THE GREAT STRIKE

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1919, Page 5

THE GREAT STRIKE

STOPPAGE OP RAILWAYS COMPLETE. STO)M LAND'S END TO JOHN 0* GROAT'S. - ' CASE EOR THE MEN". »»- Telegraph.—P.-e«i Assn.—Copyright. London, Sept. 23. Mr. Thomas, in an interview, said that the atoppage was complete from Land's End to John o' Groat's. Many would regard the upheaval as an attack upon , the whole constitution of the country. Some would welcome that, and the press was making it the issue. Be begged the pnis to refrain from anything making worse the already difficult situation. The railwaymen would not be diverted from fighting for a just principle. Let the public judge between the following figures: Platelayers in South Wales are offered a maximum of 44s per week as a standard rate, and they must work side by side with colliery platelayers who are governed by the same conditions with regard to rent and cost of living and whose present fixed standard is 71s per week arid' upwards. Shunters, whose mortality on the railways is 1 in 19 killed or injured, are offered a 'maximum of 60s, a sum which will not affect more than 20 per cent. They work side by side with colliery shunters, whose standard rate of pay is from 70s per week to 103s. 7 Treating them as ordinary common laborers and comparing them with the lowest paid labor in Hour mills, the latter have a minimum of £3 per Week, while the builders' laborer receives a minimum of Is 3d per hour in the large towns. Compare the Government's offer to pas- * Benjrer and goods train puarsd, with long experience of railway work, of a maximum of £8 with the standard rate paid to 'bus conductors of 73s <sd after six months'^ service, and with the tram conductor's 70s as the ordinary week's wage. "My last offer to the Government was simple. We abandoned everything, ex- , cept one request, namely, would the Government treat the other grades on the same -principle as they treated the drivers and firemen? The Government's hnsWer was Ho!' Whether the executive had called a strike or not, do the public believe for a moment that 300,00 ft men would be content to work under conditions where a principle was conceded toy the Government to one grade and denied to them ? It would be impossible, and the railways would be one seething < furnace from January to December." Mr. Thomas added that Mr. Lloyd George at the conference made a sugges- . tion in which Mr. Thomas saw a ray of hone. Sir Eric Geddes immediately said: "Yon cannot possibly accept that!" Mr. Thomas concluded: "Never in nil mv experience have I found bo <lr>tcrmined a desire on the nart of some of the Prime Minister's advisers to do everything to prevent a settlement."—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. DISREGARD OP PUBLIC INTERESTS. STRIKERS UNREASONABLENESS. London, Sept. 28. jvtr. Lloyd George, being unable to fulfil an engagement at Carnarvon, wrote to the chairman of the Carnarvon County Council as follows: "The cause of my absence is th e sudden outbreak of a strike which can only bring deplorable consequences to those concerned therein and the nation at larye. No one can suggest that I ever lacked sympathy with the oppressed in any class or country. I am constantly being criticised as too extreme a partisan of those struggling for better conditions; but, after what is acknowledged by them to have been careful and patient investigation by me of their case, I come to the conclusion that, in a long and varied experience, I can recall no strike entered into so lightly and with such entire disregard of the public interest. "The dispute is not one where it can he contended that the workers are seeking to wring fair wages from harsh employers whose profits are believed to be excessive. The railwaymen in this are dealing with the community. The State is now running the railways at a loss, . owing mainly to the enormous increase in the wages of railway workers since the beginning of the war and also the great reduction of hours. The loss borne by the general taxpayer will soon be passed on to the general public in the form of increased fares and charges. "On its merits the strike is inexplicable. The dispute, such as it is. is about something which cannot possibly come into operation nhtil next year, yet the nation is thrown into dislocation bv a hurried strike without even a week's warning. The railwaymen declined to grant even a respite of two or three days to their fellow countrymen, and a service on which the life of a whole people eo much depends has been stopped practically without warning. A QUARREL AT ANY COST. "This precipitancy is suggestive of a deliberate and matured intention on the part of. some individuals to seek a quarrel at any cost. It has convinced me that it is not a strike for wages or better conditions. The Government haß reason to believe that it has been engineered for some time by a small but active body of men, who have wrought tirelessly and insidiously to exploit the labor organisations of the country for subversive ends. I am convinced that the vast majority of trade unionists in the land are opposed to this anarchist conspiracy. They can see the ruin and misery it has brought in other lands and their common sense has hitherto guarded their organisations against the control of these intriguers. These men have made many efforts to hold the levers of trade unionism, and eo far their endeavors have ended in failure. There is no more patriotic body in this country than the railwaymen, as their conduct in War time demonstrated. When they realise that they are Sot fighting for fair conditions of labor for their class, but are being used bv extremists for sinister purposes, their common sense will resume sway and save the country, yea, their own families, from disaster. THE CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. "In the interests of the nation the ■Government has no alternative but tc accept, the challenge thrown down to society as a whole. It intends to meet the blow at the public weal with all the resources of the State, and looks to the notion, without distinction of class, inasmuch, as it affects everybody, cheerfully to bear the deprivation this indefensiblt • strike will entail, and supnort the Gov'Moment in maintaining the fabric ol social order whereon the jffosasatK 3*

