GREAT RAILWAY STRIKE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 3, 29 September 1919, Page 5

GREAT RAILWAY STRIKE

NEGOTIATIONS FAIL DOOR SLAMMED IN CABINET'S FACE A MILLION WORKERS IDLE By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, September 20. The conference has failed. The news of the failure of the negotiations cameas a bombshell to tne public, which refused to anticipate a strike on forty-eight- hours' nolke when the railwaymen Were assured of I heir present wages for at least three months, but those, with inner knowledge say that the public optimism regarding a settlement was never really justified. The Government this morning made a new offer, and promised also to consider any anomalies. The men's leaders then withdrew to another room ,and after a prolonged consultation returned and said that they had decided to reject the offer.. Members of Cabinet and officials, who had been waiting in great' anxiety, realised that further efforts would lie useless and that the die was cast.

» When Mr: Thomas, who is a highly emotional man, came to Downing Street, he was evidently on tho. vnrga of tears, and said to the waiting pressmen: "The strike will be at midnight." Later, Mr. Thomas stated that the executive had 6pared no effort.to avert the crisis. He said that Mr. Lloyd George had found it impossible to concede the standardisation of all grades on the basis already to with the locomotive men, with the re- ? suit, that a strike was inevitable.

It is hoped that member.': realise that neither disorder nor rioting will help their cause, and that dnniage to property will not he countenanced. Tho Government has aniKfunced that protection will be afforded to all loyal workers. It is also officially announced that the Government has mobilised road transport vehicles and army lorries for the conveyance of essential foods., These 'measures are strictly confined to food transport, hut famine in large towns will be prevented at any cost.

The public is warned that the most stringent economy in milk is essential; in order to carry out the policy. The Food Ministry has presentid a detailed memorandum, conferring extensive powers upon the Ministry.'

The attitude of the omnibus men do: pends on tho Transport Woikers' Federation.

CONDUCT OF THE NEGOTIATIONS . THE-GOVERNMENT'S OFFER. (Rec. September 28, 5.5 p.m.) London, September 20. The strike negotiations were originally conducted by Sir Auckland Geddes, but when the Transport Ministry was invited Sir Eric Geddes took up" tho negotiations and suggested a meeting of tho. parties. Directly the seriousness of the situation was realised Mr. Lloyd Geor.»e was called in. Prior to this week's nejotialions all the workers were receiving pre-war pay, plus 335. per week war bonus. The railwaymen' claim that this should be permanent. The Government refused to accept this principle, offerim; instead' a minimum of 40s. per week, .compared with tho 18s. pre-war rate. The Government nlso drafted a new swhs aiming generally at giving a hundred per cent, advance to all grades, according to the March agreement, the war bonus to cease at the end of the year, but io-dav the Government offered a prolonged bonus until the cost of living, which is now 115 per cent. ,above the pre-war level, falls to 110, and remains at that level for three months. This practically gave six monlb's for negotiations, but the mei; rejected the offer. i ■ ■ , Cost to the Country of tht Incroascs. The Government pointed out that, contrary to Mr. Thomas's assertions, the agreement with the locomotive section did not embody the principle that the war bonus should continue . permanently. While it was true that the wages of drivers and firemen were fixed on this basis, cleaners under the same agreement received a smaller • sum. Tho March agreement specially stated that the new permanent wage should consist of the prewar wage and part of the war bouu*. Theaureementdid not cantemplnto the inclusion of the wholo war bonus. It is pointed out that prior to tho war tnu railways wage bill amounteci to .£47,000,000 annually. Tho increase of a hundred per cent, in wages and the extra cost Involved as a .result of ,the recent legislation for a shorter day .repr.jsents a further ,£67,000,000. It is estimated that tho men's new claims would cost an additional .eu.000.000. A crowd besieged Downing Stree>. throughout the day, necessitating mounted police to clear; the street. 'The Premier was cheered when leaving the conference. General Fielding, commanding the London district, attended the meeting of Cabinet. Mr. Williams, secretary of the .Transport Workers' Union, declares that the strike will automatically involve the Triple. Alliance, thus paralysing the wholo country. The actual strikers are expected to number 564,800, and the. total rendered idle to be about a million. War-time Restrictions Hestored. The war-time restrictions on the usage of petrol have been restored. The Government is calling demobilised volunteers to help to maintain order. The- official viqw is that there is no further loophole for negotiations. The railwaymen have slammed the door in the Cabiners face. Cabinet summoned Sir Douglas Haig after the negotiations failed, and he remained in consultation with 'Cnbinat for two hours. The Government has issued nn urgent appeal for volunteer motor'driven; to carry food, The. principal' war-time food restrictions have been reimposed. The Government regards fie strike as directed against the life of the community. A great deal of organisation to meet the situation already exists. The Government has also a specially prepared organisation for rationing food, If necessary the distribution of food will be carried out by the compulsory acquisition, of motor vehicles for this purpose. The railway officials despair of eve a a skeleton service, and state clerks and others are now strongly organised, and there is little hope that they will perform the strikers' duties. Post Office officials requested and obtained an official assurance that they will not be asked fo'do railwaymen's work. Special constables are warned to be ready, and the Government has taken powers to commandeer all vehicles i and horses.

