GENERAL STRIKE OFF

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 173, 18 April 1921, Page 5

GENERAL STRIKE OFF

TRIPLE ALLIANCE WITHDRAWS NOTICE

MINERS REFUSE TO REOPEN NEGOTIATIONS

WILL CONTINUE STRUGGLE UNAIDED

The message published on Saturday morning stating that there was a divergence of opinion among the railwaymen and transport workers regarding a general strike has been fully verified. As a result of the executive of the Miners’ Union refusing to reopen negotiations, as proposed by Mr. Hodges, the secretary, the Triple Alliance cancelled the order for a general strike. This decision has aroused bitter feelings among the miners, and the disruption of the alliance is freely predicted. Meanwhile tho miners declare that they will fight on without the assistance of the railwaymen and transport workers, and that they will only be beaten by starvation. The Government, however, is continuing its efforts to bring about a settlement of the dispute.

By Telegraph—Presi Association-Copyright.

London, April 15. Tho Triple Alliance has declared the strike off.

The secretary of the locomotive engineers states that the other unions considered the miners wrong in refusing to negotiate on the lines of Mr. Hodge’s suggestion.

Mr. Lloyd George, Mr. Austen Chamberlain, and Sir Robert Horne, and the mine-owners, waited at the Board of Trade for forty-five minutes, during which the miners’ executive did not appear. The executive held a meeting at Unity House, and it is rumoured that they disagreed regarding Mr. Hodges’s proposal to negotiate on wages alone, whereupon Air. Hodges offered to resign. His colleagues refused to accept the resigna-tion.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

(Rec. April 17, 5.5 p.m.) London, April 15

Mr. Hodges denies the statement regarding his resignation. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

SENSATION IN HOUSE OF COMMONS PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCES ALLIANCE’S DECISION. (Rec. April 17, 5.5 p.m.) London, April 16. The decision of the alliance caused a sensation in the House of Commons, lhe first intimation that the strike was off came by telegram to Mr. Lloyd George. Mr. dynes was unaware of the change, and was actually telling the House that the railwaymen and transport viorkers could not desert their comrades, when Mr. Lloyd George rose and announced the alliance decision, amid unprecedented excitement, emotion, and cheering. The next stage was the sending out of telegrams by Mr. Thomas and Mr. Cramp announcing that the strike was cancelled and ordering all to remain at work. The news was variously received in different centres. It came as a thunderclap in South Wales, where the railwaymen and pitmen had completed final arrangements for the strike. These men were furiously angry. The local leaders with difficulty restrained them from calling indignation meeting's and condemning the London leaders. Scotland is quieter, but the miners are intensely embittered.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.

MINERS REFUSE SETTLEMENT. (Rec. April 17, 5.5 p.m.) London, April 15. Mr. Lloyd George, in . the House of Commons, said he had just rcceired a letter from the Miners’ Federation refusing a temporary settlement of wage* unless national wages and a national pool were conceded. There could be no doubt what the issue would be. The Government was firmly of opinion that a surrender on the question of control would be disastrous to the interests of the country. It was thoroughly realised by the Government that this was not a struggle in order to owners hf This statement was made just prior to the announcement that the strike was declared off.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

FRIDAY’S STRANGE TRANSITIONS

FIRST SYMPTOM OF CLEAVAGE. (Rec. April 17, 5.5 p.m.-)

