THE STRIKE IN BRITAIN

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 295, 10 June 1912, Page 5

THE STRIKE IN BRITAIN

MR. McKENNA'S SPEECH. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. London, June 7. The Pall Mall Gazette says that Mr. McKenna has propounded a doctrine and launched an accusation which demand serious consideration.

NATIONAL STRIKE POSTPONED. London, June 7. The transporters are withholding a national strike until Tuesday. Nine hundred of Bryant and May's match-makers have struck, demanding the reinstatement of a man who was teeharged for inefficiency.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEME. Received 9, 5.5 p.m. London, June 8. Seven thousand eight hundred and forty workers are employed at the docks on 93 ships. Several ships have been loaded and gone to sea. Serious intimidation prevails, some classes of strikers visiting the workers' houses and informing their wives that their husbands will he killed unless they join the Strike.

The Government scheme is based on the Brooklands' agreement in the cotton Industry. The transport workers' leaders have resolved on no consideration to accept independent arbitration. If an outside chairman is accepted he must have no casting vote. The Trades' Union leaders point out that the proposed guarantee is not the same thing as a liability on the Trades Union's general funds. The employers desire to know if the Government scheme contemplates penalising the federation for the acts of a section, and asks whether a sympathetic strike declared in London to help another port would be a contravention of the agreement. The Baltic Exchange has petitioned the Government to refuse the lightermen their charter, which gives them a monopoly of working barges on the Thames, and to open barges to competent men, who are freely offering their services. Mr. Lloyd George has informed the transport workers that the offer of a fuarantee for a breach of agreement will ave more effect than anything else in bringing public opinion to the men's side.

MEDICAL TREATMENT. Received 9, 5.5 p.m. London, June 8. The House of Commons postponed the •econd reading of the Osborne Judgment Bill from Monday, when the dock strike will be debated. The dockers have published a scheme in opposition to Mr. Lloyd George's, providing for medical treatment for workers earning less than 40s, on payment of a weekly subscription of 3d. Mr. Lloyd George has conferred with a committee of the British Medical As«ociation./\He asked the Association to furnish !facts and figures whereon to bass a demand for a higher capitation.