r the Leaders' society, stated, on leaving the
Conference last night, that the outlook was black. Unless the rank and
file of the Unions were prepared to meet the Leaders' demands a strike
was certain. He shrank from imagining what was likely to happen if the
Trades Unions were left leaderless. The responsibility, however, did
not rest with the Leaders. They had made every possible concession. A
four-hours' day and a salary of one thousand pounds per annum was the
minimum which would be considered.

* * * * *

Comrade Snooks informed our representative that he was conducting
negotiations on behalf of the employers, that is to say the ordinary
members of the Trades Unions. He stated with a full sense of
responsibility that if the Leaders went on strike all the resources
of the Unions would be employed against them. On the whole the Leaders
had good berths--easy work and high pay. Their demands were becoming
absolutely unreasonable and must be opposed. Their methods of
enforcing their demands too were to be deprecated. Only the preceding
evening one of the Trades Union Loaders had become abusive and
broken one of his (Comrade Snooks') windows. That sort of thing was
disgusting, and in the interests of decency and order must be put
down. In case of need police protection would be applied for.

* * * * *

A THEME FOR SIR HENRY NEWBOLT.

"When HAWKER came swooping from the West."

* * * * *

COAL.

Dark jewel from the zone of Erebus!
What son of Dis first dragged thee from thy lair
To be a twofold benison to us
Poor mortals shivering in the upper air
When Phoebus nose-dives in his solar bus
Beneath the waves and goes to shine elsewhere?
Or if some monstrous progeny of Tellus
Found thou wast Power and made the high gods jealous
I do not know (I've lost my Lempriere),
Nor if the fate that thereupon befell us
Was for each load of coal two loads of care;
Yet oft I wonder if beyond the Styx
The price of thee is three pounds ten and six.

Sun worshipper am I, and serve the gods
Of stream and meadow and the flowery lea,
Of winding woodways where the loosestrife nods
In summer and in spring the anemone,
And thymy sheep-paths where the ploughboy plods
Home to his frugal but sufficient tea.
Not for a crown, grim coal, would I pursue thee
In subterranean passages an