THE DIRECT ACTION CHALLENGE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 8, 4 October 1919, Page 9

THE DIRECT ACTION CHALLENGE

HEAVY SCORE BY THE GOVERNMENT

LATEST NEWS OF THE CONFERENCES A BREAK-DOWN ily Teliigraph—Press Association—Copyright London, October 2. A settlement' of the strike is reported In he imminent. .The workers' decision is expected to-night, alter a protracted sitting. 51 r. Gosling, president (if tlie Transport' Workers' 'Federation, who headed tin: deputation, which included prominput Labour leaders whose unions are uninvolved in Die strike, asked ill'.. Llovd Geome whether he wished to : see Iho '.Kailwaymen's Executive. ilr. Lloyd George replied that lie was read.v _ to meet them, but nothing could' he sained by ambiguity, and (hero had been a-g«od deal of misunderstanding already,. Ho therefore wanted to make it quite clear that the Government considers it impracticable to reopen negotiations until the railwaymeh resumed. "The Minis-' tc-rs concerned in the negotiations cannot.' attempt to deal with the questions involved while their whole energies arc dcvotejl lo improvising menus to carry -011 the lite of the nation."—A us.-X.Z. Cable Assn. • NO AGREEMENT YET' ' CONFERENCE BBEAKS DOWN. ' London, October 2.' The conference between the riulway'men and the Prime Minister failed to come to an agreement. Mr. Thomas has announced that lo.day's conference broke dowu_, and thero. was no .settlement.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable' Assn. ' . ' PRIME MINISTER FILMS A MESSAGE London, October' 2. The following statement signed by Mr. Llovd George is being (lathed oil Gio screens in all the Idnemas-—'"The Government is not fighting.lnides unionism,, which is recognised as a factor in I indiisi rial life of Iho country. The Government. is fighting to prevent oxtrem* iftl's of every industrial body attempting' to gain their ends by attacking, the life of tho commtmily, nnd so bringing untold, miserv to thousands of innocent people/' —.Router, . , RESUMPTION RECOGNISED AS ESSENTIAL London, October .. Tho strike lenders of the railwaymeu still maintain that. it is impossible, to secure (he general reluriv of: tbe men prior to negotiation, unless they can otV tho assurance of equitable wages and treatment aS compared with the .locomotive 'men; but even their apologists in the Press recognise that' resumption is essential to the success of the negotiations. Tbe position is still critical, but the new spirit of statesmanship manifested yesterday is regarded as .a. good augury, f.fc is possible that a, settlement will be effected on .the lines that a t.ri-' bunal or commission shall be immediately 'appointed' to examine "the whole' question, of .war .wages, taking, the case of the railwayman— Eouter. ' "MODERATES" TRIUMPH PREDICTED London, October 2. A. complete triumph of tile Moderate Labour leaders is believed lo be assured as tlie result of yesterday's and to-day's, proceedings. The extremists had a .chiinco yestei'dliv. when the'choice lay lie-' tween : fnr-reaching developments and mediation; -■ They hold important positions in'unionism,'.but-.'have proved to be a small minority in (he Executive Council and they 'seemed to feel helpless against the 'unflinching determination aroused among the public.—Aus.-N.is. Cable Assn. . 'W.liEKfj PAY IN QUESTION. (Kec. October 1, 1.15 a.m.)' London, October 2. The question has been raked whether the Government should pay tlie railwaymen's wages for a week's work, prior' to the strike, which payment was due. It is stated that the Government has. decided to refuse, as the men left without notice. Sir' Auckland Gcddes. Sir It-. S. Ilorne, and others assisted Mr. Lloyd George at the later stages of the conference. Lord liobert Cecil will call on the Govcriiincnt to summon I'aviiiunent. Confidential discussions, he says, cannot take the place of Parliamentary debates;— Aus.-N./i. Cable "Assn.

