WAR IN EARNEST.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1958, 15 January 1914, Page 5

WAR IN EARNEST.

GENERAL STRIKE iNISoBI AFRICA. ; ;|§§^ MARTIAL' : LAW||i|| BREAD SUPPUiyctfs|§§ LULL BEFORE'THEJ3TORM; By Telcsraiih—Pross Association—CopTriehVi Cape Town,"Jain!Rrv|l3^J;; Martial law was proelaimedjtat? : riii(l4 night.. • ■■■ *' V so'M Tho Trades and Labour ■ FcdcraiiovK has proclaimed a general strike out South Africa. , - 3?C ;; !K&I:| MUCH BLOODSHED FEAR£DS|;: "MATABELE" VIEWED. Melbourne, January'di;<&s Wilson, hotter known .; as; "Matabclo" Wilson, organiser of. Lord kitchener's Fighting Scouts,. is'■ visit-■ live Melbourne. Interviewed, ho said':./ "If the South African strike continues" tlio wholo of the 300,000 natives em-, ployed in the mines will have to be sent back- to tho kraals. That will': mean the cessation of the whole mining' industry, and it will bo months, if. not: years, beforo tho mines are again; worked. The cost will run into mil— 5 lions. During the last strike theTC was some talk of bringing out the burghers,' but it was felt that that must he avoided if possible, owing to this racial feeling involved. Apparently tho situa-.. turn is now so BeriouE that this con-., sidpration has been, outweirihod. If ifc'i comes to a conflict between the burghers' and the strikers tho former, will not hold their hands like tho Imnerial;! troops, and tho casualty roll will ■ bo"?j considerably larger. Tho strikers "in-*! cludo all nationalities. Their organisa-'"j lion is wonderful. A dangerous feature is the _ lingo quantity of eelienite .and I dynamite available to men who understand its use." ,''■•;■ u Colonel Wilson attributed the rli.icon-' tent in the hijrh and mighty attitude adopted by tho big mining houses, whn faded to realise that the times, had changed, and that men ciiimotv.be dnvMi by the (Id methods. The men had had grievances for years with respect to conditions of work, hours, and wages. Last rear's trouble could have been settled by a little tact on the : nart of the mine authorities, hut tbev.-. had adopted a high-handed' attitudesAfter tho settlement many of the men'openly eomnlaiimd that the leaders.,!™!' been bnuglit. Tho dissatisfaction had spread beoiuse the Government had'.'M-" legodly failed to carry out its sottlonient pledges The Colonel added that the Govorn-■. pient had mid the strikc-broaWs £•50.(100 for tlie loss of their jobs.. 'Hie election of Mr. Poi'tsma to ills seerotaryshin of the Railway Men's Society [ was significant of what had now «n-' " ,n d. The country was in for a troubled time ■■-.'. ,'■; LULL BEFORE THE STORM, ( VOLUNTEERS FOR THE BAKE- ;"■ ""<'.-■■■- HOUSE. . {■.'■ (Rcc. January M, 0.3 a.m.)'-':': Cape Town, January 14. '■'. the tramwaymen have resolved to strike if called out. ■ Johannesburg, January 14. " ; it was a dull day at tho Trades. Hail, described by tho miners' secretary as the lull beforo the storm. . Apart from encouraging telegrams irom all quarters there is no excitement. _ Soveral heads of departments m various industries have visited the Federation Executive- and discussed certain terms which are considered to be essential to prevent trouble or damage to property. In reference ro the Bakers' Unions' prohibition regarding the supply of bread to the Defcnco Force and' tho police, Mr. Quinn, M.P., one of tho largest Johannesburg bakers, declared that it would bo quito iir.nossibio to recognise- this. Ho would himself with volunteers go to the bakehouse and make- bread. The first- supply would bo for the hospitals, and then tho other places would receive tho besl attention. It is possible, it is anticipated, that tho manufacturers could keen tho town sufficiently supplied. Four hundred tons of food and fruit arrived to-dsiv. An armed, patrol saw a man placing dynamite' on the railway near Gcorgegoch station. The patrol fired, but missed tho man (whom he identified) and he escaped. ' STRANDED ON THE VELDT. r TRAIN DESERTED BY ITS DRIVER; "Times"—Sydney "Sun" Special Cables. (Kec. January 14, 9.2u p.m.) Johannesburg, January 13. 'J he strikers aro peaceable, their leaders urging abstinence from violence. The last train to Durban stopped at a place called Allendale, in the middle of the veldt, and the driver detached his engine, and returned the way he had come, leaving the passengers stranded. The farmers arc telegraphing to the cities stating that they aro ready to assist to break the strike, " .y The Government is acting in unison" with Viscount Gladstone, the- Governor-' General, who has intimated that the. Imperial troops will be available if required. . , § '■ : ;^;>;-; :^; ; 'gT. UNDER MARTIAL LAW?; ,! |;^ 70,000 BURGHERS UNDER ARMS/|i Cape Town, January 13:tt? The proclamation of martial law' covers tho principal districts, of tho Transvaal, Orangia. and Natal, through which tho main lines of railways pass, and includes Durban, Maritzburg." Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, and Pre-? toria, but docs not affect tho-Capo province. '" ■ -■ ' : " . ■-; It is estimated that about-. 70,000 men of tho active defence, force and reserves are now under'-'arms in the Transvaal, Orangia, andv Norther!.. Natal. They aro largely composed of., ex-irregulars and burghers, and con-' soquontly they are war veterans..;'^.--Twenty thousand men are. cone'en-?. Ira ted at Johannesburg and in . the] vicinity of tho reefs, while several thonV: Band are at Pretoria and other centres'!] The remainder are picketing. and patrolling several thousand milcs-'of'tho main railway Hum. ■ ■', ; ;; ; .? : . '"■ ' ■■' r "i"'f' The authorities havo rompk-ie./eom-': mand of the situation. Further devett: opuiPiiU, which are expected, exciting, and r.'ro awaited'.'.with ((he' keenest interest. Renter's correspondent ■'■ understands.; that in view of the declaration* ofifcM general strike, the miners; will cease.; work at four o'clock to-mprrow ; : nftey-.:. neon, and it is expected trades will follow suit. Tiio'ijninipmen! will leave with the otlicrsr"Jsnd'.aiij\ special case for tho pnmping'..of mines; to prevent flooding must be ..submitted'-, by the management to the Trades : ..Fcd:'J elation, which will corijiderritPfiSJ? The Trades Federation dMeßstosftsat;; till a lato hour behind closed;:; doors;v

