believe this sub-committee consisted of Mr. Pugh, Mr. Citrine, and Mr. J. H. Thomas. This again created in the minds of myself and my colleagues a great deal of apprehension. We waited some time at Russell Square until we were informed about 11 o'clock that we were wanted at once at Downing Street.
We arrived there to find the whole General Council with the Negotiating Committee. Immediately Mr. Pugh, the chairman, placed before us certain questions that they had been discussing, seeking our opinion in regard to certain formulæ, all of which would commit us to reductions in wages. Again Herbert Smith, our president, with no uncertain voice made it quite clear to the General Council that the miners were not prepared to resume work on a reduction of wages or any other sacrifices.
It transpired that during that Sunday evening, while the small sub-committee were meeting the Prime Minister and his colleagues in private, a formula had been drafted as follows:—
"We will urge the miners to authorise us to enter upon a discussion with the understanding that they and we accept the Report as the basis of a settlement, and we approach it with the knowledge that it may involve some reduction of wages."
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