STEADY IMPROVEMENT IN THE . SERVICES AEROPLANE MAILS London, October 1. ' Oflicial statements issued indicate a steady- improvement ia the train and other transport services, and the distribution of I'ood and milk. An increasing n'umber of' voluiitepiu are offering." .Excepting -in AVesj: Scotland and' South Wales flic situation'-in the provinces is not very bad. - Canal-transit in the Midland.'! is proving most helpful in supplyin!r fuel and raw material to numerous industries. Although many of the collieries are closed or partially closed, (hers is nodi jug like « general break' down of industry in the lllaek Country. The situalion in Manchester, Liverpool, and liirminghaiN is not yet serious. In We.-t Scotland 25,fi<KI out of ,'liflftO sloel-workers and 2.1,000 miners are idle. T'he position in East, Scotland is not fierious, though shipping is tied up in some ports. .The food situation in the provinces is excellent. Fit!v-four service, aeroplanes were employed yesterday in distributing mails throughout the country. Commuaieation between London'and the. principal towns has been regularly established, and a iiuanliiy of mails, were sent to. European capitals in,aeroplanes. . It is understood that owing to the, increasing seriousness of the bunker problem the British Government" has arranged to purchase 100,000 tons of coat pei' nionih from the I'liited' Stales withwhich to supply depots at ports of call. •—Heuter. HOW THE GOVERNMENT HAS SCORED. (11 ec. October I!, 5.20 p.m..) London, October 2.. There is little doubt that the unlookedfor success of (he fiovenijnent's measures have strengthened moderate opinion. This success is shown by the official announcement, that the two thou-' sand trains scheduled foMVednesday are more than secured. This is double thn number of Tuesday's I rains. The food situation is oven belter. Apart from milk. Loudon can live on ils present food stocks for a month or six weeks, while flic provinces are provided with amnio local supplies, including great hoards of catlle and sheep, which are being driver, to the towns alopg the high roads. In (lie Midlands and Xorlh Leicestershire the fanners alone are supplying two thousand cattle and many mo"e sheep, which are trekking fifty miles alone -Ihe roads in many eases.— Ans.-X.Z. Cable Assn. NEWSPAPERS REDUCED IN SIZE London, Otohor The i>i?v;.;pr.|u»n Jinvr lutii kuluimm! If luilf-siKP. htil -iho ki'mlp.s! (liflii'iillv is r-spprimu-pil in oiMrihuiinn. Tlipy jirt» iiMiijy mulms sin«l jernpbnirs. '(In* vu-ll nf .volimlrn ]i:i* rjnisprl Mir i»»itio <iwn Ir.'-h fiirulmoirC ilqmK Pcn»f rvnud* ;il 'liiybrnik. n:vxor In <!" :iny!lnu;;. Vw? ar<»-nippipir !ifk"U mhJ pp«rf.w j'-prviiy; in ivl'm-h----munl iwuis; bishops i* no clergymen .».ce

conveying mails • ami rolling trollies,; brigadier-generals and colonels am acting as pprters ami .moving. luggage; and city magnates are stoking up the powerhouses. Twenty thousand workers are nightly provided with hostel accommodation and meals; ami ladies' coiuniiilees have organised stalls to provide, free teas for 10.000 city girls who have to walk home.—Aus.-N.Si. (.'able Assn. FIIRTHER~CONFERENCES (liec. Octoljer I, 1.30 a.m.) ... 1 London,' 'October 2.' The aeerelary of the transport workers says tliat a committee, from the conference will liieet to-morrow, morning, after which a request may possibly be made to .Mr. Lloyd George lo again see- them. Then the federation .will report to a further conference, which it is hoped will bo of an even more representative character. The executive of all the unions immediately, or likely, to be. involved have been requested to consult oiie another in order lo prepare for any action likbly to be decinitl advisable.—A'us.-M.Z. Cable Assn. SIGNS OF RETURNING REASON . .(l!ec. October i,'', 1.50 ja.iu.)- .... ' ' London, 3. Instead of immediately authorising a strike, as the hotheads expected, tho conference, after listening lu MY. Henderson's.opening speech; called ihMessrs. 'I'honms and lirownlie, heard them for an hour, and then elected a deputation: of eleven members to go to Downing Street aiid. interview. Mr. Lloyd .Uefli'ge. . Tint deputation iDeludedJVlcssrs. Gosling. Williams. dynes,- Henderson, O'Urady, lirownlie, and Xaylor. ■ 'L'heir representations were so successful tlialit Mr. Thomas .was invited to- Downing Street lor .a second Qoni'nrcs.ec at. ;iiiio o'clock, whiheh Messrs...Cramp, Rorwnlie,. 'And other members of the striking executives have also joined in to last, lour hours. The trade 1 unionists; meanwhile arc remaining at C'axton • Hall.' The lungth of the confcrence proved that substantial progress .'inust be . being. inade. >This was confirmed when it was officially announced that Mr. Lloyd George was niceling the dejiuliition again.this'morning. There is now a general belief m the hope Iha I: the, railwaymcn Jiave Joariit tlio impossibility.of.maintaining their position and are anxious lor a settlement. STKITvP/ HOLIDAY.,SUGGESTED. (llec. October i, 1.45: a.m.) London, October 2. ' The "Daily Express" proposes that llio London business nouses should give their employees a holiday, from Thursday, lo Monday if, the ulrike; eontiiiues;-Aiis.-"N.'/S. Cable -Assn. . '