London, April 16. Friday’s strange transitions, resulting in the abandonment of a general strike, is likely to rank as of historic importance in British Labour, ending at least temporarily, the solidarity of the formidable Triple Alliance. The first symptom of cleavage arose during the morning, when the miners, instead of meeting Mr. Lloyd George as arranged, spent the time in considering Sir. Hodges s attitude, which they condemned.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE FATEFuTcONFERENCE DISRUPTION OF ALLIANCE PREDICTED COALFIELDS STRIKE TO CONTINUE. (Rec. April 17, 5.5 p.m.) London, April 15. The details of the conference which led to the abandonment of the strike show that Mr. Thomas in the morning informed the miners that they should accept Mr. Hodges’s proposal. In the circumstances he did not feel like calling out the railwaymen. The majority' of the executive of the transport workers wore of the same opinion. The majority of the miners strongly opposed this. Mr. Hodges offered to resign, but later withdrew the offer. The railwaymen and transport workers returned to their headquarters and continued their conference alone. The discussion there developed into an acrimonious wrangle before the fateful decision was taken. When the result of the vote was announced in favour of a cancellation of the strike an uncanny silence prevailed for almost a minute before an angry shout of •‘Traitors, you have left our pals in the lurch,” arose from the extremists. Apparently it was the transport workers, with one or two of the railwaymen, who carried the cancellation resolution, rather than a postponement. As one transport delegate said: "We ere sick of the whole damned business.” Mr. Hodges had been severely cross-examined regarding his offer to the members of the House of Commons, and was forced to apologise for apparently receding from his attitude of the previous night. Mr. Hodges came out of Unity House looking very dejected and went to the miners’ headquarters and joined his colleagues, while Mr. Thomas notified the waiting journalists that the strike was off. ' Meantime the House of Commons had no idea of the fiasco being enacted elsewhere, until Mr. Lloyd George, Mr. Asquith. and Mr. Clynea had spoken. Mr. Lloyd George learned the news officially when the executives of the railwaymen and transport, workers wrote to him. He replied: ”T am gratified to learn tbaAycw nnfcms do not propose to resort

'io the insensate method of attempting to compel judgment on a question of wages by paralysing the industries of the country and bringing suffering to millions of innocent people, while tho Government is urging a saner method of negotiation between the mine-owners and miners regarding the amount of disputed wages.” Interviewed afterwards, Mr. Cooke, the South Wales member of the Minors’ Executive, said: "We have been bet rayed by tho Triple Alliance. We shall go on with tho fight as we are.” Mr. Tom Richards, asked for ti frank opinion of tho railwaymen and transport workers, said: "It would be unprintable.” Air. Straker, the Northumberland secretary, declared: "I am speechless about it.” Mr, Hodges has decided to summon a conference of all tho coalfields representatives forthwith. The feeling among the miners is that Air. Hodges went beyond his brief in making the offer he did. ' The strike continues. It is generally predicted that the withdrawal of tho railwaymen’s and transport workers’ support from tho miners will result in fhe breaking up of the Triple Alliance, nnd also cause dissension in the Railwaymen’s and, Transport Workers’ Unions, several branches of which arc already protesting bitterly against the cancellation of the strike and the desertion of the miners. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. COMBINED LABOUR GATHERING MOST FORMIDABLE TN HISTORY. London, April 15. The conference of the combined Labour movement was one of the most formidable in history. Labour was represented by the Parliamentary Labour Party, the National Executive of the Labour Party, the Parliamentary Committee of tho Trade Union Congress, with a deputation from tho Triple Alliance, and also the Independent Labour Party. The meeting was held in the evening and the decision was a great, disappointment, as all day long it was hoped that the conference aimed at successful intervention by bringing the miners and coal owners together again. Such a proposition actually was considered, but was summarily rejected, on the ground that the Prime Minister earlier had asserted that the dispute was political and an attempt to employ direct action to enforce a species of nationalisation. The conference appointed a standing committee to watch events. This was interpreted, in some quarters to foreshadow a. possible general strike in the whole trade union movement. The owners wrote to the Miners I'ederation at midnight: “We have decided at the eleventh hour to extend a public invitation to the miners’ leaders to sit down with us, to see what can be done to improve the lot of the lower-paid miners.” , The Central News Agency states that this move it attributed to the bad impression created by the ■ owners admissions when addressing the members — Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. STUBBORNESS OF MINERS’ EXECUTIVE CAUSES ALLIANCE TO CANCEL STRIKE. (Rec. April 17, 5.5 p.m.) London, April 16. The "Daily News” states that at 1 o’clock Messrs. Cramp, Gosling, Williams, and Thomas, the lenders of the Triple Alliance, went to the miners meeting and earnestly pressed the executive to reopen negotiations for at least a temporary settlement. As the executive steadfastly refused, the alliance ,leaders returned to Unity House and informed the conference proceeding there of the facts. The cancellation of the strike was thereupon decided, upon. _ It was not only tho strike, but tho Triple Alliance suffered disruption. The full effect of this event and tho reactions that must follow inside the Labour movement will not become known immediOther reports state that when the delegates returned to Unity House from the miners’ meeting and reported the position, strong feeling was displayed. The meeting became stormy, and hastily concluded with a decision to call off tne strike. Mr. Moore, secretary of the Locomotive Engineers and Firemen’s Association, gave the Triple Alliance’s attitude in the following words: "As the miners had repudiated Mr. Hodges, it was fed that the alliance could not support The Miners’ Executive adjourned, tho members proceeding to their various districts to confer with local branches. They will reassemble in London on Thursday. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. LABOUR MOVEMENT'S HEAVIEST DEFEAT TYRANNY OF GREAT TRADE UNIONS. (Rec. April 17. 5.5 p.m.) London, April 15. The "Daily Herald” says: "Yesterday's was the heaviest, defeat that has befallen the Labour movement within the memory of man. It is useless trying to minimise it. Ona misunderstanding or mistake such as Mi'. .Hodges made could not have stopped the strike and brought about the present disaster. Not one, not a hundred, not a thousand such trivialities could have affected the issue if the whole movement had been solid in organisation and understanding. That is where the fatal weakness lies. What wo need is new machinery and a new spirit. The old machinery failed in tho hour of emergency. Out of this crash can come a bigger a till better fight on broader lines. Sectionalism is tho weakness of the Labour movement and Wiust be discarded. The “Morni’.ig Post” anys: "Recent events have undoubtedly impressed the public mind that tho time has come when powerful trade unions must be taught that it is not their business to rmverii the country. Moans miisi be found to restrain their operations within legitimate limits. Great trade unions have combined to impose a now tyranny

