RAILWAY STRIKE.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 October 1919, Page 3

RAILWAY STRIKE.

(By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) fAUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION] FOOD SUPPLIES. GOOD ORGANISATION. / LONDON, October 2. An official statement says that 2,000 ' trains were scheduled to run on Wednesday and more than this number was secured. This was double the number of Tuesday’s trains. It is claimed that th© success of the Government s measures has strengthened moderate opinion. The food situation is reported better. Apart from milk it is claimed London can live .pn b)s present food stocks for a month or six weeks, while the provinces are provided with ample local supplies, including great herds of cattle and sheep which are now being driven to the towns along the high roads. The Midlands and north Leicestershire farmers alone have supplied two thousand cattle for food. Many more sheep have been killed, after trekking for fifty miles. along the roads in many cases.

LABOUR ORGANISATIONS. ' in further”conference IMPORTANT MEETING. (Received Thia Day at 3 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 2. . The Secretary of the Transport Workers says the committee from the Conference will meet to-morrow morning, after which a request will possibly be made to Rt. Hon. Lloyd George to again see them. Then the Federation will report to a further Conference which it is hoped will be of even a more representative character. The Executives of all Unions .immediately, or likely to bo, involved, have been requested to consult one another in order to prepare for any action likely to be deemed advisable.

LOST WAGES FOR STRIKERS (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 2. A question has been raised whether the Government should pay the aailwaymen’s wages for a week’s work prior to the strike,'which was due. It is stated that the Government has decided to refuse, as the men left without notice.

GENERAL ITEMS. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 2.

Sir Auckland Geddes and Sir Robert Horne and others assisted Rt. Hon. David George in the later stages of the Conference.

Lord Robert Cecil calls on the Government to summon Parliament for confidential discussions, which cannot take place in ordinary Parliamentary debates.

The Daily Express proposes that the London business houses should give their employees a holiday from Thursday to Monday, if the strike continues. THE STRIKE OUTLOOK. IMPORTANT CONFERENCE. BRIGHTER OUTLOOK. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 2. Instead of immediately authorising a general strike as the hot-heads expected, the Labour Conference, after listening to Mr Henderson’s opening speech, called on Mr Thomas Bromley and others. They heard them for an hour, and then elected a deputation of eleven members to go to Downing St. to interview the Prime Minister.

The deputation included Messrs Gosling Williams, Clynes, Henderson, O’Grady, Brownlie and Naylor.

Their representations were so successfull that Mr Thomas was invited to Downing St. for a second conference at nine o’clock. Messrs Cramp, Bromley and other members of the striking Executives also- joined in the Conference which lasted four hours.

The Trade Unionists meanwhile remained at Caxton Hall.

The length of the Conference proved that substantial progress must have been made.

This view was confirmed when it was officially announced that Mr Lloyd George was meeting the deputation again this morning. It is now the general belief and hope that the Railway-men have learnt the impossibliity of maintaining their position, and are anxious for a settlement.

POSITION REVIEWED. LONDON, October 2. A review of the strike situation states that the prospects were blackest early in the afternoon of October Ist, but there was a dramatic change when the conference opened at Caxton Hall. It had been fully expected that an a result of th e Conference, the whole of the transport workers would join the strike forthwith, adding hundreds of thousands more to the strikers and others idled. Owing to the wlwaymen’s action, those idle 03 a result of the strike already nti' .ber CSO 000 including four hundred thu-mnd miners 150,000 iron steel workers, forty thousand dockers, and twenty six thousand tin plate workers. One hundred thousand others are working half time. There was a great crowd at Westminster and the vicinity of CaxtonvHall, including many strikers, but at least as many opposed to the strike. There was considerable cheering and booing when Thomas, Cramp and oher finders were recognised.

A feature of the Conference, however, proved to be the rally of the moderate Trade Unionists.

THE STRIKE WEAKENING. (Received This Dav ** * LONDON, Oct. 2. The strikers at an important railway centre have pledged themselves to resume, if assured that their wages will not be reduced before the end of March. Mr Lloyd George thereupon gave the assurance, stating that the promise was already indicated in the Government s offer to the Railway Executive. #’