STRIKES AND OTHER TRADE DOINGS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 16, 13 May 1871, Page 16

STRIKES AND OTHER TRADE DOINGS.

Over a thousand men employed at Messrs Hawthorne’s engine works, Nevv-castle-on-Tyne, have turned out on strike, in consequence of the masters refusing to pay wages every week instead of every fortnight as at present The steel fork forgers and small manufacturers of Sheffield have differed with the large manufacturers and struck work.

The colliers at Wigan have decided to continue the agitation for an increase of wages, no answer having been received to their late demand, and the Bolton masters having determined to await the decision of those of Wigan.

The strike in the iron trade still continues. A peculiar feature of the strike is that some of the men who have commenced work have expressed their willingness to support those still out. This is likely to aggravate the dispute still more—the likelihood being that there will be a general lock-out. Most of the men who are working are on a day’s notice.

The joiners of Ayr have struck for an advance of a halfpenny an hour. The masters agreed to give a farthing advance, and another in three months ; but this was not accepted. A great strike is threatened amongst the miners in Lancashire. The following resolution contains the gist of their grievance:—‘‘That in the opinion of this meeting, boys should not be allowed to work in mines until they are of the age of 12 years ; nor permitted to work more than 8 hours per day, or 48 hours per week. That the payment of miners by measure or gauge is, in the opinion of this meeting, unjust, and such words should be erased from the Mines Regulation Bill, and payment by weight substituted.

A correspondent from Airdrie (Scotland) sends the following list of iron works and number of men thrown out of employment by a strike now going onDrumpellier Ironworks (Messrs Henderson and Dim mack), 180 ; Coatbridge Tin-plate Company, 300 ; Globe (Messrs A. and T. Miller), 60 ; Phoenix (Mr J. Spencer), 200 ; Clyfton (Grey and Wyllie), 160; Coats Ironworks (Capt. Jackson), about 200. There are thus close upon 900 men at present thrown idle.

At Lille and Roubaix, strikes have become general, in consequence of the question of wages and on account of the extra war allowance having been suppressed. At Marseilles a demonstration has been made by the workmen engaged at the docks. They demanded a reduction in the hours of labor and an increase of pay. The Admiral and the Prefect have promised to take their consideration, and the demonstration has ended. The Early Closing movement in Dumfries has led to great riots. An agreement was come to amongst the different shopkeepers—with but few ex-

ceptions—that their places of business should be closed punctually at seven o’clock each evening, Saturdays excepted, on and after Monday last, the 20th inst. The public were duly informed of this resolution by advertisements in the newspapers, placards, <fcc. On Monday evening, as might have been expected, a large number of persons thronged the principal streets, anxious to see if the movement would be generally supported. The great majority of the shops were closed punctually at seven o’clock, only a few remaining open after that hour. A considerable crowd collected opposite the windows of a drapers’ establishment in Queensbury Square, and signified their feelings by shouting, hooting, yelling, and other noisy demonstrations. The annoyance became so great that the shop had to be shut about half-past seven to paoify the crowd. On Tuesday night a similar occurrence took place, but on a more extensive scale, and attended with more serious results. At seven o’clock that evening a great crowd, composed principally of boys, had collected in front of the establishment, and as soon as the shops adjoining had been closed they began to give unmistakeable indications of displeasure. By a quarter past seven the crowd had so largely increased as to assume alarming dimensions. The door of the shop was closed two or three times, but the youths outside battered it so vigorously that it had always to be re-opened. At twenty minutes past seven the shutters were with considerable difficulty put on, and the shop closed for the evening After some hooting, the ringleaders of the crowd directed their attention to a shop in North Queensbury street, which was open, where a similar course of action was pursued, a besom being taken down from the door and thrown about in every direction. The shop was closed shortly afterwards, amid loud cheers from the men. Turning to a shop in Friars Yennel, the crowd soon gathered round the door, and, after bespattering the windows with mud, a stone was thrown, which broke one of the large panes of glass. Thereafter the shop was closed, and the mob, after visiting a shop in the High street, and another in English street —which were both closed in obedience to their demands—and giving a howl at a shop which was just being closed, turned their attention to a provision dealer’s in North Queensberry street. Here something serious took place. The shopkeeper was hustled by the crowd, and not content with bespattering the windows with mud, stones were thrown in great numbers, so that fifteen out of every twenty panes of glass were broken, and several brandy and other bottles smashed. Still the shopkeeper was not to be coerced into the early closing movement by any crowd however large, and after maintaining his position outside in defiance of the rowdies for about an hour, the police came to the rescue, and soon dispersed the mob. The Early Closing Association in the town are willing to pay the shopkeepers for any damage they have sustained, and at the same time they strongly deprecate the course of action pursued by the mob, which, doubtless, was done with a view to assisting the early closing movement, although in reality it will have an opposite effect.