Railway Strike.

Taihape Daily Times, 4 October 1919, Page 5

Railway Strike.

RETURN TO WORK BEFORE

NEGOTIATIONS.

LLOYD GrEORGE’S DEMAND,

LONDON, Oct. 2.

Tire arailwa;y ssrtrike Leade‘rs main?-’ ‘rain that it is impokssible to secure a general return of the men prior to negotiations unless they can offer them an assurance of equitable wages and treatnrent. compared with “the locomotive men, but even their apologists in the Press recognise that resunlpt._ion is essential to the success ofthe negotiations. The 2osition""ls still el'itical,’but th'e new spirit of statesmanship manifested yesterday is regarded as a good augury.

It is possibie that a settlement may be effected on lines that a tribunal 01' commission be immediafely appoiutfled to examine the whole War wage question, taking the case of the railwaymen first.

Fifty-four service aeroplanes wer'e employed yesterday distributing mails all over the country. Communicatiori between London and The principal towns has been regularly ‘established, am} a. quantity of limils sent to European Capitals by aeroplane. ‘ _

Officia.l.¥state»men?ts issued indiqaite a steady. improvement in train and other transport services and food and milk distributions. An increasing number of volunteers is oifering.

EXTREMISTS HE-LPLESS.

A GAINST AROUSED PUBLIC.

* "LONDON, Ocf. 2. ._Exccptlng in the west of Scotland and South W-ales the sffuation in the provinces is now very bad. ~

Canal t.ransit~in fhe ;Vlidla.nd§A'*'is' pro§'ing' hiozst Vhélpffil in sl'ipp’lyiilg‘-fuel gnd rafiv sin'atérial"for :nuri'lel*ous indust'rjie‘s.'“ ’ ‘M ‘ ' ‘ .

’ A'l t hodgli"iii.2in’y ’c-olli'el‘i’e»s are closed of pal‘tiallyHclQsed,' tAheré' is nothing like 'a"general 'b'reakdown‘ of » industry in the‘ Black 'c'ouim-y.~ ~ ’ The situzitioxx in Mancfiestef, Liverpool,-. and-. Bfrmingham is not- yet serious.

Inithe Wes? of Scotland 25.000 out of 32,000, steel workers, and" 254000 miners are idle. The prorsition in East Scotland is not serious, though shipping is tied up at some ports. The food situation in the provinces is_ excellent The following statement, signed by Mr Lloyd Gieorgie, fis ibeing flazshed on the screens at all cinema shows: “The Government is not fighting trades unionism, which is a recognised fact-or in "the -industrial life of the country. The Grovei-nment,is fighting to prevent the e>;ti'enl.is’rs of every indusfrial body afrfempting to gain their ends by attacking the life of the community, and so bringing untold misery‘ upon thousands of innocent people,

INDUSTRIES KEEP GOING‘

FOOD SUPPLIES PLENTIFUL.

LONDON, Ocf. 2.

The newspapers are reduced ‘to halfsize, and the greatest difficulty is experienced in distribution. M-otors are being used, as well as aeroplanes.

The rush of volunteer workers has caused the authorities to open fresh enrolment depots. Dense crowds are assembling at daybreak, eager to do anything. Peers are snipping tickets, peeresscs are serving in refreshment rooms, bishops and clergyman are conveying mails and rolling trolleys, brigadier—_generals and colonels are acting as porters, moving luggage, and city niagnates are stoking in the powerhouses. Twenty thousand workers are provided nightly with hotel accommodation ‘and meals. Ladies’ committees have organised stalls providing free teas for sixteen thousand city girls on their homewa.rd walks from work. The complete triumph of the moderate labour leaders is believed to be assured as a result of yesterday ’s and to-day’s proceedings. The extremists had their chance yesterday, when the choice lay between fzar-reaching developments and mediation. They hold 'importan't positions in unionism, but proved ‘to be in a small minority in the Executive Coun-_ cil. ‘They seemed to feel helpless against an unflincliing,cleterminéd, and aroused public,

SETTLEMENT EXPECTED‘

GOVERNMENT ’S UNLOCKED-FOR SUCCESS. LONDON, Oct. 2. Th ere is little doubt that the unl:ooked~for success of fnhe Government ’s n;.easures’ strengthenéd -the moderate opinion. This‘ success was shown by an official ahnouncenlent :“that_ the 2000 trains "scheduled for Wednesday llhakl been more than secured. ‘This was. double Tflesdafs trains. A ' _ - ‘ _'The “food situa,-tio'n.is Wen better.‘ Apairt from milk, London can live on ftho present food stocks for a, month or ‘six WeekS,_While;ffhe provinces are pro‘vided with ample local, sufipliés, includ. ing great Hel'('lg_o_fA cattle and sheep,

which are being droven to Ithe towns along the high roa-ds. Midiands and North Leiccstershire farnwrs alone are supplying 2000 cattle and many more sheep, which are .-trekking fifty‘miles along the roads in many cases."

