SURRENDER!

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1960, 17 January 1914, Page 5

SURRENDER!

STRIKE LEADERS ARRESTED AND GAOLED.

COWED BY A TWELVE

POUNDER.

SYNDICALISM CRUSHED.

DRAMATIC DENOUEMENT AT JOHANNESBURG.

By Tekrr&ph-Froßi AeSociation-Oopyrlght Johannesburg, January 15. Tho men confined in tho Trades Hall havo surrendered unconditionally. ... ' j Tlio leaders Bain and Mason.and thirty others wcro marched under an overwhelming escort to tho police headquarters When tho mon offered to surrender the Government's reply was that t'o control officer must arrest every man within tho hall, using the most drastic measures if neccessary if, alter warning, the occupants did not surrender without violence. ■ After tho Government's reply to tho messago from the Trades Hall. tii« cordon round tho building was groatiy strengthened by additional police and a commando of armed burghers. A twolve-pounder gun was posted at Commissioner Street and trained on tho Trades Hall, while General de Iα Rcy and tjio control officer, Colonel Trutter, superintended tho dispositions of the force. : AVhen these had been completed liain, tho Trades Federation secretary, appeared at the window of tho Trades Hall,' and protested against this display of forco The members of the Strike Com--mittec, ho said, wcro unarmed, and offered no resistance. If bloodshed ensued after this notification iliey would hold the Government responsible. Major Douglas, commanding tho potico force, replied .'that if they did iiot surrender ho would have to uso force. ■■~. ■■''■ ■ Bain replied: "Tho forco is oil your side to-day," and then came down. Tlio police entered the building and arrested Watson, the president of the Trades Federation, Bain, Mason, Crawford, Waro, and other leaders and their immediate followers, totalling thirty-fire. Thev were, as a preliminary, committed to prison for twenty-one _ days, under the Peace Preservation Ordinance of 1902. Subsequently tho secretary and tho ontiro executive of tho Amalgamated Sociotj' of Engineers were arrested at their offices in tho centre of tho city, whilo a ivumber of ■ other Labourite arrests wero made in different parts of the conutry. Tho back of tho striko is regarded as , broken. Renter's correspondents throughout the strike region in tlio Transvaal, Ki\tal, and tho Free Stato report an abatement oftlvo striko and an abatement of enthusiasm. The full railway services are expected to bo resumed to-morrow. The position at tho mines is practically unaltered. Tho night passed absolutely without incident, apart from the arrest of persons not possessing permits. Tho Trades-Hall i» still isolated. No pedestrian c-r cart is aJlowcd anywhere near. l ;Tho railway etriko is believed to be 'Cdllifpeing'f '-•> iijoiij-am ;. : • There- arc mOro" applications for rccmploymcnt than there arc vacancies. Tho normal train service is resuming, A communication from the Trades Hall to Router's'agent states: "As a result of a conference between the Railway Union's deputation and the Federation's Striko Committee, it has been decided to communicate with tho Government a proposal that, the striko now being general, the Federation is prepared to discuss a settlement. Tito Federation is willing to meet tho Government, and desires to. discuss tho whole situation with them." A Router message from Pretoria states that applications on behalf of tlio strike leaders at the Supremo Court this morning for tho Govej-nment to show cause why they are detained were postponed definitely. The men aro now detained under martial law. Johannesburg, .lemjary IS. Disturbances occurred in tho. streets nt Bcnoni yesterday evening, strikers throwing dynamite amongst the police. " Twenty-threo arrests were made. Tho "Transvaal Leader" published only four sheets this morning, set by. hand. ■ Hitherto it was a union house, but now announces that in futuro it will bo a non-union house. Cape Town, January 15. Reuter's correspondent is informed that the Government's Jotter to the meu in tho Trades Hall was sternly brief. It gave them five minutes to come out, failing which they would bo fetched out. After tho twenty-oho days' term of imprisonment is ever, graver charges will bo lodged against tho chief loaders. Tho collapse of the striko Seems to be imminont. Men are streaming baok to Bloomfoatein an;l other points on tho railway. It is considered to be useless to continue striking. Hie loaders , have gone, and everything is in chaos. •_ An early collapse of the miners' strike is confidently predicted. Tho general opinion in Johannesburg to-night is that tho unquestionably firm and prompt measures which wero taken will quickly end tho strike and restoro normal conditions. ... : STRIKE FIZZUNC OUT AT THE PAPE. ;;,* ~...:' BLACK STEVEDORES OUT. -I Cape Towri, January 15. •■' Tho Btrike at Cape Peninsala. is fizzling out. Iho Cape Federation meets to-night to consider whothor to call a general striko in Capo Province of not. Some hundreds i of coloured stevedores employed by private firms struck nt tho Capo Town Docks this morning, demanding -better pay. They number between 600 and 600. They demand, inter alia, 6s. per day instead cf 4s, 6d. and 65., and an eight-hour day. Shipping at present is ltttlo affected. The crews are working the ships with tho assistance of a fo«r loyal men, but tho work is necessarily retarded. Otherwise tlio situation at' Capo Peninsula is improving, i Further strikers have returned at Salt Riyfir. Men in trades generally are marking time. i^. GENERAL STRIKE ABANDONED;: (Roc. January 18, 11.10 p.m'.).v«?f Cape Town, January .16: : i The Cape Trades Federation has acK ionrned, after a prolonged deliberation;. They declined to make any announce-; ment, but it is believed that tho idea of a general strike in tho Capo Province lias been abandoned, in..view-;"of tho developments at Johannesburg;y;;if THE RETURN TO WoßK||iS| (Rcc. January 17, 0.35-aim;) *f'J Cape Town, January,]6^s; On the Striko Committee's. , ■■ reeorii-" mendation, the Salt River strikers'-re-. turned to work this morning,'and were taken on unconditionally, with the;ex-; ception of a f»w ,for whom-there : VaS' no work, r>ud tho strike leaders, -± in-" , - eluding the looivt iwjretwyntf ttwjtwl-v vraymen. ■ .'..' ■ ■ ■■ ■-,'- ':i-&? : ftiauiu tie , m^t-timsm&: : mk :