Engineers' Society Supporting Strikers, Mr. Bromlie, chairman of tho Amalgamated Engineers' Society, states that until Tuesday .lie and his (•sequitve did not know the difficulties between the Government and the National Un'on. Tho executive received Mr. . Thomas's statement of their demands and the Government's offer on Thursday afternoon, and wrote to Mr. Thomas twciKv-f'our hours later, stating that the executive bad resolved, in view of the rates of pay ruling in other industries, that'the Government's offer whs totally inadequate to meet- f'e existing cost of livme;, and had decided to extend any si'mp-H't necessary to brine the movement to a successful issue. Mr. Bromlie refuses to slate whether the' members of his union will also strike at midnieht. but his executive is now siltiiu' to formulate amngemonts to carry out the resolution. A full Cabinet meeting was held late in th" afternoon, and. coi'=ide™d -tho situation, in consultation with the railway executive, mid the malingers.—A us.N.Z. Cable Assn. RAILWAYMAN ENTirvRSB KXECUTIVK'S ACTION. (Rec. September 28, 11.'. p.m.). London, Septembor 27. A demonstration of railwavmen at tho Albert HaM passed a resolution endorsing

tho executive's action in calling a strike. Mr. Thomas, in a speech, declared that if Mr. Lloyd George would say ho was prepared to concede the same principle to all railway servants tho striko -could cease immediately.—Renter. NOT A SINGLE TRAIN RUNNING TRANSPORT WORKERS MAY JOIN STRIKERS (Kec. September 28, 5.5 p.m.) London, September 2". Not a single train is running throughout tlio country. The omnibuses and tramways in Loudon are running a uul service, but are quite inadequate to meet the demands. Queues ji hundred yards long aro waiting at the starting places from early hours, and many thousands are compelled to tramp from distant suburbs. Many travelled on motor lorries, horse wagons, and bicycles. Tho multiplication of vehicles is causing congestion in some streets, and there have been several accidents. , The great strike began, iu many centres before midnight, through tho absence of night staffs. Many long-distance trains,' fully loaded with passengers, had their running cancelled owing to the absence of signalmen. The naval week-end leavo has been cancelled. The Government has imposed restrictions upon the use of gas and electric lighting in order to conserve coal, which is being stringently rationed to dwellings. Tne Board of Trade has warned the public that it may be necessary to stop coal transport entirely in the interests of food .transport. The Government at present does not intend to provide trains with military crews, but may do so for Itx 1 transport of food. Tho existing stocks of petrol are aniple, and arrangements.are being made for an increase in the imports thereof. Triple, Alliance May be Involved. Though some anticipate a short, sharp struggle, there is grave danger, that the entiro Triple Alliance will be involved, .and serious as the consequences of the National Union's action must inevitably be, the feeling exists that the country may now be faced with an industrial situation of.appalling and'possibly unprecedented magnitudfr, and •-' that the railwaymen have struck tho first blow in a trial of strength in witch other trades unions will be only too willing to lend support. II; may later he found that tins dispute is being fought on .the- test question whether the general high level of wages arising from the special circumstances of the war shall henceforth he regarded as the standard. It is noteworthy that Mr, Thomas, in justifying the union's standpoint, repeatedly insists npnn the standardisation of all '"MoV, c same basis as conceded to the Associated Society's locomotive men. Standardisation on .these lines is the burden of his correspondence with Sir Auckland Geddes.

