"But at the same time I went down into the mines with working miners who are still young men, younger than I am, who are aware that their working life is coming to an end and they feel suddenly cut off"

This quote by Martin C. Smith talks to the extreme reality of the mining industry. It highlights the truth that miners, who are typically young men, are aware that their working life is pertaining to an end. This is a difficult awareness for them to come to terms with, as it suggests that they are all of a sudden cut off from the market that has been their income. The quote speaks to the fragility of the mining industry, and the fact that miners are often left without a task or a method to support themselves when their working life is over. It also speaks with the requirement for better job security and assistance for miners, so that they can shift into other industries or discover other ways to support themselves when their working life in the mines is over.