Page:Cook (1927) The Nine Days.djvu/5



VER since last July when "Red Friday" wiped out the stain of "Black Friday" and brought joy to the heart of every worker, the capitalist class of Britain, backed by a strong Tory Government, has been preparing to retrieve its position; while many of the Labour leaders, almost afraid of the growing power of Labour industrially, knowing the activities of the Government and their preparations, remained inactive.

Some of us now labelled Left Wing leaders, realising that the struggle was only postponed, had been urging the workers to make every preparation through their organisations for what appeared to be a severe struggle in May. Our slogan was 100 per cent. organisation, with real live active political leadership, so that when the 1st of May arrived the men and women of the Labour Movement would be ready to defend their interests. Every miners' leader knew that the employers and the Government would renew the attack, and feeling our helplessness, apart from the support of the whole Labour Movement, we had kept in touch continuously with the same Committee of the Trades Union Congress that had acted so promptly and courageously in July.

But it must be clearly understood that the Committee that acted in July had a different chairman and some different members. Comrade Swales never hesitated to give the necessary lead. The new Committee of the T.U.C. had Mr. J.H. Thomas in place of Mr. Marchbank, and Mr. Pugh in place of Mr. Purcell on the Industrial or Negotiating Committee—changes that were in no way helpful or healthy in the miners' interests.