THROTTLING THE STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1956, 13 January 1914, Page 7

THROTTLING THE STRIKE.

SO UTII AFRICA'S LABOUR WAR. ' UNION OFFICIAL ADMITS DEFEAT. MEN 'HOPELESSLYBEATEN.' EFFECTIVE MOBILISATION. ■ By Telosrash—ProM AissgctaUon-Oepjrrtfht Johannesburg, January*ll;.--No serious dovelopminitS' in tho'irail-? way strike in South Africa-lmre;inkcn place. Jlr. lloy, General Manager of iitail--ways, states that there will bp a'normah train service t<i-mori'o«\^^<S^ ? -'fci', i J.'!? : A few railway men linwalready .yro-j sumed work, ami a number, of others, wish to resume.

Tho Natal mail train departed to-day, three trains arrived from tho Capo, ana others aro running. ' 1,/"- ■ ■■ ■ ■ 1 v Speoial. police have been enroled as a vigilance committee. Thoy patrol tho streots, wearing red armlets. ■ • it is expected that- armed Burghers will take eiiargo of tho mine natives, re-, lieving tho ordinary jwlico of tho respon-: sibility. Tho Labour party lias issued a mani-. festo stating that hy imprisoning Ctlio loaders tho Government lias outraged tho Constitution. Tho manifesto urges reeoiistitiition'of tho Railway Board, so as to include elected representatives of the organised railway workers. A MASS MEeTINC. PROCEEDINGS ORDERLY AND SPEECHES MO.OERA'I E Johannesburg, January 11. An orderly meeting, attended by uino* thousand people, held in Market Sijuaro in support of a general strike, decided to summon tho Government to resign, and declared that Mr. Hoy must go. Tho meeting also dccidcd to petition tho Imperial Government not to permit, tho uso of Imperial troops. woro displayed at tho meeting inscribed in memory of tho victims of July 4: "To the memory of our , martyrs.", The speeches were moderate, urging the workers not to infringe tho law. The polico were absent. .. ..:■■■ Pretoria, January 11. Two thousand men, affiliated to the building and other trades, demanded, practically unanimously, ■o. general strike. ' " '■■■ -. ■ "SPEAK THROUGH THE BULLETHOLES!" (Rec. January 12, '11.40 p.m.) Johannesburg, January 12. Mr. G ; Mason (executive of tlio Trades Federation),, at the meeting in Market Square, declared that the Government had received a bombshell on July 5. "This time," he added, "it would be annihilated." He exhorted tho workers to "speak through tlio buUet-ljoles of tho victims of the massaero oi' Brnamfontem on July 4." Tiiev must win, ,eyen if the stroets "wero piled with the dead." Mason described Corner House as "the sentinel at the gates of lieli," and added : "The strikers lire animated by tlio spirit of rebellion." Mr. Bain (secretary of the Trades Federation) was more conciliatory. He urged that thero was still time' for a settlement of the dispute, and suggested the formation of a Railway Board, half of its members 10, consist- of workers, and half to be Government nominees, to solve the difficulty. He challenged the Government to arrest him if it wanted to, and added: "If trying to help my fellow citizens is sedition, 1 will preach sedition until I die."

Resolutions were adopted supporting the l'rados Federation and tho railwaymen's demands, and also in favour of a general strike. POSITION AT DURBAN./ 'RUNNING STAFF LOYAL. Durban, January 11 A ballot of workers at tho railway sliops yielded a majority in favour of a strike. A majority of the train-running staff voted against tho strike, and declared its determination to work whilo protected. Nevertheless the locomotive men, though condemning the strike, have resolved not to work trains for the Rand. ' . •

