ON STRIKE.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 May 1926, Page 2

ON STRIKE.

[Australian & N.Z. Cable Association,] BRITAIN CUT OFF. "LONDON, A I,ay 5. Wednesday morning finds London asleep, with no street traffic, no trams, no morning newspapers, no proofs, no cables, no messages from the tape machines and absolute silence. Britain is to-day completely cut off from the world outside. SMALL PAPERS ISSUED. LONDON, A lay 4. The Government paper, “The British Gazette,” consists of four sheets. The inside of the paper is black. Tho first issue is one of seven hundred thousand copies. It explains that its object is “ to reply to tlie makers of n plan to paralyse public opinion.” It adds: “ Nearly all the newspapers have been silenced by violent, concerted action and this great nation momentarily is reduced to the level of Atricail natives, dependent only on rumours carried from place to place. In a few days, if this is allowed to continue, the rumours would poison the air. raise panic and disorders, and carry us to depths which no sane man of any party or class even contemplates.” It says: “Tho Gazette’s” circulation “ will he raised by the unlimited resources of the Waite, until it provides U sure, sufficient menus of information, and a guide for action by all British civilians.”

It urges the. nation to “ he strong.” It says: “Acquit yourselves like men!” Jt claims that oil the first day the strike was not as complete as the promoters hoped for. as more trains were running than on tho first day of the 1919 railway strike. Tt also says that reports from all parts of the country indicate recruiting arrangements are satisfactory. The office where the “Gazette” is published, and the vans carrying the papers are strongly guarded. The “ Gazette ” is being delivered in tho more distant districts by aeroplane. The “ Times ’’ published to-day (Wednesday) a sheet of thirteen inches long and B.V inches wide. It is printed on both sides. It is selling at the usual price.

The “ Daily Express ” puts out a hand-set sheet. It is being distributed gratis throughout London. It is reported that several of the London dailies are now considering the printing of their papers in Paris and bringing the'papers to London by aeroplane. The linotype operators so far have not struck. They meet to-day to consider the question of breaking away from the main Newspaper Men’s Union. LONDON. Alav 4. Ten thousand chemical workers at Brunner Alond’s establishment in Cheshire lfave refused to obey the strike order of the T.U. Congress. In London many printing firms have placed staffs- to work at all electric power stations that are working. RACE MEETINGS ABANDONED. LONDON. May, 4. The stewards of the Jockey Club and the National Hunt Committee have decided that, owing to the difficulty of carrying out race meetings under the existing’ conditions, all meetings shall he abandoned until further notice. This does not apply to the Chester meeting, now in progress. The two international soccer games, Fiance v. Belgium, and England v. France i fixed for May Bth and 13th have been postponed.

LABOUR STATEMENT. - LONDON, Afay 4. The Trades Union Congress lias issued a statement as follows: “ The reports from all parts of tho country, from. John o’ Groats to Land’s End. have surpassed all expectations. Not only the railwayman and other transporters, hut the other trades have come out on strike in a manner the Congress did not quite expect. Jho immediate difficulty indeed, lias been to keep the men in, thus forming a second line of defence. To that (adds the Congress) we naturally are most gr atified. WORKERS CONTROL TUNNEL. LONDON, Afay 4. There were strange scenes at the Blackwell Tunnel. The dock workers captured the tunnel entrance, and they then stopped every car and every lorry going to and from the tunnel, and they examined the contents of every lorry. Only those lorries containing food and essential supplies were allowed to pass. The passengers were compelled to dismount, and if they were belonging to the opposition, the drivers were ordered to turn hack. Any ears attempting to force a passage were overtimed. Numbers of cars thus suffered, and their inmates were roughly handled. There was a force of police, including some mounted men, there on duty, but beyond seeing that there was no undue violence, the police adopted a passive attitude. SHIPPING 1 JINKS STOP. AMSTERDAM. Alay 4. The Batavier Shipping Lino has suspended its London service. Other shipipiig lines are contemplating similar action. The Dutch exporters of vegetables, meats, and dairy produce have already suspended their shipments to Engle ml. The Hook of Holland’s services to Harwich are being suspended after tonight. Tho Al-auretania, at Southampton, has been unable to secure dockers. Therefore, the office men of the Canard Company’s line took off their coats, moored the ship, carrisd the baggage of her 250 passengers ashore, and discharged 3500 hags of mails. 'llie liner’s passengers later left for London in motor cc'.iches or private cars. OTHER HAPPENINGS. LONDON, Alay 5. The Staff Committee of Whitley Council has decided upon advising all the civil servants not to volunteer to perforin any duties outside of their normal duties. The resolution is one recommending obedience to the orders of competent authorities, but orders the. civil servants to report any attempt to induce them to perform unusual duties. LONDON, .May 5. 1 lie National Union oi Journalists orders its members to remain at work, unless non-union labour is introduced in any other department for the purpose of introducing any substitute newspaper. Lord Banbury in tlie House of Lords, has introduced a Bill for the repeal of the Trades Disputes Act, 1906. The Bill was read the first time. Lord Banbury urged that the < Trades Disputes Act Had put the < Trades Unions above the law. i LONDON, Afay 4.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Lord Haldane blamed the Government for not continuing the negotiations for a coal settlement. They should have done so even in the face of the general strike threat. The

