ON STRIKE.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 May 1926, Page 3

ON STRIKE.

[Australia & N.Z. Cable Association.] SPECIAL constables. (Received this day at 11.0 a.rn.) LONDON, May 9. The headmaster of Eton and fifty assistant masters have been enrolled as special constables. Victoria Park, East London,,is closed to the public, and has now become a military encampment. 'The Trades Union Congress says London pickets report 90 per cent, of the goods for London are coming bv road, not rail. The T.U.C. has decided to instruct unions that all men working are liable to pay five per cent, of their wages as a stri e levy. The Council is appealing to Trade Unions and sympathisers abroad for financial help. A mob stoned the Berwick-Ncwcastlc train, injuring the driver and stoker. LEAGUE COUNCIL. LONDON, May 9. Despite the strike, the British delegation to Geneva headed by Lord Cecil, departed yesterday, travelling by aeroplane to Paris, to attend meetings of the committee on the composition of the Council of the League of Nations and thereafter Preliminary Disarmament .Committee a!nd the ordinary Council mooting. MANILA, May 9. 'l'he Labour Federation adopted a resolution of sympathy with the British strikers.

labour conference. LONDON, May 9. Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Spain, Luxemberg, and Czecho-Slovakia were represented at a meeting of the International Miners’ Committee at Ostend. The Briton.s. Richardson and Hodges, arrived by aeroplane. They explained the situation in Britain. It was announced the decision of the recent Brussels’ Conference that no coal he exported to Britain had heen fully carried out in other countries. COMMUNIST WOMAN GAOLED LONDON, May 9. Isabel Brown, a school teacher giving her permanent address as Moscow, was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment for a seditious .speech at Castleford, Yorkshire. She admitted that she was sent by the Communists to carry out a recruiting campaign. Mrs Baldwin is organising a motor service for the transport of women workers, and a plentiful supply of motors has been offered.

RIOTS IN GLASGOW. LONDON, May 0. A Glasgow correspondent says that during the strike rioting, shop windows were broken, shops looted, hotels raided and all liquors cleaned out. Several police were injured. Tim police raided communist printing rooms and arrested seven men, on a charge of printing seditious pamphlets. A German diplomat, discussing the strike, said that England’s organisation is amazing. There is no reason to worry. 'l’he crisis did not compare with that in Germany in 1019. A correspondent was specially .sent to London to inform atlic German papers that the strike “is either a prelude to something greater or the strike leaders do not understand their business.” A REVIEW. (Received this day at 10.25 a.m.) LONDON, Mav 9.

AVill the strikers remain idle or seek to return to their jobs. In many eases the latter arc reported, hut a careful survey shows no sign of a general break up, though hero and there men and women are returning to work. X’io most, serious side concerns the strikers reported second and third lines of attack, which is their own description of offence against foot! supplies. Secondly, light and power. The 'Trade Union Congress, last night , stated no c.de: wareissued against the 100-. l s’-p----piv.-i but agencies give instances of inteifi K-nee. Nevertheless food continues to he marvellously distributed. When a shortage occurs it is due to retailers failing to obtain supplies from the wholesalers. The mail services are being maintained, but post offices close earlier owing to the staff’s difficulty in getting home. Letters take longer in delivery owing to road transport, instead of rail. The railways report increased services but trains naturally have an irregular, unfixed schedule.

London’s week end was very quiet. Business houses close early to give employees rest. Covent Carden presents a strange spectacle. Fruit, vegetables and flowers are on offer but other buyers are scarce, owing to difficulty of transport from the suburbs. Tulips and narcissis goods from the Continent are selling at knock-out prices. The theatres are mostly closed. A curious feature is that the lighter shows suffered most seriously. News vendors endeavour to carry on but the public are grumbling that they have little to offer except reprints of the Government announcements. The “ Evening Standard ” came out in typewritten sheets and was sold for charity. The “Times” on Saturday morning says the General Council lias set itself up as a rival authority to the Government. The community in its own defence must improvise its emergency services. 11 stresses that Trade Union agreements have lieen broken and desperate injury done to the honoui> rtf trade unionism. SEAMEN’S POSITION.

