The Henson Journals

[331]

Monday, May 9th, 1921.

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The outlook this morning is blacker than ever. Both the Prime Minister and Mr Herbert Smith delivered "fighting" speeches on Saturday: and there are signs that the spirit of the controversy is growing fiercer. Meanwhile the state of the country worsens rapidly, and every day the number of unemployed men grows by thousands. Lord Weir has proposed a scheme for reducing the price of coal by increasing the output per man, & reducing the owner's charges, but it does not seem to be a very promising proposal.

Lazenby camed [sic] to lunch. He expressed much indignation at the utterances of the Southern bishops on the coal–strike. Clayton and I motored to Monkheselden where I confirmed 44 candidates in a mean brick church. The Vicar, Rev. A. Brown, said that he had met me at St Gabriel's, Canning Town, when I was Vicar of Barking. He reminded me of a meeting in which Jimmie Adderley & I conflicted on the Church's relation to Socialism. I had much very interesting conversation with the Churchwardens, who were miners, & who, by an odd coincidence, were both born on the same day, 51 years ago. After tea, we motored to Shadforth (Rev. J. H. Perkins) where I confirmed 54 candidates. Then we returned to the Castle, dropping the Rural Dean, Boutflower, and Parkinson the Vicar, at Sherburn on the way.

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