HC Deb 20 June 1898 vol 59 cc768-70
SIR E. GOURLEY (Sunderland)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the rumour is correct that the customary annual naval manœuvres are this year to be dispensed with, and, if so, whether he will be good enough to state the reasons?

THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. G. J. GOSCHEN,) St. George's, Hanover Square

I think the best answer I can give to this question is to read the notice that was sent to the ports:— In view of the continued serious character of the strike among South Wales collieries, it has been decided that it would not be expedient to trench upon the reserve of coal by the naval manœuvres, and the customary partial mobilisation of the Fleet will not take place. The Channel Squadron and the Coastguard Squadron will cruise as usual. The Channel Squadron consists of eight battleships and six cruisers, and the Reserve Squadron of six battleships and three cruisers. I may add, to avoid any exaggerations with reference to our coal stock, that we have never, I believe, been in the possession of a larger amount of coal, actually in our hands, than at the present moment, and this measure is taken as a matter of prudence only. Latterly we have been mainly supplied by the non-associated collieries. A certain number of collieries in South Wales are not associated, and the strike has left them free, but when it came to be rumoured that the strike would extend to these non-associated collieries it became a serious question whether the stock we possessed should be decreased to any considerable extent by the naval manœuvres. That is the simple reason of their being countermanded, and I think I may say that common prudence has indicated the course we have pursued.

MR. E. ROBERTSON (Dundee)

Is the right honourable Gentleman disposed to state what difference the naval manœuvres make in the consumption of coal?

THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY

The statement I saw was that, including the filling up of the bunkers after the manœuvres, it would be 50,000 tons.

MR. D. A. THOMAS

I presume that when the right honourable Gentleman speaks of the strike he means the lock- out in South Wales. I would ask him whether he is aware of the fact that ever since the stoppage of certain of the associated collieries the exports from Cardiff week by week have been over 100,000 tons.

THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY

I am not acquainted with that particular statistic; but I am acquainted with this, to my mind, rather remarkable and significant fact—that there is no stock of coal whatever held by the colliery owners—

MR. D. A. THOMAS

There never is at any time.

THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY

Exactly. I have called the attention of the House to this because it is a very serious point. There is never any stock of coal held by the colliery proprietors or by the coal merchants to speak of. That imposes upon the Admiralty the necessity of being more especially careful, because they cannot, hope to rely upon any stocks independent of what is turned out every week, or I might say day by day. That enhances, of course, the necessity of being careful.

MR. W. REDMOND (Clare, E.)

Will the Admiralty reconsider their determination, in view of the possibility of their action being taken as being altogether in sympathy with the colliery owners, and to help them?

THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY

I really must decline to consider any sympathy with either colliery owners or colliery workmen.

MR. W. REDMOND

Your action has been taken as indicating sympathy with the colliery owners.

THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY

Our action has been a matter of common prudence in the public interest, and I should be unworthy of my position at the Admiralty if I allowed myself to be swayed by the interests of either one class or the other.