on the community and usurp the functions of Parliament.’’—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

MINERS’ DELEGATES TO CONFER

STATEMENT FROM TRIPLE ALLI-

ANCE EXECUTIVE. (Rec. April 17, 5.5 p.m.)

London, April 16.

Mr. Hodges announced that pending the full conference of miners’ delegates on Thursday work will not be resumed on. the coalfields.

The Triple Alliance executive, after a long meeting to-day, issued a statement that "the joint conference of railwaymen, tmnsport workers, and locomotive men, having had to cancel the strike in consequence of the confusion confronting the conference yesterday, no reasonable hope remained for securing spontaneous united action by the three bodies, which was essential to give the miners the help they sought. A partial, hopelessly incomplete sympathy stoppage would have weakened tho organisations without materially helping the miners. Uniil Thursday night th4re was every hope ol a tremendous display of working-class solidarity. Subsequent circumstances, which, we profoundly regret, destroyed the firm ground upon which the triple Alliance strike call was based, leaving no other alternative than cancellation. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

MINERS WILL FIGHT T 0 BITTER END GOVERNMENT TRYING TO SETTLE

STRIKE. (Rec. April 17, 5.5 p.m.) London, April 16. News from the storm centres is awaited with a certain amount of anxiety. It is estimated that tho Government’s precautionary measures will cost the taxpayers fifty millions sterling. A Labour correspondent writes: "The miners’ allies withdrawal of support is recognised on till hands as signifying the dissolution of the Triple Alliance and rebuffing the federation extremists, who are left to shape for themselves a new policy to save the Miners’ Union from disaster. The miners’ representatives forecast a continuance of the struggle to the bitter end. They expect a hopeless detent, but declare that they will only Im beaten by starvation. . .. The Government is not relaxing ne efforts to settle the strike, and is meanwhile continuing emergency arrangements and conservation of food and coal. Jhe coal owners are still in London, h«pmg for a resumption of negotiations. Inc Times.”

FIFE MINERS LOOTING COAL STACKS. (Rec. April 17, 5.5 p.m.) London, April 15. The Fife miners are extensively lootin’’ the coal stacks. Over £20,000 worth has been takon.-Aus-N.Z. Cable Assn. RACING CANCELLED BY JOCKEY CLUB

(Rec. April 17, 5.5 p.m.) London, April 15. kt the Government’s request the Jockey Club has cancelled all racing under the rules till further notice.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. .