!H , |^!)O;<locl;s?issprwicoi]i!)gva^ , al!buf;liai[| jUio?normal si)c«i^!i'l(lisc!iarge; : iTiio|-yc|?i ! jii re,, bei ng'Cjjwk ed; by,,: K a {lirs|S|| ; ;3s ! ! Bi;qS|llpN; ; fti^ffiftj^sfACTOß ij ;? ;-4;^fe : ' J JanuaryClS!© K; Reports i-from..-tlio >J3a'st&:Kflndj; ijrpS :prietarj:i:MinesJsiio\r;jthni;/.exe:cptj;i'oFia; ,fo\v:{mcii fontetii "scctibn^'thd^whojo^group^is^in , ;fuU ■ swinjiifTFcclinK f .quietest;; ;?ltVis 'statedUhat: optimistic'.at , H'liorf of ,til o wholoof t-lii!a J 1 Kroiip'■ liforki ngi:'■■•;'■•--*;>/■■ I'?;;Tlio, s position aWnKSlhtSvFortyl-WVliles' 'reef;_ varies.}* , ■;'ln■•■■aanio"'" i inincs./'all.^ ! tlio underground; me»?'are ■coming * out,'""m otlicr miucs tho hindergrotmd hands aro i working and. only' tho;.surface men aro striking. .iJiuptliers'/aVmaiority'Of.j.both surfaco :'and:£unckTKi'pund , ■ . : :*Tho'situation -amongst'tho: miners' on tho' lleef. continues "on ;the /whole: eatis- ; factory. ' v.'*':■■■?.'-'*■ ."'< ' ""'■"■■■.'■ :' ' East Rand and West Rami overnight reports indicate ii decided unwillingness on tlio part: of the men to come out. In some eases, as on East Jtnnd, employees representing a. largo section of men ' are * volunteering for/ tiro protecof 'their'" respective ■'■mine proprietaries, the Goldfjelds Group, especially, and the Rand mines m<?n seem well disposed, but,.to-day is .a critical time, and wilt showMvhothorHho'. minors are responding to .'tho':.-Federation.-"orders or not..:' ./.■/^■■"-tf'^i' ; : f ''V , , ■:■ ■■■■'■^.' , PRETORIA XEADERS"ARRESTED.* .^S , ;.: ■^Si ; "(Rfic.;January Iβ, 11.10 p.m.)'"" <k . "■' , ■ ■ f»retoria,. January; Iβ."*'' .; Tho mounted and , foot', police List uiglit raided the striko'* headquarters at Pretoria and.arrested twenty of tho loaders,'.including the entire. Strike Committee. ' V V : . .''.'■ "■ '*■.'■■-.' ■■: ' ■ A , number, of,, mechanics at the Premier Diamond Mine, a vast property near Pretoria j "struck work. ,, ' ■■'■ ~ The ringleaders were, immediately arrested., ';'■ ■■ ~' ; ; ;~.jy*.''. !>*..,(■■.''.'ir ,, ;'"■;""■' Tho strikers-thereupon asked to bo allowed to resurao, v .but...thc : request was refused.-; , *■<.'.. vJfSsiicrSjj; Mr' '-■•>■■■ ■ COVERNMENt/dOURtEO TROUBLE. RESULT OF SUPPORTING THE • ;',■ . ...LABOUR PAIITW • ; "Times"-r-Sydney- "Suu" Special Cables. ■ ' London,, January 15. ; '■; The "Times," in. a leader referring to tho South. African, strike, says:— "Although the Government is meeting ike crisis with admirable resolution, it must bear part of the blame- for the misguided arrogance which came upon tho Labour party during tho General Elections of 1911, when tho Labour candidates were regularly supported by General Botha's followers against the Unionists. No doubt these tactics misled tho Labour leaders. AVhen tho conflict is over those who:havo combined in aelf-defeneo will hardly ..return . to their old political differences." ...-.;' BURCHERS REWAROEQ. ; j ; .'-"' may keep THEii rifled ?::'?' (Rec. January 17, 0.35 a.m.) .;■ "' : - . Pretoria, January IC. > Tho Government has decided that the burghers who responded to tho mobilisation order will bo allowed to-rot-am, without 'paym-ftnt, tho rifles issued to them during the present crisis, so Ion"; as they remain moinbers of tLio G-itizena'-Defence .Force- .or of the nilo associations.., ..;■■■■ ' -■" i , - , ' ■'":'. Dtlrbartl January Iβ. Tho Natal Trades Federation delegates adjourned at a lato lieur last night; after a protracted discussion. No statement was issued, but it is believed that it was found inexpedient t-o proclaim a general strike in Natal.