but no sooner had the delegates left for home than the following two letters were despatched to the Government by the General Council:—
"The Rt. Hon. Stanley Baldwin, M.P.,
"10, Downing Street. Whitehall, S.W. 1.
"Mining Lock-out.
"Dear Sir,—I have to advise you that the Executive Committees of the Trade Unions affiliated to the Trades Union Congress, including the Miners' Federation of Great Britain, have decided to hand over to the General Council of the Trades Union Congress, the conduct of the dispute, and the negotiations in connection therewith will be undertaken by the General Council.
"I am instructed to say that the General Council will hold themselves available at any moment should the Government desire to discuss the matter further.
"Yours faithfully,
"The Rt. Hon. Stanley Baldwin, M.P.,
"10, Downing Street, Whitehall, S.W. 1.
"Mining Lock-out—Essential Food-Stuffs.
"Dear Sir,—I am directed to inform you that in the event of the strike of unions affiliated to the Trades Union Congress taking place in support of the miners who have been locked out, the General Council is prepared to enter into arrangements for the distribution of essential food-stuffs.
"Should the Government desire to discuss the matter with the General Council they are available for that purpose.
"The General Council will be glad to learn your wishes in this respect.
"Yours faithfully,
I had arranged to keep in constant touch with the T.U.C., and to be at my office ready to give any information that was needed. To my surprise and alarm I heard quite by accident, on Saturday evening, at about 9 p.m., that the Negotiating Committee of the T.U.C. were closeted in Downing Street with the Prime Minister.
I could feel no other than apprehension, seeing I had not been informed, and they were there presumably discussing the miners' case in the absence of the miners' representatives. It
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