OUTLOOK BLACKER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1957, 14 January 1914, Page 7

OUTLOOK BLACKER.

STRIKE MAJORITY BALLOTS' IN RAND DISTRICTS.;^ MARTIAL LAiUlii _.■■. infill DYNAMITARDS TO BeIsHOTT ON SIGHT.-:y|tp|f . . ji? SI'S-viSiSV:'.''f" M * ;> SKii^'^iSS.^VJi-K By Telcgraph-Presa Aseociatioii-CoDyrisit; Cape Town, January ; 12'?? Half tho men at the Salt Hirer: works havo struck. ' <:,.:^'a:\- : >?■:■'?¥■ Tho men struck despite Mr.": Hag-; gard's advice. This action is considered important, as tho Cape . employees hold tho key to the situation. . ~- *■■ ; .;';4f Tho strikers made an abortivo ? : ;at-' tempt to induco tho tTamwaymcn.;sta strike. _ .- ..;'^., Mr. Harrison, a well-known Socialist; agitator, has been arrested for inciting tho railway men at Salt Eiver to blow up tho railway. ' '■■'$:■ ?;■'.;;. An attempt was made to blow tip an important railway bridge at Fourteen Streams, Kimberley. The points wero damaged and tho rails displaced;, % ■■ Strong guards are now posted on the lino. ' :. •..■'"" i After a Labour meeting nt Germiston the crowd marched to the gaol and threatened to wreck it if Wade.was not released. , •.<.,. ,i; . A strong forco of mounted polieo dispersed tho mob. ■ ■-. '■:;,"*■ ____ ■- ■ I'' ; ■*. -:}*■'- THE BASUTO AFFBAV; ;* WHITES FIRE IN SELF-DEFENCE., GREAT RESTRAINT Pretoria, January 12/';*' Details from Jagersfontein show that tho native concerning whom the ru-. mours caused so much trouble died: in tho hospital. ■■ ■ ■■-.' ■ ■-.■'.■■■.!. •The order to fire on rioters was given only in tho greatest emergency, 'ihreo 'were killed and several wounded. ..A lull followed, then the natives resumed the attack, whereupon tho whites,.: in self-defence, killed three more, and wounded many, five subsequently dying. Members of tho builders affiliated socities havo struck in , sympathy with tho railwaymen. Mine owners at Vanryn, Eastland, are paying the miners special rates to keep tile natives in baud. Tho "Daily Mail's" Johannesburg correspondent reports that a strike of miners has begun at Eastlaud. .';■;' . NATIVE OUTRAGE. ■■ Pretoria, January 12." - A child is reported to have witnessed n native strangling and mutilating a woman named Mrs. Hood, employed as housekeeper at Fordsburg. The .murderer escaped. '■'■'■ , (Rcc. January 14, 0.10 a.m.) Pretoria, January 13:. Further details show that the native onterod tho house and strangled Mrs. Hood whilo she lay in. bed. and placed the victim on tho floor. The body was horribly mutilated. ■ .' Tho police put dogs on the. scene, but the native escaped. . ■'■■;. A similar case occurred at Houghton recently. FOOD IN JOHANNESBURG. ADEQUATE SUPPLIES-IN HAND. Johannesburg, January 12, Besides large quantities of food, still arriving thoro is a two'mouths'- supply in cold storage. ■ Tho Committee- of Public Safety has taken steps to insure that all classes shall obtain food necessaries at reasonable prices. Durban, January 12. Tho amalgamated engineers and practically all tho men in the railway workshops havo struck. SITUATION CRAVE. LATEST NEWS FROM THE RANB. DYNAMITARDS TO BE SHOT ON SIGHT. . . Johannesburg, January 13. Tho Rand is quiet. Both sides arc preparing for the final struggle, a truce prevailing, pending the declaration of tho strike ballot. Business is at a standstill, wkilo the streets aro almost deserted. Three hundred armed workers aro sleeping on the premises to guard tho Trades Hall against a police raid, while an armed bodyguard escorted the labour leaders everywhere. General Do Wet commands a largo forco of burghers on tho East RaJid, Tho ballots everywhere are showing big majorities in favour of a strike, and tho situation is grave. In order to safeguard the trains, certain districts in tho Transvaal and. Orangta havo boon placed under martial law, with drastic regulations, including the shooting of dynamitards on sight. ■ REAPING THE WHIRLWIND. AUSTRALIAN AGITATION BLAMED, (Rec. January 14, 0.10 a.ni.Xt. London, January 13; v . :. Tho "Daily Telegraph's" Johannesburg correspondent interviewed Mr. Hoslcin, the mannping director of tho South African Explosives Co., Limited. Mr. Hoskin said that the present unrest was largely duo to the influence of Australian Labour ideas. , General Botha had made tho initial mistake of first working with tho Labour Party in his anxiety to clefoat the Unionists. The Labour Party thought it had the Government's support, hence the rioting in July. Tho Government was now reaping the whirlwind, but tho strikers were certain to be defeated. STORM CENTRE DESCRIBED, AND CAUSES DISSECTED. GENERAL BOTHA'S PARTY WHIP IN SYDNEY. . ~;;:. (Rec. January 13, 10.30 p.m.)^. Sycfney, January 13."' Mr. E. Hunt, one of tho Whips for General Botha's party in tho Union Parliament, is at present in Sydney. In an interview, Mr. Hunt said he felt confident that the South African Government would bo able to quell any strike disturbance, bnt that bloodshed would result in places like Johannesburg was certain, because of tho cosmopolitan character of tho community.; Most of the men there had seen war, and held life cheaply. He hoped that tho better instincts of the strikers would come to the rescue, ■■ and . that they would trv to get their grievances adjusted legitimately. . ■ ' ■ Regarding tho trouble amongst ■ the railway workers, Mr. Hunt explained that during the war many of the fnnn, labourors went to the towns and Were now disinclined to return to .tho country. The 'towns were thus filled, with unskilled labourer!;... The Govern-, liiont, swing that danger might .'.arise from this state of afinirs, discharged tho KalTii's, who had previously done. tii« unskilled labour on thn. railways,; and put theso men on at-Us.. 4d. -per, day, a wage equal, with coal-.and lious-j ing, to ss. per day. ''■-,„■ : ;,- •. .> -sjlr.;. ■ After the South African Union/'had been consummated, and labour unions had boon formed, an , agitation I , a begun for an increase-'in wages, inelud-i inc the ievelling-up ' .'of the' .unskilled workers on the Capo''an;l.;Nfttal ~li»e&<;