the country depends."—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. Mr. Lloyd George admitted that the railwaymen were disgracefully paid before the war, but that was no reason for imposing a burden the community could not bear. He regretted that the strike decision had been so hasty, since the railwaymen had a guarantee there would be no reduction in wages till 1920. This gave ample time for further negotiation. THE UNION'S FUNDS. The funds of the union of railwaymen are estimated to be 1%. millions, and sufficient to finance the strikers for a month; but the real test will be in the first three days, as if the essential services can be temporarily maintained the failure of the strike is certain. A novel feature of the strike is that the aeroplane companies are advertising, offering to convey anyone anywhere in England or the Continent upon receipt of a telephone requisition. The Government states that the decision not to employ troops to work the trains at present was made because the action might be regarded as provocative. Mr. Thomas, when leaving the Cabinet room, turned to the Premier and said: "This will be a model strike, no disturbance or violence of any kind." The Coal Controller has ordered the stoppage of all foreign shipments of coal from Cardiff, conserving all coal for use in Britain. A SYMPATHETIC STRIKE. A protracted meeting of the 'Bus, Tram, and Taximen's Union decided to suspend work on Monday. This decision means a sympathetic strike. The Liverpool meat supply is held up at Birkenhead. The steel works at Hartlepool have been closed and several, race meetings have been abandoned.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. Mr. Bromley, chairman of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, interviewed, 6aid the Loco. Engineers' and Firemen's Society replied regretting the calling out of members, but it was inevitable in the interest of trade unionism. It was purely a sympathetic strike on their part, as all the members were content with the Government award to them. At the Albert Hall meeting Mr. Cramp characterised as a deliberate lie the statement that the strike was not in defence of some union principle or right, but directed against the community. He flatly denied (the Premier's assertion that the latter pleaded for a respite of two or three days, and challenged Mr. Lloyd George to produce notes bearing out the assertion. He and hi 3 executive were convinced that if Mr. Lloyd George was master in his own house a settlß•ment would have resulted. He suggested that Sir Eric and Sir Auckland Geddes formed a stijm'iling block, preventing a compromise, Sir Eric posing as a strong man. Mr. Thomas, interviewed on Sunday, stated tlat he was still anxiouf for a sett "omen", but added. thit the attempt being made to turn i,?'e dispute into other than a labor question complicated the situation, making it dangerous. He definitely refused to widen the issue. The situation on Sunday afternoon was unchanged, though three or four Continental trains were dispatched. Developments are not likely before Monday, but there will be difficulty in restraining the tramwaymen and busmen. STRIKERS' MISCALCULATIONS. GOVERNMENT'S PREPARATIONS. Received Sept. 30, 1.20 a.m. London, Sept. 29. There is little doubt that the strikers underestimated the Government's pre. parations for delivery of food to the community. The Government is also assisted by large stocks, there being at least fifteen weeks' supply of food now in store. Britain's coal stocks are also fairly satisfactory. There is at least nine weeks' supply of petrol. The most difficult problem, probably, will no longer be food, but many big industries in the north are highly vulnerable, as they require a daily renewal of chemicals and coal. This specially applies to the ironworks, but the cotton mills should lie , able to continue with the aid of road . transport.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. | GOVERNMENT PRECAUTIONS. ! SOLDIERS PROTECTING RAILWAYS i Received Sept. 30, 12.20 a.m. ! London, Sept. 29. i The situation; generally is unchanged. > The public is in the best of spirits, having not yet begun to feel the pinch. The . men's leaders are of opinion that the ; men can hold out for at least three > weeks. ! Meanwhile the Government is noglecti, ing no precautions. The Kent railway ; lines are guarded by soldiers in full i marching order and with machine-guns. ! The superintendents of the principal . lines held a conference with the Trans--5 port, Ministry. Each line will run a . skeleton service to-day. All the \ock workers have stopped at Hull, as the docks belong to the railways. ' Among other precautions, the Government has stopped all coal exports. ® The First Battle Squadron suddenly moved from Scarborough to the Thames. No decision has been reached regarding the summoning of Parliament, but the matter is under discussion. ' THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE'S ACTION. ® Received Sept. 29, 5.5 p.m- i t London, Sept. 2S. n The Railway Union has not appealed j. for support of the Triple Alliance. Mr. j Thomas and other leaders arc endeavorj ing to confine the strike to the railway- , men. , The transport workers' executive 1 meets on Monday night to decide the , Union's action. Nearly two-thirds of its members are unemployed through the strike, but it i 9 unlikely that the 3 executive will declare a sympathetic J strike immediately. There is no indication that the Miners' v Federation proposes to join. J Received Sept. 29, 5.5 p.m. t London, Sept. 28. r Official: The traffic situation is une changed. The food distribution *jir rangements are proceeding smoothly. Offers of service are pouring in from all quarters- Arrangements are being completed to make immediate use of volune teers. —Rsuter. o Received Sept. 29, 11.5 p.m. 0 London, Sept. 23. :t To-night's reports from the London e termini show that an exceedingly limited e number of trains were run to-day, but i. the companies indicate the probability of v extended services to-morrow. Ie The- Postmaster-General notifies that <- foreign and colonial parcels cannot be if accepted, and urges the posting of urgent 1 ,comfmmir*tipag