Page:Cook (1927) The Nine Days.djvu/14

 No shorthand notes were taken at this meeting. But this Committee cannot deny that such a formula was drafted and was accepted at least by Mr. J. H. Thomas. I have been informed that it was also placed before the General Council that evening, and that they instructed their Chairman, Mr. Pugh, to try to get the miners to accept it.

The report of the debate in the House of Commons (Hansard for May 4th), throws a great deal of light on this formula. The Chairman of the T.U.C. and Mr. Thomas made it quite clear that what they had been discussing with the Prime Minister did mean a reduction of wages. Here again we find certain representatives of the T.U.C. willing to give up the line of policy agreed to by the whole movement.

That formula definitely declared in favour of a reduction of wages for the miners. Thus we saw some Labour leaders agreeing with the Government that the miners' wages must be reduced.

While this discussion was going on a letter was handed to the T.U.C. as follows:—