vanl:V;unlS : ; Oraiif;m,S v Jli<jfe.Gp\;oriimoiit; .coHskler( , d.KthisSiit\i ; ?!SMle? j pr^j)!!y s^o'.i!ie| . 3 - \ ;miicli.;' liig'heiJdnteiiioKJ.tvvo^llas^niinioi!)! ; .Sta o tes, s l)n^;agri^d(^n||oyplj'!-'Xff!«liiV.ls) o ? ; {wereJre'duced'^yiii^tlioa^iii/^^h^^Cijlia* ; giiul-Jin; Natalftiverej-raiSi:;.^j^VH^iS? ; lifp'lrc TraiVsvaal^workers^wefei^lijsati^ . "fi.ell;:vii!ilcHhostf i in^lie: : .CapS?"^?'^ i )'- services .werelatrpresent fairlyisaitisfit'ii J ..Tho.flissatisfactioti'.aiiloiigst.H.lie-.nyorkofs;: iliad'inereasedyvheiv^lie^Goyotnmentfiii^ itrfldUDcd:^piccewprk:^nvplacp;j:^^(byj: iivjthe''railw^workshops^fß:©': :■■ S>;JlroHiiHt/adriiitted^tbaVtho;'lnonSlia <lj ; ; their?gnevaikes,?butU!v'woukl'oniy'lii^a - /matter ; ol..jaK'ittlc-i l tim<i^bcEoi:pSJti!esd.. ,wero : redresscd;.They.wero.being\grflatly ■ SiHipniricd.VThb railwivytneii'in:the:Trans-; ' ;vaal'aiKl , Orangia|'?apart , -from".thoseKivlio , ', : woro;getting Ss. : .4d.;per.; day,.?were tlw b«st paid. in : time in railway-employ^Js^Sf ?: ?|-; ;; '" ': : kr Uo described. Poutsnmi^wlipjSwas^ re- ; sponsible ;; for;>tlici:«;forraat!oti';K'pf ; ;.. ; 'the: . Amalgamated .* Society''of Railways ;Kmployees.j us* afe/Hollander,---':- a; irsplemlkl ■ spcakori'' s wlw'■'.'carries "stbo'-ineiv; away «to i a'large, extent ■by-'his: utterances'.:. 1 V.Ho ; for..trouble^%aid'. Mr.,,--'-' Hunt/ "and cven'Jf tHpinieiKare granted all. hodemands,s.ho';;'willl not\be; satisfied. The heads, of tho .Trades ■Federation aro ■ .foally- paid.-.agitators;' : '.and: Mason J and ' ' Waterstoii.rfii'plA'u.stralia.nsV' l Their idea is to have a■• republic, : iii : Smith Africa .again,/and-they, went 1 about inciting tho workers,' and trying to incite the Boors —especially Hertzog's,;,followers—to rebellion. Indeed,, they pulled'down tho ' British flag 'every. tinio they' saw- it, and put tho .Red , one.. m T ite placo. v.They. tell the,, natives ■;. that -. interests of : tho wliito;aHd,blaclc;wb'rkers.aro idtentieal, and.«fthat? : thcy-ij|m)ist to-gcther.^'visf^|;!;ftSv;Sfc^-J^;r:j-...- v?-\ -i

