The Maritime Strike

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 6, 1 July 1911, Page 5

The Maritime Strike

RIOTS AT HULL. THE STRIKE SPREADING. By Gablfr—Prws Association—Copyright. London, June 29. A mob at Hull, hearing that the firemen had refused to strike, attacked Joseph Ranker's flourmills and Reckitts' starch and blue mills. They rushed the buildings, and when the police ejected them the mob stoned the police and broke the windows. Women and children were trampled upon, when the police charged, and a dozen men were injured. Finally they turned a hose on the mob. The news that Mr. G. R. Askwith, of the Board of Trade, was coming to Hull to confer with the employers and strike leaders had the effect of stopping the riot. The Cunard and Canadian-Pacific companies have recognised all the unions, including the dockers'. ' Five hundred stewards on the Combine lines at Liverpool have struck. The White Star liner Zceland was unable to moor at the Liverpool landing Btage, and the passengers were landed by tender. The crew on the Mersey lightship have struck. Fifty vessels, including several Atlantic liners, are idle at Manchester. Oews -at Dublin have struck. The flonrmill hands at Hull have demanded an increase in 1 wages. There are now 1000 extra police in Hull. Mr. Askwith attended a conference of shipowners' and men's, representatives. Dockers at Grimsby have struck, and demand an increase, also an hour less work per day. The Central Railway Company has arranged terms with its own sailors and firemen.

"WE WILL STARVE FIRST!" FREE FIGHTS. MANY INJURED. Received 30, 10.55 p.m. London, June 30. Mr. Aakwith presided at a conference of fifty Hull shipowners and men's delegates, who included seamen, firemen, dockers, lightermen and coal porters. The terms' were agreed upon for a Saturday half-holiday for dockers and a day weekly for sailors and firemen. The masters agreed not to compel a man to have a Federation ticket. Weekly wages were fixed at 32s 6d, being an advance of 2s 6d. The monthly wage was fixed at 90s for sailors, and 95s for firemen.

The men's leaders submitted a proposed settlement. A crowd outside the Station Hotel. Mi\ Askwith, in a speech to the crowd, stated that the men's representatives endorsed the agreement, also a large committee of workers who had been consulted. The crowd, however, greeted the proposal to accept the terms with shouts of "No! no! We will starve first!" The dockers, who were in the majority, were particularly insistent against the agreement. It was directly apparent that the agreement would be rejected.

Two thousand strikers went to Albert Dock to view the hoarding of the steamer Calypso to bring ashore supposed non-unionists. An attack is not expected. All the available police are engaged in guarding the Station Hotel. Four North-Eastern Railway policemen were roughly handled while endeavoring to explain to the strikers that they ■were under a misapprehension regarding those working on the Calypso. One hundred and ten policemen, marching at the "double," came to the rescue, using their batons freely. They drove the strikers to the bridge, when they threw stones, bricks and broken bottles. The police charged up the steps. After the charge, seventeen police and strikers were taken to the hospitals. Many others were injured. The strikers also wrecked the exterior of the Shipping Federation's Free Labor Bureau, and Wilson's shipping offices. They are now parading the town wrecking lamp-posts and tearing up flagstones.

Earlier in the day 4000 women (I'wny carrying babies) assembled at the offices of the Independent Labor Party, where the distribution of grocery tickets was made. A free fight ensued. Upon the discovery that some of the women wero wives of men in full work, the police intervened, and the distribution of groceries was stopped.