Possible Extension of Strike. Observers in touch with Labour eircJos declare that a determination to mamni .p the wage standards at the piwit IcrM exists throughout the ranks of organised Labour, especiallv • in. the industrial north, where thero is a serious danger that the Government's stand against the railwaymen' mav be interpreted by other -workers as a declaration of industrial war. There are already disquieting symptoms of this, and there is every reason to fear that the transport workers will throw in their lot, if requested. Mr. Williams is one of the extremist Labour leaders, but he probably knows tho sentiments of the rank and file, in a. dispute of this nature. The strike developed so suddenly that few indications oxist of'tho transport workers' leanings. The only utterance apart from that of Mr. Williams is by the secretary of tho London section, who declares that the vehicle workers are not likely to blackleg against the rnilwaymcn.' An extension of tho strike to tho dockers Is equally liable. The Plymouth dockers lost no time in passine a. resolution declaring that they will, not blackleg against the railwaymen. Much depends upon tho section of the Triple Alliance constitution Telating to joint action. The full intervention of the Triple Allinnco in ordinary circumstances would involve a matter of some little time, but the Alliance-thrashed out the question now disputed last March, when the country was faced by an imminent etriko of Taihvavmen, miners, and transport workers. The settlement of the ra'ilwaymen's demands at' that time averted a trial of strength, but the settlement was then conditional on the subsequent satisfaction of the railwayuien's demands for standardisation. There is every likelihood, therefore, that tho Alliance will regard tlm present dispute as a continuation of the earlier dispute, in which case Mr. Williams's intimation of automatic joint action may 'speedily be realised.

War-time Organisation Revived. Tho Government, in a pursuance of its declared policy of scoing tho struggle through to a finish, i 8 deriving considerable assistance from the organisation created in war time. Within a few hours of the strike decision, emergency •orders -and regulations (lowed in a rapid stream from Government Departments, differing only slightly from war-time ordinances. It will be a comparatively easy matter to-revive war-time organisation, and much invaluable time will be saved in tho organisation .of emergency transport by the vast supply of War Office motor-lorries available. An important asset also is tho register of private motors suitable for transport.winch was compiled during the war to meet tho needs of a possible invasion. Strike Popular Among Railwaymen. It is impossible to doubt that tho strike is popular among railwaymen. Meetings in many centres received the dee.ison with enthusiasm. At a mass meeting the secretary of the Rugby branch declared that tho railwaymen were determined to wipe out tho stain of the 1911 defeat. - Mr. Thomas discloses Sir Auckland Gcddes's correspondence, showintr that the crisis was' practically inevitable from the outset. Sir Auckland Geddes, in conveying tho Government's proposals on September 19, sent a covering letter containing the following studied phrase: "The proposals are not nut forward as a basis for negotiations, but as the definite offer of the Government to the union." ■ The executive seems to have accepted this as a challenge. It has been suggested that this is-a misapprehension, but apart from the official Labour organs the newspapers are emphatic in declaring that the differences arc so fundamental that it is impossible to talk of misunderstandings. The newspapers are in practical unanimity in considering that the men received a fair offer, and that the strike, therefore amounts to a challenge to the State, involving far more important issues tlian wanes. It is the long-deferred struggle with direct action, which . was bound to' come sooner or later.' Accordingly, some newspapers breathe a sigh of relief, confident that the nation will be willing to endure the inevitable hardships jn order to re. move . the long-standing 'monace. Mr. Thomas admits that the strike is an awful business, and docs not doubt that tho Triplo Alliance will come in. Ireland Not Affected. It is suggested in many quarters Hint Parliament should be summoned. One reason (riven is that Parliament may devise a settlement. Ireland is not nf- • fected. There will be a meeting of London provincJiil licensed vehicle workers to-night, and officials declare that the vote will support the railwaymen, and buses, trams, and taxis will cease to run after to-night. There was a great rush to clear the shops of, tinned food, and tradesmen in the suburbs had great difficulty in getting fresh supplies. Milk from Buckingham and other Home Counties was largely held up until lorries wero sent to meet tho local carta and other conveyances halt-way. Fish portel's arc sympathetic to the strike, and at Billingsgate seriously delayed the unloading of Army' lorries bringing supplies to market from the termina — Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn.