VVERE XVAGES SACRIFICED?

LONDON, Oct. 3.

The question is raised whether-‘the Government should pay the railwaymen’s wages for ca week’s work prior to the ~stx'ike_, which is due. It is stajfiecl that the Government has decided to re-_ fuse, as the men left witihout notice. V Sir Auckland Gred?ies,'Mr Horne, and others assistgcd Hr Lloyd George in the later stages of ‘the conference.

Lord. Robert Cecil calls on the Gov-ex-nmcnt to summon Parliament for a confi-den.tial discussion. It cvannot take the place of Parliamerntary debates. The “Daily Express” proposes that London business houses should give their employees a holiday fl'om Thursday "to Mo~nda_v if the strike continues.

SANER ELEMENT-S TAKE CHARGE.

LONDON, Oct. 3.

Instead of imniediately a.u*thorising a strike as the hotheads expected, the conference, after listeningnto Mr Hen"derson’s opening speech, called in Messrs Thomas and B'romley, and heard them.-.for an hour, thenelectted 3. deputation of eleven members to go to Downing’ Street to interview Mr -Lloyd George. The deputation included Messre Gosling, Williams, Clynes, Henderson, O’.Grady, Brmvnlie, and Naylor. Their 1-epiiesentati-on was so successful that Mr Thomas was invited to Downing Street. fora second "conference at 9 o’clock which Me.ssrs-'Ca‘rter, Brom'ley, and other members of the striking executive also joined. It lasted ‘four hours, the trade unionists .nleanwhile I'.enlaining' at Caxton Hall. The I'engtll of the conference proved thaf substantial, lprogress was being» made. This was collfirn_ie'd wllen“itV-"was ofiicially ‘announced that Mi‘ Lloyd" George would ineet the 'd‘e‘put-ation"’again‘ this mornVi_ng,d_ ’ There is now £l. ‘general "belief and hcpe that the ijailwaymen have3‘lehrnzt' the inll'possibilit_y: of Inainta'ining'itheils pesition,‘ and are enxious '56? a s'et_tl’e’nrenf‘. '

ENORMOUS NUMBERS OUT-OF

WORK.

MEE'I‘ING AT CAXTON HALL.

Received 9.50 am‘

LONDON, Oct, 2.

A review of the situattion. states that the prospects w'ere blac'kes't early in the afternoon of October Ist, but there was Ia draxnatie change when the conference opened at Caxton‘ Hall. It had been fully expected that as a result ofgethe conference the whole trans. port workers Woula join the Strike for’E.hwith, raddfng hundreds of :tEousands more to the stl'iKcl'S, and others idled 'onxi3ng' to the rafTwaylnen’s a'c3finn_ Those idled as a result of -{he s°crike ah'eedy number 650,000, including 400,000 miners, 150,000 iron and steel workers, 40,000 dockers mfd 26,000 zin-plate workers. One hundred thousand ofhers

'-re working haalf-fiime. There was’ a great crowd at ‘West'minster and in the v-Leinifiay of the Caxton Hall, including many strikers, but at least as many wereiopposed to ‘the strike. There -was considerable cheering and bo‘oing when Messrs Thomas, Cramp and -other leaders were recognised. The feature of <fhe conference, however, proved ‘co be a nally of moderate trade unionists.

‘CONFERENCE WITH PREMIER

DOWNING STREET GLEARED BY POLICE.

Rieceived 10.10 am. ‘ “ -LONDON, Oct. 3.

‘The transporters’ depu'tati‘on to Lloyd ‘George reported to the ra.ilwtaynl'en’s‘ executive the result of last ‘night’s delibenations, and after eigh!’ty minuf.'es’ discussion, “proceeded to Downing Street to resume the conference; with Mr Lloyd George. The railwaymen did not att’en'd. After «two hours the deputation withdrew and subsequently consulted the .railwaym,en’s executive, as well as the Caxttion Hallmonfcrence. The police during the day cleared Downing Street, where great crowds collected, including a considerable proportion of strikers. Several members of ‘the Cabinet who called on Mr Lloyld George were accorded ‘a mixed reception, there being some booing and hissing when Sir Eric‘ Geddcs and Sir P. Horne nappoared, and it b‘ccam.e,necessary -for the police and‘ "detectives to clear the passages to enable them to proceed. .

Received‘ 9.20 am)

LONDON, Oct. 3.

The strike has given an impetus to the London-Paris air servic‘c. A hundred machines -are engaged daily, laden with passengers, cheeses, bufiter, cream, and printed matter, ‘ 1

V . V SETTLEMENT‘ IN SIGHT. _ , j ‘ , Received 9.15 -a.m_ I _ _ LONDON, Oct, 2. Strikers at4impo_rtam; railway centres have pledged themselves to resume

if assured that their wages shall not be reduced befol'c_the end of March. Lloyd George them-fol'u gave a.-..sur-ance, stating that the promise was already indicated in the Government of~ fer to execute.