FEELING THE PINCH.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1383, 8 March 1912, Page 6

FEELING THE PINCH.

BRITISH COAL STRIKE, fIJJCiE CALL ON UNIONS FOR ; strike' pay. MINERS STILL MAKE HOLIDAY, lj 2-eleiraiili—Press A«»oolatioB—OobyiIsIiI . (Rec. March 7, 10.10 p.m.) London, March 7. The coal strike situation is unchanged, »nd neither sido shows signs of yielding. 'The strike is now slowly tightening its grip oh every industry. , Tho Trades Union leaders are anxious in consequence of tho depletion of the union funds through tho throwing into idleness of tho workers in various industries. • The 'Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants is faced -with a call of U20,000 .weekly for unemployed pay. , Tho executive of the Raihvaymen's Society, in reply to certain branches, declares that in view of the miners' favourable position thero is no reason for combined action. '•■ The exccutivtj adds that it is Bnable', to sanction the refusal to work hoop traius. It lias also forbidden the ißermondsey branch, -which is under syndicalist' inilncnce, to hold demonstrations in Trafalgar Squaro in reference to- tho miners' strike. ' Two collieries at Swansea, have been' Hooded owing to the men refusing to work the pnnips. One of the Bishop Auckland collieries has been - closed permanently. : " I'our hundred Oxford undergraduates have offered their services, and are ready to work in the mines. Tho cutting off of the electricity supply at Sheffield in tho daytime has thrown idle many factories. At Aberdeen, the lighting and tramway services are being curtailed. THE MINERS' HOLIDAY. .UNACCUSTOMED LEISURE. London, March 0. Many Staffordshire and]. Derbyshire on strike attended tho Uttozcter (Staffordshire) races. Blackpool, the popular Lancashire sea*ide resort, is full of visitors, who are .well supplied with money., Three hundred pit-boys at Sunderland raided the paddocks and seized a pit pony t piece. They then had a -wild midnight jallop through the villages. Many Yorkshire miners have been following the hounds afoot. The gramaphone shops in Wales are crowded. The picture theatres in Pontypridd are open continuously. Wholesale houses are refusing to supply tradesmen in mining centres, unless cash it forthcoming. As a consequence, many «iop3 are closing. MORE OPTIMISTIC FEELING. INDUSTRIAL COUNCIL AT WORK. London, March C. The Industrial Council is comparing tho diners' schedule with the masters' figures. A more optimistic feeling prevails. The executive of the Miners' Federation tias agreed to meet the Industrial Council. • A DELICATE POSITION. STATEMENT BY MR. ASQUITH. * London, March 6. Replying to Mr. J. Ramsay Mac Donald, Leader of the Labour party, in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister (Mr. Asquith) said it'-was pure imagination to consider'that the' Government was going to introduce a Bill laying down a minimum wage.. -The'strike position was very delicate, and he hoped it would not bo discussed in the House of Commons at present. The Government, he added, was meeting the. men's representatives, to-day.