STATEMENT BY MR. LLOYD GEORGE STRIKE ENGINEERED BY SMALL BODY OF MEN. fßoc, September ,28. 5.5 p.m.) London, September 27. Mr. Lloyd George, in a statement, says that tho strike's precipitancy is an indication of tho dcliberato intention ot some individuals to force a quarrel nt any cost. The, 6trike was engineered by

a small body of men, seeking to exploit Labour for subversivfc ends—Aus.-N.Z, Cuble Aesn. A GOVBRNUENTCOIHHUNIQUB ROAD TRANSPORT SERVICE BEING ORGANISED. (Rec. September 28, 11.3 p.m.) London, September 27. Sir Douglas Haig, Sir R. S. Home, Admiral Sir Rosslyn AYemyss, Sir Erie Geddes, Mr. Walter Long, Mr. Winston Churchill, and Mr. G. H. Roberts attended a conference at the offices of the Council of Imperial Defence at Whitehall. Mr. Churchill, Sir Eric Geddes, and tho railway managers subsequently conferred with Mr. Lloyd George at Downing Street, whenco during the evening the following communique was issued: "Reports from the country indicate that the stoppage of the train services is complete. There have been few disturbances. The Government is rapidly organising a road transport service to ensure tho food supply, and is receiving large numbers of offers of assistance from all parts, particularly from discharged soldiers and sailors and their organisa-tion."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. PROBABLE DURATION OF STRIKE MANY INDUSTRIES AFFECTED.. (R«c. September 28, 11.35 p.m.) London, September 27. The duration of the strike is estimated in railway circles 1 at' a, fortnight, if the Government lemains adamant. The Government has taken over Hyde. Park as a centre for food distribution in the London area. Milk, butter, vegetables, and eggs will be brow-'ht direct from the country to Hyde Park and sent forthwith .to scheduled districts in motorlorries, under the direction of Air Force officers. Country people brought produce to Plymouth over many miles of road. All sorts of conveyances wcro used for the clistribut'oii of food. Soldiers at Folkestone assisted in carrying luggage and loading coal and mails to enable tho cross-Channel steamers to leave. -Hundreds of telegrams have been received from the country containing gratifying offers of' motor-cars and drivers. A few hundred naval men have been drafted to London from Chatham, and entrusted with motor-lorries for distributing foodstuffs. The postal service between London ami tlie provinces will bo re-established on Monday.

Three-fourths, of'the Midland Railway employees and the Derby carriage and wagon building and'repairing works are idle. Tlic platforms at Bristol are left piled with mails and perishables. Hundreds of workers are unable, to reach Birmingham, Cardiff, and other centres. Union officials claim that 3500 have struck in South Wales. There are no workmen's trains to the collieries in the Avon .Valley, and on Monday every pit will be idle Steel and tinplate works must close in.the absence of coal; The stoppage in the English traffic seriously affects Bnlfast. The strike in Glasgow is- complete, and supplies of coal aro abort for both industrial and domestic purposes., ' The mills at Burnley must soon close because of Jack of coal a£il material.' There is much inconvenience in Liverpool, Steps are 'being token to. keep the Mersey tunnel pumped. Seventeen thousand ctf 1 - liers and steelworkers at Neath have been rendered idle by the strike. The coal stocks will suffice for' tho big local industries for a fortnight.

The Trish Trade Union Congress hasofficially approved the strike, and warned Trish workers to be ready to assist the strikers in every possible way—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assri.

EN(MERING_W(NKS TO CLOSE OWING- TO DEPLETION OP -CASTINGS. London, September 26. ■ Owing to thb depletion of castings, due to tbc ironfounders' strike,' many engineering firms have notified their employees that Wie works will'soon be. close.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable. Assn. ' [Recently 50,000 ironfounders struck for 'an increase of los. per week and ,7s, Gd. per week for apprentices.] INCREASE IN PRICE OF .COAL AFFECTING MANY TRADES., London, September 26. The increase of G;. per ton in the price of coal is affecting prices in many trades, and some gas companies are increasing tho price by Is. Gd. per thousand feet. Tho South Metropolitan Company states that tho advance of 6s. increases their coal bill by .£310,000 an-nually.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.