Havelock Wilson addressed a message to the masters of all ships asking them to read the announcement to the crews, saying unauthorised persons were calling a seamen’s strike, but the Council of the Seamen’s Union was the only body with such power, and then only after the members had balloted. .Mr Wilson adds that a ballot is progressing, but is not completed. -Meantime he warns members that a court of law will declare no strike money eau bo paid from union funds for a sympathetic strike. LONDON, May 9. . The Government explains at present there are two forces, attached to the London police, consisting of special reserve and special emergency constabulary, numbering 25,000. giving part time to assist the regulars. The tactics of evilly disposed persons in using the crisis to interfere with the community’s rights necessitate the'expansion of the police by wholetimers, namely, the civil constabulary reserve cabled yesterday. Territorials will serve in the own units under their own, officers. The scheme will also he extended throughout the country. CARDINAL’S ATTITUDE. Cardinal Bourne at high mass at Westminster Cathedral said the strike challenges lawful authority and sins against obedience. All must support tlie Government which in its own sphere represents good authority.

WEEK-END REPORT. (Received this day at 11.0 a.m.) v LONDON, May 9. The week-end has not procured any approach to the Government by the Trade Union Congress in the direction of an acceptance of the Governments decision requiring the calling off of the general strike before negotiations, can be resumed. The chief task during the week-end lias been to -keep open the docks, Latest reports show an intensi-

! fication of the tendency to more direct action by strikers, especially against food, particularly flour mills, hut no | appreciable effect at present has been felt except in isolated districts like Smithfield, in parts of the dock areas. Regarding the allegation that the Government is holding up the Worker paper supplies, the position apjiears to be that Jhe strikers attempted to stop the paper mills and hold up supplies, and since supplies are limited, the question has arisen how to distribute the available supplies. GLASGOW FIGHTING. LONDON, May 9. There was serious rioting late last evening in Glasgow, several constables being injured. Numerous shop windows were smashed. One sailor was fatally stabbed in a gang fight. Thirtyfivo arrests were made. PAPERS ISSUED. LONDON, May The city streets to-day were of the quietes, practically the only traffic being official food lorries. The Sunday papers were scarce, hut the “Observer,” “Sunday Express,” “Sunday Times” and “Sunday Pictorial” published emergency editions, likewise some sub urban and provincial papers. Later in the day traffic increased and the streets of London assumed their normal appearance except for the absence ol buses and trams. In addition to the papers mentioned ihe Sunday edition of 1 the “British Gazette” under the title 1 “Sunday Gazette,” and the Continon- * al ‘Daily Mail” were also sold in Lou- 1 don. !

FOOD REPORT. LONDON, May 9 Ihe Central Food Committee officially states considerable progress was made in arrangements with trade organisations for voluntary, maximum wholesale prices. A basis fixed for most food commodities has been importers and wholesalers prices ruling on 30th April. The tea trade agree that- importers, wholesalers ami plaliters maximum prices lie those ruling at. last sales before the strike. Two constables and .seventeen civilians were sent to the’ hospital. Sixteen arrests were made at Hull yesterday when rioters damaged trains and buses. Police charges continued until midnight.

CONVOY OF FOOD. LONDON. Mav 9

Great astonishment and enthusiasm was aroused everywhere along the route yeselorday by a convoy of 104 flour laden lorries with an escort of sixteen armoured ears, cavalry, i.r.d

mounted police, extending for about two miles, which marched from London Docks to Hyde Park, whence the contents of the lorries were distributed to the districts where supplies were short. Two battalions of guards and five hundred volunteers were sent to

the docks on Friday and helped to load lurries. Yesterday morning large crowds cheered a convoy, the sight was as popular as the Lord Mayor’s pro-

The spirit prevailing throughout the country was exemplified at Plymouth yesterday, when a football match was played between a team of strikers and a team of police, the former winning bv two to one. The wile cl tbo chief constable kicked off. BERNE, May 9. A meeting of the Olken committee of Swiss unions of syndicates decided to appeal to Swiss workers to suppoi t the strike in Britain. Unions have undertaken to contribute at least a franc per head of their members for British strikers.