ON THE RAND.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 74, 1 August 1913, Page 5

ON THE RAND.

AN UNSETTLED POSITION.

SINISTER PREPARATIONS

[By Electric telegraph—Copyiugui [United Press Association.]

Johannesburg, July 31

The Government preparations continue. Twenty thousand burghers will be mobilised if necessary.

Germiston, which is an important railway junction, has been turned into an arsenal, including heavy ordnance, machine guns and much ammunition. An important conference of all unions will begin at Johannesburg to-day. Many railwaymen are beginning to fear the results of such an extreme action as an illegal strike. The Government railway strikers will forfeit their pensions and seniority. Wouldbe railway strikers are demanding the trades federation to guarantee a fixed condition of any settlement shall bo the restoration of railwaymen’s privileges forfeited by striking.

The railwaymen at Salt river and Touws river have resolved against a general strike without a ballot. Some workers are asking Air Askwith, the British Industrial Commissioner, to arbitrate. Air Poutsman, secretary of the railwaymen’s society, states that the railwaymen have totally dissociated themselves from the revolutionary propaganda, and consequently have secured the overthrow of the secret committee formed on Sunday with absolute revolutionary powers. The Trades Federations’ Executive and railwaymen’s executive will conduct future negotiations jointly.

Evidence at the judicial commission of inquiry into the riots showed that a thousand revolvers, many rifles, and eighteen thousand rounds of ammunition were looted from gunsmiths' shops on the night of July 4. The police and troops were, subjected for two hours’ fusilade, chiefly from hooligans, and also snipers from buildings.

The socialist leaders earlier in the evening incited the mob to shoot and burn. , TERMS INADEQUATE. (Received 11.25 a.m.) Johannesburg, July 31. Fifty delegates of the amalgamated engineers and railwaymon carried a resolution flhat the Government's offers and the employers’ terms were inadequate.