"Situation is Crave."

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12, 14 January 1914, Page 5

"Situation is Crave."

SOUTH AFRICAN TROUBLE.

STATE OF MARTIAL LAW.

A GENERAL STRIKE.

[By Electric Telegraph—Copyright ) [United Press Association. J

(Received 11.55 a.m.) Capetown, January 13. At Midnight martial law was proclaimed. The Trades Federation has proclaimed a general strike throughout South Africa.

PREPARING FOR THE STRUCCLE The Rand is quiet. Both sides are preparing for a final struggle. A truce exists pending the declaration of the ballot. Business is at a standstill, the streets being almost deserted. Three hundred armed workers are sleeping on the premises to guard the Trades Hall against a police raid. An armed bodyguard escorts the Labor leaders everywhere. General De Wet commands a large force of burghers in the East Rand;

The ballots everywhere are showing big majorities in favor of a strike.

The situation is grave. In order to safeguard the trains, (certain districts ill the Transvaal ana Orangia have been placed under martial law.

Drastic regulations have been issued, including shooting dynamiters on sight.

REAPING THE WHIRLWIND.

London, January 13

The Daily Telegraph's Johannesburg correspondent interviewed Mr Hosking, managing director of the South African Explosives Company, Ltd., as to the present unrest. He considers it largely due to the influence of Australian labor ideas. General Botha made the initial mistake of first working with the Labor Party in his anxiety to defeat the Unionists. The Labor !Party thought it had the Government's support, hence the rioting in July. The Government was now reaping the whirlwind, but the strikers were certain to be defeated.

THE CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE.

FROM THE BOTHA VIEWPOINT.

Sydney, January 13,

Mr G. Hunt, Whip of the BothaParty, is visiting Sydney. On being interviewed, he said he was confident that the South African Government would be able to quell any strike disturbance, but bloodshed in places like Johannesburg was certain, because of the cosmopolitan community, and most of the men who had seen war held lifo •heap. He hoped that the better in--.tincts of the strikers would come to their rescue, and try to get their grievances adjusted legitimately. Regarding the trouble amongst the railway workers, he explained that during the war many farm laborers went to the towns and were disinclined to return, and tkiy thus filled the ranks of the unskilled laborers. The Government, seeing the danger therefrom, discharged the Kaffirs who had previously done the unskilled labor on the railways, and put these men on it 3s 4d per day, equal, with coal and housing, to ss.

After the Union was consummated

labor unions were formed and agitation began for an increase of wages, including the levelling up of the unskilled men on the Cape and Natal lines to what was paid in the Transvaal and Orangia. The Government considered this unpractical, as the cost of living was much higher in the two, last named States, but agreed to level down and up. As a consequence, the wages in the Transvaal were reduced and those on the Cape and Natal lines raised. The Transvaalers were dissatisfied, while the Cape and Natal services, at present are fairly satisfied. The dissatisfaction increased on the Government introducing piecework in place of day labor at the railway workshops. Mr Hunt admitted that The Men had Grievances, but stated that it was only a matter of a little time before these would be redressed. They were being greatly magnified. The railwaymen in the Transvaal and Orangia, apart from those getting 3s 4d a day, were the best paid in the world at the present time in railwaymen's log. He described Poutsma, who was responsible for the formation of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Employees,, as a Hollander, who was a splendid speaker, and carries the men away to a large extent, by his utterances. He was out for trouble, and, even if granted all his demands, would not be satisfied. Mr Hunt added that the heads of the Federation of Trades wore really paid agitators. Mason and Waterstone wore Australians. Their idea is to have A Republic South Africa Again, and they went about inciting the workers, and trying to incite the Boers, especially Hertzog's followers, to rebellion. Indeed, they pulled down the British flag every time they saw it, and put a red one in its place. They tell the natives that the interests of the white and black workers are idonti-

cal, and that they must stand together. There was, said Mr Hunt, considerable fear that the Kaffirs might rise now, because they were much dissatisfied over the law, which was passed last session, empowering the Government to prohibit natives living with whites, and vice versa. Unless Government takes precautions and gets the natives, of whom 300,000 are employed at the, mines, away from the big centres, no doubt they will break loose at once from their kraals They were satisfied with the rule of the white man, but the whole trouble comes from the boys who go to the mines to work.

t'MATABELE" WILSON'S VIEWS.

SERIOUS EFFECT ON THE MIN-

INC INDUSTRY.

" OWNERS' HIGHHANDED ACTION."

(Received 9.35 a.m.) Melbourne, January 14

Colonel Wilson, better known as "Matabele" Wilson, organiser of Kitchener's Fighting Scouts, is visiting Melbourne.' . Interviewed, he said that if the South African strike continues, the whole of the 300,000 natives employed in the mines will have to be .sent back to their Kraals. That would mean the cessation of the whole mining industry, and it would be months, if not years, before the mines would be again worked. The cost would run into millions. During the last strike there was talk of bringing out the Burghers, but it was felt that it must be avoided if possible, owing to the racial feeling that would be involved.

Apparently, states Colonel vvilson, the situation is now so serious that this consideration is outweighed. .11 it. conies to a conflict between the Burghers and the strikers, the former will not hold their hands like the Imperial troops, and the casualty roll will be considerably larger. The strikers include all nationalities, and their' organisation is wonderful. A dangerous feature -of the trouble is the huge quantity of gelignite and lyuamite available for the men who understand its use. Colonel Wilson attributed the discontent to high and mighty attitude adopted by the big mining houses, who failed to realise that times hao changed, and that the men cannot lie driven by old methods. The men had had grievances for years in respect to the conditions of work, hours, and wages. Last year's trouble could have been settled by a little tact on the part of the mine authorities, but they adopted a high-handed attitude. After the settlement, many men openly complained that the leaders had been bought, and thero was dissatisfaction because the Government allegedly failed to carry out its settlement pledges. Colonel Wilson added that the Government paid the strike breakers £50,000 for the loss of their jobs. The election of Poutsma to the secretaryship of the Raihvaymens Society was significant of what had ensued. The country was in for troubled times. THE CRISIS AWAITED TO-DAY. ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY. CABINET MEMBERS ESCORTED. (Received 9.54 a.m.) Johannesburg, January 13. ft is expected . that the strike crisis will be precipitated to-morrow.

The Government lias formed a mobile column of 200 war veterans for emergency service at any point. Xono of the burgher force has been stationed here. The defence of the town has been mainly handed to English volunteers.

General Smuts, addressing tho committee of Public Safety, said he was loath to use the burghers in Johannesburg, fearing they would not tolerate what the Imperial troops tolerated without firing last .July. As typical of the strong precautions which are being taken, the members of the Cabinet in Pretoria are being accompanied everywhere by armed escorts.

Work at the docks in Capetown is proceeding as usual.

Some of the strikers at Salt River have resumed. Half of the Natal railwaymen are out, mostly from the workships, but the train service continues normal.