Thepitsareworkingbadly；thisisacollierydistrictlikeTevershall。
onlyprettier。IsometimessitintheWellingtonandtalktothemen。Theygrumblealot，butthey’renotgoingtoalteranything。Aseverybodysays，theNotts-Derbyminershavegottheirheartsintherightplace。Buttherestoftheiranatomymustbeinthewrongplace，inaworldthathasnouseforthem。Ilikethem，buttheydon’tcheermemuch：notenoughoftheoldfighting-cockinthem。Theytalkalotaboutnationalization，nationalizationofroyalties，nationalizationofthewholeindustry。Butyoucan’tnationalizecoalandleavealltheotherindustriesastheyare。Theytalkaboutputtingcoaltonewuses，likeSirCliffordistryingtodo。Itmayworkhereandthere，butnotasageneralthing。Idoubt。Whateveryoumakeyou’vegottosellit。Themenareveryapathetic。Theyfeelthewholedamnedthingisdoomed，andIbelieveitis。Andtheyaredoomedalongwithit。SomeoftheyoungonesspoutaboutaSoviet，butthere’snotmuchconvictioninthem。There’snosortofconvictionaboutanything，exceptthatit’sallamuddleandahole。EvenunderaSovietyou’vestillgottosellcoal：
andthat’sthedifficulty。
We’vegotthisgreatindustrialpopulation，andthey’vegottobefed，sothedamnshowhastobekeptgoingsomehow。Thewomentalkalotmorethanthemen，nowadays，andtheyareasightmorecock-sure。Themenarelimp，theyfeeladoomsomewhere，andtheygoaboutasiftherewasnothingtobedone。Anyhow，nobodyknowswhatshouldbedoneinspiteofallthetalk，theyoungonesgetmadbecausethey’venomoneytospend。Theirwholelifedependsonspendingmoney，andnowthey’vegotnonetospend。That’sourcivilizationandoureducation：bringupthemassestodependentirelyonspendingmoney，andthenthemoneygivesout。Thepitsareworkingtwodays，twoandahalfdaysaweek，andthere’snosignofbettermentevenforthewinter。Itmeansamanbringingupafamilyontwenty-fiveandthirtyshillings。Thewomenarethemaddestofall。Butthenthey’rethemaddestforspending，nowadays。
Ifyoucouldonlytellthemthatlivingandspendingisn’tthesamething!Butit’snogood。Ifonlytheywereeducatedtoliveinsteadofearnandspend，theycouldmanageveryhappilyontwenty-fiveshillings。