South African Crisis

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 167, 14 January 1914, Page 5

South African Crisis

CAPE MEN STRIKE. RAILWAYS DAMAGED. ■ By Cable—Press Association—Copyright Capetown, .Ternary l'i The Men have struck, despite the advice of Mr. Hangar, M.P. The action is considered important, as the Cape employees hold the key to the situation. The stril iers matin an abortive attempt to induce the tramwaymen to .strike. llavnsan, a well-known Socialist agitator, has been arrested for inciting; railwaymen at Salt River to blow up the railway. An a'ttelnpt wag made to blow up an important railway bridge at Fourteen streams, Iviniberley. The points were -damaged and the rails displaced, Strong fraards are now posted. After a Labor meeting ot Germislou the crowd marched to the, gaol asd threatened to wreck it if Wade were not released. A strong force of mounted police dispersed t'he crowd.

Half the men at the Salt River works nave struck.

; FOOD SUPPLIES. Johannesburg, January 12. Besides large quantities of food still arriving, there' is two months' supply in cold storage- The Committee of Public Safety has taken steps to ensure all classes obtaining necessarie at reasonable prices. THE STRIKE EXTENDING. Durban, January 12. The Amalgamated Engineers and practically all the men in the railway workshops have struck, POSITION AT piE MINIS. Pretoria, January 12. Members of the builders' and affiliated • societies liavo struck in sympathy with the railwayonen. The mine-owners at Yunryn. Eastland, are paying the miners special rates to keep the natives in hand. Tlte Daily Mails Johanncsburgs correspondent reports that a strike among tlie miners has begun in Eastland. ' Details from Jagersfoutein show that the native concerning whom rumors caused the trouble died in the hospital. The order to fire on the rioters was given only in the greatest emergency. Tlinee were killed and several wounded. A lull followed, then the natives resumed the attack, whereupon tHici whites in self-defence killed three more. Many were wounded, five dying subsequently. CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE. AX INTERESTING EXPLANATION. Received 13, 9.35 p.m. Sydney. January 13. Mr 0. Hunt, Whip of the Botha Party. 1s visiting Sydney. Oil being interviewed, l>e„.sjud lie 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 liad seen war held life cheat). He hoped that the better instincts of the striker? would come to their rescue, and trv to tret their grievances adjusted legilimateRegnffciig the trouble amongst the f - railway workers, he explained that during the war many farm laborers went to the towns and were disinclined to return, and they thus tilled 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 at 3s 4d per day, equal.' t with coal and housing, to ss. After the Union was consummated, labor unions wer» formed and agitation began- for an increase of wages, including the levelling lip of the unskilled men on the Cape «nd Natal lines to what was paid in the Transvaal and Orangia. The Government considered this impractical, as the cost of living was much higher in the two last named States, but agreed to level down and un. As a consequence, the wages in the Transvaal were reduced and those on the Cape ami Natal lines raised. The Transvaalcrs were dissatisfied, while the C'ape anil Natal services, at present are fairly satisfied. The dissatisfaction increased on the Government introducing piecework in nlace of day labor at the railway workshops.

THE AGITATORS DESCRIBED. FKAR OF KAFFIR RISING. Tleceived 13. 10.30 p.m. Sydney, January 10. Mr. Hunt admitted tliat tlie men lia<l grievances, but stated that it was only a matter of a little time liefore these would lie redressed. They were being greatly magnified. The railwayman 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. Tie described Poutsma, who was responsible for the formation of tlie Amalgamated Society of Railway Employees, as a Hollander wlio 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 Ills demands, would not be satisfied. ; . -Mr Hunt added that the heads of the Federation of Trades were Teally paid •agitators. Jiason and 'Waterstone were Australians. Their idea is to have a '.■ Republic South Africa again, and they went about inciting the workers, and - trying to incite the Boer?, especial'." Hertzog's followers, to'.relHlion. Indeed, they pulled down the firitish fins every time tlioy saw it, and put a red one in #s place. They tell the natives tli.it the interests of the while and black workers are identical, and that they must stand together. There was. said Mr Hunt, considerable fetr that thelvtf-' firs might rise nor;, because they were much dissatisfied over the law. which ■was passed last session, empowering the . Government to prohibit natives living with whites, and rice versa. Unless the Government lakes precautions, and gets the natives, of whom "Ort.flOO 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 mnn, hut the whole trouble comes from boys who go to tlie mines to work.

PKEPAHINO FOR FINAL STRUGGLE. SITUATION GRAVE. PARTIAL MARTIAL LAW. Received 14, 12.20 a.m. Capetown. January 13. Tho Hand is (juiol. Botfb sMca are preparing for a final struggle. A truce exists ponding the declaration of the ,ballot. Business is at « standstill, the streets being almost deserted. Three hundred armed workers are sleeping oil the premises to guard the Trades Hall against a police) raid. An armed bodyguard escorts the I.alior leaders everywhere. Genera 1 . lie Wei commands a large foreo of iwiyher-, in the East Hand. The ballots everywhere are showing big majorities in favor of a strike. Tlio situation is grave.

In order to safeguard the trains, certain districts in the Transvaal and Orangia have been placed under martial law.

llrastie. regulations have been issued, including shooting dynamiters! on sight.

HORRIBLE OUTRAGE. *' Pretoria, January 13. A native at Fordsberg entered a house, strangled a man named ll'ood while in bed, and placed on l%e lloor the horribly mutilated body. The police pe.t dogs on the scent, but the native escaped. There was a similar case at Houghton recently. BOTHA BLAMED. Received 14, 12.20 ;i.m. London, January 13. Tlie Diwly Tclegranh'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 inflimiice of Australian labo'" idea=. Botha made the initial mistake of first working with the Labor Party in his anxiety to defeat Die Unionists. The Labor Party thought it had the Government's su""ort, hence the rioting in July. Tlie Government was now reaping the whirlwind, but the strikers were certain to be defeated.