"Tlierb'is-cqHsideraiile-fear, in South ■Africa that the Kaffirs raight-'rise now," continued 1 Mr. Hunt, A'because they are much dissatisfied ..over/the law.;.that;was passed last.:.session£iempoweringS the prohibit natives'' living with wliitesViaiul^vice-versa , .,;?-: Unless . the Government tala'sithe .precaution to got' the"natives, , *; of'whom V there ..- are. 300,000 employed af 'thymines, :'away, from. the big' centres, 1 thero is no doubt that they .will .break loose. Onco back at' tlieir'kraals'thoy. are satisfied --with the nifc of tlio white man. ■ The whole ■trouble comes irom-vthp-vboys'..-■■; who; go'. to '..tho;'mines.' to : - work. '■'.:' ■ ;--.'>';>. ,;, . ■■" ;:

. .A .: correspondent;'' writing from Johannesburg .'recently to a friend in Wellington, made the , :following observations on tho Labour'situation in the; Transvaal:—

"I sso.by'your papers that you are iiuita in the fashion , in the .jiiKttsriof strikes— also.that'one or. two of the strike leaders quoted' Johannesburg ' as"-a shining example, of how to..,d".i.the-thing properly. But-1 notice-.that I 'they'-diil not teli thcii , audience that it was nn absolutely barren victory.*. Wo bad rnther.. an amusing «M|uel to the Ttaml strike out here. At Glynn's -Lydeubiirg .■-. mine; , tlio _ minors, most of 'whom have ..been working there for upwards;ofVten years—suddenly discovered that' they..had a grievance,-inas-much, as-tliev. wcr-D working an hour a clay danger than itbe-y: should do. but they quite overlooked'the' fact that, as they were receiving Jil a shift, they wure g-etting more .than'.'the - : Miners' Union tfuge. '■ To their 'great disgust the hoar was conceded to" them, but their ■ wages vrcro, cut down to. lCs. 8d; a.shift. 'I'lius they got tiic-iv 2s. lil.'pci' hour and lost 3s. Id, for -.the. hour .conceded..- They aro very '.sorry they spoke.'" . . Tho .Wellington'., Branch of.'the. Social Democratic Parly .'has passed the following resolution in .connectioirwith the industrial upheaval in South Africa:—"That this meeting ■of the Wellington , Bmiicli of the Social Democratic ,: . I'iirtj' ,- view with indignation ami horror the 'attempt that is being made by the South African Government- to . crush: .'bona-fido ; trade unionism in the Transvaal . by arinei! forces/ iinrt regards Uis orders is-sucil to. the soldiers So shoot and kill, ns a barbcilic crime, against civilisation. This me-oting further, eonvsys to'the workers of Somh.Africa'"ils sincerest wishes for the sueecss-.in their righteous struggle against tin.! , combined forces of the cniplovcrs and the Government; Minis frateriiaf -greeting," and. looks forward with confidence.to the time when the workers of all countries shall Ijc , linked together in ono irresistible organisation of labour that shall-..nmke an injury to one man nn injury toiili, tho world over, ami whose objective.shall bo to".end forcvor tho system of''exploitation which generates and perpetuates .class warfare." -■■...-■ ' ,-■