situation was now omniums, but lie (Lord Haldane) did not despair of the parties being brought together again. .LONDON, May 4.

Tho Southampton Boar'd of Poor Law Guardians announce that no relief will he granted for the families of strikers who refuse work, and the Leicester co-operative wholesale houses have refused to give credit to strikers, a decision which is regarded as a,setback to strikers.

ARREST OF COAIAIUXIST AI.P. LONDON; Allay 4. Air Saklatvala, ALP. for Battersea, has been quietly arrested, at his home in Highgate. Tlie arrest- was made under the “Emergency Powers” Act. Mr Saklatvnla is charged with making a seditious speech in Hyde Park on Sunday. It is alleged that Air Saklatvala said: “Tlie young men in the forces are of our class. Whether Sir William Joynson Hicks likes it or not, or whether lie calls it sedition or not, wo have a duty, and it is to tell those young men that they must lay down their arms, and must revolt and protect the people, instead of protecting the rogues and the fools whom the Union Jack lias been harbouring for years.” The defendant was remanded until Thursday. Air Saklatvala undertook to refrain from making further speeches meantime. TRAFFIC PIIQBLEAIS. LONDON, Alay 4. The London General Omnibus Oom- | pany have announced that four hundred recruits for drivers and conductors have been enrolled, and these aro now being trained. It is therefore hoped to introduce two hundred buses on two circular routes in London to-morrow. Tho A! idland Railway Company announces that a number of trains will run to-morrow, including ones from Euston to Birmingham and Manchester, and all principal Alidland and Northern towns. LONDON, Alay 4. A broadcasted wireless appeal tor volunteer labour for the underground railways met with an overwhelming response, and some hundreds of recruits have been enrolled into service as motornieu and signalmen. 'lhe work of training these recruits is already in full swing, and it is hoped that there will be a six-minutes’ service of trains from the Central. London ' Railway on Wednesday from eight o’clock in tho morning till eight , o’clock at night. 'Six railway stations between Shepherd’s Bush and Liver- , pool Station have been opened, and . two thousand beds for the volunteers for tho underground railway have been installed. LONDON, Alay -5. , Several railway companies announce , there will bo a resumption of partial services. , The Great Western Company promise > fifteen minutes service for many districts. There are numerous trains operating in Scotland by the aid of drivers who reported for duty. Road transport in the industrial eenj ties of Scotland is good. This is large- , Iv owing to the enlistment of Scotch - students. s Oxford undergraduates who aro 'not . sitting for examination this term have r been given leave of absence, and many 2 of them already have left Oxford.

’FRENCH LABOUR FEDERATION. PARIS, May 4 The French General Confederation of Labour convened n conference cf tho French miners, railwayman, dockers, and seamen to discuss the matter of giving support to the British strikers. A definite decision was not readied, hut the French Unions have assured the British workers of their sympathy, and liavo promised to contribute for tho success of the strike. NEAV ZEALAND LABOUR. WELLINGTON, ALiy 5. The following cable, signed by the representatives of tho New Zealand Alliance of Labour, the New Zealand Trades Councils’ Federation-, the New Zealand Lalxmr Party, and the Now Zealand Parliamentary Labour Party has been sent to Air Walter Citrine, the Secretary of tlio British Trade Union Congress: “The New Zealand Labour Alovement solidly support the British workers in their present struggle. Fraternal greetings and nest wishes for victory.” LONDON, -May 5. The Post Office has suspended all foreign and colonial mails. FURTHER PARTICULARS. (Received this day at 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, May 5. The journey to London is not much easier a'nd the traffic is markedly less congested, this is due to better organisation and more trains. The Civil Commissioner reports:—“The general position in the country is satisfactory. There has been no serious rioting, though there were some disturbances at Newcastle and at Chesterle St. All ‘"railways have announced that they aro increasing their services and the underground railways hope to restore the full Central London tube services today or to-morrow, if sufficient volunteers are enrolled to run other underground railways.”