AT CAPE TOWN. VOTE AGAINST TIIE S'flilKE. Cape Town, January 11. Everything is quiet at tho Cap©. A mooting of two thousand Capo railway men has decided against a strike. Tho lato3t report from Johannesburg is that matters aro quiet. Tho defehco forco is _ mobilising at Capo Town as a precautionary measure, and is guarding tho docks. Two hundred men of tho Scottish Horse have boon, sent to Jagonsfontain. Emissaries from tho Transvaal secured no responso to thc« striko resolution or tho Salt River railway workors. Armed burghers oscorted 2/50 Basutos from Jagersfonteiu, as thoy refused * to return to work. There is a severe drought in Orangia, and tho stoppage of traffic would soriously. imporil food supplies. (Roc. January I*2, 11.'10 p n ) Capo Town, January lz.. Apart from tho considerations connected with tho striko, tho present mobilisation arrangements aro considered to bo a gratifying test of tiio efficiency of tho newly-complotcd Union, of Defence organisation, Tho mobilisation at tho Capo Poiunsula was duo to rumours of disaffection amongst a section of tho workors at Salt Riv<i' Great weight is nttiichod t-o tho Capo Railwaymen's meeting, at which nil tho responsible leaders comp-lololy dissociated themselves from synilkiUlifil-rovoUl-tlonary methods, and opposed tho gmieral strike. Only one «pakor,.fnvoiired the railway strike. .. • ■ Mr. Lyons, the local president., and Mr. Harmon, vice-president,"''declared, that tho Cape workers believed m stitutional methods of attaining ■ their; ends, and these had not yet In in < \- haustml. ■ '» , Mr. Sniil.li, soerftlary of the Railway--men's Union, remarked that the ors wrro ulroad v Ho added: "Let the wo;!:..•)•« coie.uiei their wives and children." '.. --^"v* Mr Mndfilev, M.l'., accused ilto f ape. Town Kxeeiiiii'n of- the |{nihvii.vitK' 'l H.'Union of selling . their:brethrenill;., toe north. He appealed- te'liiHiheurels.- lo: siinpiirt I heir.-* I< )i<i\v-U'>i !.<•>s. in,,.;l.ui\ Transvaal. Mr. 11 aggal'd,' M. P:lid. i he, nl ilei Hslrongly urged th<;3-«ii;il(i'Vf younger aeetion <>fv.LiM'..jiii-eLiili,, a ( n.!.bu. : .; siastieallv favom d Eventually it « nil in ii cilsU ie solved lo demand' I lir.^ii.loaiins leaders, t.lio ilifjbaudn'ient of Defence Fore, theL.eosr,nl ii'iii nf: tlic ro. trenchment. of the liiilu-.nviivMi-rtii'Kt reinstatement nf ih"retrenchedworkers." It is reporter! that Mr;,CrosMve!l,'f'tlioLabour Wder in I'»rliamnnt'r r addr*winß a. privato meeting at iTnlunnoibnrg,, vjgojsd, (ha jgaaaril - itrto ...AS

tho/^vorknrs^ J-'-■ ■ i -. ■ -.'J iii'/T';.' l il iV<iVu t I '-.u ; : <j,o fi' i,t :».i i < i.ng lo tho (ioy.ei uiiicr.t, \vi' !r ;i vi. 'W in an. umirabhi settlement. . ,U', .- IV; ni|- il>- noimul t .11,11 in,!; i;i tho 'I rm.-iMul-nmi i KeHu r<>, nith (ho ~(1 ol 11" 'I duuMh, iiispM tori, ami othoii Muni' nig. !o the'higher irrjidos -of- the ]:!y'i( : P; ; ..■'■' "'■■■ "S l/'oehimal snn.nl mill linl . law., .-mean v while,- liiis ..not dn-eiV considered m-ees-. ssni;y';'" l ■'Jpjui'niip'isb'ni^ _ A •nicei at-. Liidysinith.recommended;nfvr a I1 1; i Ite;^;^ i 1 ,v *>i oV>l%;.;.l>a Ho . Jiii tV:AIar j.tEi-, llMji-f::i : otixl: tlsot; »t 3 : i !toSpropVi ■An ill ionipt was insulojti dynamite the ; railw.iy. liiipH .il, Foi reira., In Uio samo ¥'fliatricl.li<VSsi,rike Hto j>ii6tl^goods : t'r:'.iii and'drew'.the tiros of:!l:<>'engine. ,^htirghor, i :/Miiimnndoi«^ffl i ro/*''iio;y. rnpiiily .>:ineontratin!:,' anil .hv Tuesday all !hi' : niain; line iin(l.l'ridi;es.;WiJl be ado*. olyf'B'in "/.Eleven • hundred'iiat.ives are' proceed-, ing ki iheitand,'.having :beca sent into 'fNintonmoiits under ii'- g'-'ai d .of .armed citizen Wi BURGHERS IN EARNEST. "FICHT.TO A FINISH." GICNER \L BOTHA'S HAT. r (lU'c.- :January 13, !0 a.m.) Pretoria, January 15 General Bulha (.the. Union. Premier) litt.R'deolnred that it must, now be a light. ..to", n (inisli. ■ 'riiis'. ! ' ; declaration, coupled .. with tho'Ooveriiment's carefitlly-concciv-ed plans,' lias. produced aj'great impr.eßsion in Lnbour circles. ■' /V Tho bnrgliei's eagerly responded to tho.'niilitary Kutiimons, : 'afHl those uisablo 'to 'entrain walked, long distances, ■i?'"Although 1 not a'policeiiinn. of a soldier ..wns.yisiblo in'Market..Square, Jnliannesbiifgl'Jduring- tho'tcrisis,. the 1 knowledgo tlint the town was full of armed men in..stnic.ied>to'' on, tho first'isijrn of ; .'.serious. : i:trouble, piodueccl;.:i .6obei'iiigJeSfeet;^.[:si::%.:ji-ftv'::fe