From the archives: Miners resolve to press government on nationalisation, 23 July, 1931

Published on 23/07/2012 00:00

NATIONALISATION of mines and minerals was the keynote of the discussions at the annual Conference of the Miners’ Federation at Blackpool yesterday.

The discussion took place on the following resolution: “That we press the Government to introduce a Bill for the nationalisation of mines and minerals and urge the Labour party to make mines nationalisation the chief plank in its next election programme.” Mr Joseph Jones, secretary of the Yorkshire Miners’ Association, said national ownership of mines and minerals was the only means by which to rescue the industry from the economic abyss. The Depression and degradation in the coal industry had spread to other industries. It had tended to a lowering of national life generally, and had acted as a kind of creeping paralysis over the industries of the country.

• archive.scotsman.com