:y^ n^^ ll o |l^he,S'*Eci6ion»UE'fVrik'i?:tti?-'i i •?' l^?l » le «li.tliero,%-crev/sceiics , v'ofCi;iro : , /grciitest^ciiUnisiasiii'S : 'm&ihc^ : toniiciii f ■■■ ■iicoin'.iiclclcjjntcs..wiving'-thVirSKatstaml.^; i "nntlkcrcliwl^niiUVclicering'ivocifcrouslv;.: l : i i 5 i '-' '; stration.SCV^^;■;^%:j^K:S'iP :^fiJ'^:;S.^ i ; fiHcutei'^..JofiaHnbsbiirglcorrospoHilcnts' I; :st«es':.that ; Hue:Ti : adns/Federation? ail- 7 ' ; ;nonnced ? ' [Wjfty, .ofyoiir?;to?6iio:iia:?iavoui:tof.,tli(v: i i ; ; ;-l>iit^sonio.'pf«llie^.tr"Bcle^'BOctibi!s r- '\vill ho;» ■■ .■ • v -\'J'iib-prcsi\Jen^o^the-/Bakers!',.Union';;,. . Mi'v" .Andcrioir,';.£ahnmincc3 rtliatv"al! ; : ' .bi'oad ; 'bakpd;*i'rQm?nopu'; ; tojiiiorrow.:jWi!U ■; ■ Phjyv '-• ''S;lviniselt\^Nonp^wilH;bqS.dQliyerD(l-:to1-. ;. ,tlie/Niiit^iis'^lel^ncpljfprcS'?pi>;rtoKi}ie'; . '.■ ® %?Srf'?G !ia ri"^ \ jKsAyrgeneral : . strike';£M'aS!|;declarcdfßi>ys | : i ;th'<>* result;- ; of ; v and ' s the '. ; .ballots' .oFallfed.trades.^sboVing;a':-large? . } majority..'in? favpiify^^:',^^V;;;%!.^-'?S ■ i - ! :;jln.a;;few;|niin^;*howover}iilie:majoritT s f \ liiJ^P^Saro^beingicncamiMi^iniltKei : :■ tl!oliniiicsH6;-afford?adequate? ; protection; ;in-sth'e?'cveiit.:? ! ::of/j'tTie'Vmen ■■ ; .aphe?ral£sirike v order7^v:^>§^