The Henson Journals

[150]

Saturday, September 4th, 1926.

Sir Courtenay Musgrave came to see the Castle. He has recently succeeded his father, Sir Richard Musgrave, who died last May, & he owns the mine at St Helen's, which Pease Partners work, and also Kepier Hospital by Durham. He said that he would have to sell his ancestral house & estate, Edenhall, & was going into business in London. I liked the young man, & we parted with expressions of regard.

In the afternoon I went into the Park, & watched a football match. The goal–keeper for St Anne's F. C. said he was the son of the Liberal candidate, Broadbent (?), & was himself intending to become an elementary school teacher. Most of the players were unemployed pitmen, all extremely eager to get back to work.

I wrote to John McKitterick, sending him "William Tyndale" and a pound for a Birthday present.

The Government announce that they consider that the Miners' Federation have offered a platform for negociation, and they invite the mine–owners forthwith to negociate. But the latter appear by no means disposed to do so, for they are expected to abandon their objection to the national agreement in spite of the fact that they have recently affirmed it with much emphasis. They are the more reluctant because the men are returning to the pits in ever increasing numbers, & there seems much likelihood that, if no interference takes place, the strike will collapse ignominiously. Nevertheless, public opinion will certainly turn against the mine–owners if they obstruct a settlement by negociation. I doubt not that something will be patched up, & that in five years we shall have all this trouble over again.

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