On March 11, 1920, a special Trades Union Congress was held in London to consider what action should be taken to compel the Government to nationalize the coal mines, and passed this resolution:
“In view of the repeated refusal of the Government to nationalize the mines, in accordance with the Majority Report of the Coal Industry Commission, and in agreement with the terms of the resolution passed at the Glasgow Congress and the Special Congress held in December last, the Parliamentary Committee suggest the following forms of action as a means to compel the Government to adopt the nationalization of mines:—
“(a) Trade Union action, in the form of a general strike;
“(b) Political action, in the form of intensive political propaganda in preparation for a General Election;
“In the event of (a) being carried, the necessary steps be taken to give effect to it in accordance with the constitution of each Union.”
The Congress decided against Clause (a) and in favour of Clause (b) proposing political action.
At the Brighton Conference, 1921, there was moved by the Miners’ Federation and passed unanimously without a debate the following resolution:
“That this Conference views with regret the failure of the Government to introduce legislation for the purpose of nationalizing the mining industry, and reiterates its conviction that this industry will never be placed upon a satisfactory basis in the interest of the community until it is publicly owned and worked between representatives of the State and the technical and manual workers engaged in it, and resolves to continue to educate and organize working-class opinions until the Government are compelled to bring about this fundamental change in the management and ownership of the industry.”
The Chairman at that Conference, Mr. Alex. G. Cameron, in the course of his address made these observations: