THE GREAT STRIKE

Taranaki Daily News, 2 October 1919, Page 5

THE GREAT STRIKE

OVERWHELMING VOLUNTEER , v SERVICE. s* ?REPABATiaN6 FOR LONG AN© SEVERE STRUGGLE. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, Sept. 30. . An official communique in reference to the strike states that the railway aerrice is improving. Some minor acta of sabotage have been reported. In one case during the night red danger lights and certain other lignals were altered to green. Fortunately there wag no loss of life. The distribution of food continues satisfactorily. This is due largely to the admirable spirit and efficiency of the volunteers. The offers of roiuntery service, which are coming in in overwhelming- numbers, are rapidly being collated, and calls to service will be issued in increasing numbers from day to day. The railway horses and live stock abandoned by the strikers are being cared for.—Aus. TXZ. Cable Assoc. The strike leaders declare that they .axe prepared for a km| and severe struggle, and that the initiative now rests with the Government. The strikers will (Welcome the re-opening of negotiations for a settlement. Mr. Thomas telegraphed to the Derby strikers: ."The response to the strike call Is beyond all expectations. This jb a fight for existence; keep your heads and victory iB assured.'' Despite these. optimistic pronouncements the TBUwaymen's executive has doubted the pickets at many London and prortoeial stations with the view of frustrating strikers returning to work. The Scottish strikers attempt* to interfere with several trains and placed tUttuitoTC on the line between Kirkcaldy and Thornton.—Aus. N.Z. CaWe . Assoc ; SOBCKBAN TRAINS RUNNING. IRISH SERVICE DRASTICALLY REDUCED. London, Sept. 30. The transport workers and railwaynun's leaders have jointly advised other unions to refrain from sectional strikes; nevertheless, many vehicle workers insistently support the policy of a general strike withb 24 hours in sympathy with the. raUwaymen, which is in Accordance with a resolution about to be submitted to « meeting of the Transport Workers' Federation. The latter organisation has a membership of 880,000, including riverside and dpckside laborers and the affiliated seamen. The resolution in effect represents the policy of direct action, hut its exponents excuse it on the ground that the Government has declared war on the trades unions. - Meanwhile, Mr. Smith, general secretary of the London and Provincial Licensed Workers' Unions, says the latter aTe holding their hands until tomorrow to enable the transport workers' executive to confer with the railwaymen's executive. Suburban trains were more numerous and better organised to-day than on Monday. The main lines, which are the principal arteries of food supply, have been kept open, representing 1000 miles of track. A Ministry of Transport official message declares that the National Union men throughout the country are reporting for duty. The Ministry hopes there will be a really good service to-morrow. It is possible that the Iras, tram, and taxi drivers may strike, but the Ministry has foreseen this and will be able to deal with the situation, owing to the offeM of 1000 ex-service men who drove lorries in war time.

Quantities of perishable goods were landed at Holyhead from Ireland, but were not handled, consequently they had to be sent back to Ireland, where they were destroyed. The Irish railway services are being irasticallv reduced" owing to the coal " shortage "due to the English strike.— Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. ~* EXTENDED RAILWAY SERVICE. STRICT ECONOMY NECESSARY. : Received Oct. 1, 7.20 p.m. London, Sept. 30. ad official communique states that an extended railway service is operating today. The supply of foodstuffs is substantial, and distribution continued * Atiafactorfly. Strict economy of all foodstuff* is necessary, particularly milk, in order that children are not made to nffer, also a rigorous economy of petrol aid eoal in the interests of the whole community. . The executive of the National Union of Vehicle Workers has instructed its members not to touch any railway work, including food supplies. At the request of the Government, the last three days of the Newmarket meeting have been abandoned, involving the Jockey Club stakes.—Renter. MONEY MARKET AFFECTED. London, Sept. 30. The strike has adversely effected the mosey market, and little business is being done on the Stock Exchange. Ninety trains are running on the South-Eastern lino, thirty trunk trains on the South-Western, 230 on the Great Western, and considerably fewer on the Midland and North-Eastern. Communication has been re-established between London and Birmingham, Carlisle, Liverpool, and Newcastle. Strong military guards have been placed on the North British Company's long-distance trains, which are being run mainly by engineering students. The strike has rendered idle at least 400,000 miners and 26,000 tin-plate workers In South Wales, while the docks K» at a standstill. TROOPS AT STATIONS. SEER FAMINE THREATENED. Received Oct. 1. 8.46 p.m. London, Sept. 30. Troop* have been plM«? at all the and are using the waiting rooms M deeping quarters. The £ echools are closing earlier to S ; .welling the crowds ««•««'"

ENGINEERS HOLD OFF. IMPROVED TRAIN SERVICER . NATIONAL STRIKE POSSD3LE. MR.-THOMAS'STATEMENT, ~ Received Oct. 1, 8.45 p.m. ' London, Sept. 30. The Amalgamated Society of Engineers decided against a strike, but refrain from undertaking work hitherto done by the strikers. The most striking improvement in the suburban services consists of instituting a ten-minute underground service on the district railway and Hampstead tube. This, together with the increased services of the other suburban surface lines, considerably reduced the congestion in the streets; nevertheless, tlio traffic was exceptionally heavy, as many preferred long walks to and from the City rather than the dreary wait for public vehicles. The police constantly stopped motors going to the City during the morning and ordered the drivers to give a lift to people waiting in the queues. It is feared that to-morrow's conference will not merely be confined to railwaymen and transporters, but will embrace most of the trade unions in the Kingdom. , It- is believed that the strike leaders will aim at precipitating a national I strike as the quickest means for achievI tag their ends. The situation on the Scottish railways is easier, a dozen additional trains running. A cruiser carried the mails from Liverpool to Glasgow. The National Union of Vehicle Workers ordered the members to refrain from any kind of railway work, even that of food distribution. Hundreds of lorries have been organiser' to bring in w f ork, enabling normal distribution in London to-morrow. All the trunk lines are improving. There are skeleton services on the southern railways, which are organising quicker than the northern, but- the North-Western announces that it has opened communication with the north, and i 3 booking for Carlisle to-morrow. The Great Northern hopes to • reach York. The South-Eastem doubled yesterday's number of trains. The Great Western has improved' yesterday's record. The South-Western is running an infrequent service as far as Portsmouth. All the long distance trains caTry armed guards. Mr. Thomas, addressing a meeting of strikers, said that although he wanted to limit the strike to a simple issue, because he wanted to control it, he would not continue to refuse the offers of the tramwaymen's, and electricians' trade unions now that they were fighting with their backs to the wall. He stated that because he strove for peace until the last moment the Government assumed he would desert the railwaymen. The Government had a rude awakening. The railwaymen were determined to hit hartl until the Government awarded all the grades the same standard of pay as the engine-drivers and firemen. If the railwaymen failed, God help the less powerful unions.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

ARMY MOTORS FROM FRANCE. TRANSPORT FEDERATION'S-STATE-MENT. Received Oct. 1, 9.30 p.m. London, Sept. 30. Mr. F. G. Kelleway announces that many Government motor vehicles are being transported from France to the Slough motor depot, which is providing 150 lorries and 100 motor cycles daily. The executive of the Transport Federation announces that a hundred thousand transporters are affected by the attempted diversion of goods and passenger traffic, and that it is impossible to restrain, members from taking drastic action. The executive states: "We therefore are conferring to-morrow at Caxton Hall with all trade unions likely to he involved in the dispute. In accordance with the underlying principles of trade unionism we shall continue to support the economic status of the entire trade union movement, which is involved in the present crisis." SOME STRIKERS RESUME.

REMARKABLE SCENES. Received Oct. 1, 8.45 p.m. London, Sept. 30. A number of strikers at the two Liverpool stations evaded the pickets and resumed work. In view of Mr. Thomas's statement that he is prepared to accept the support of allied unions, great importance is attached to to-morrow's joint conference of the executives of thirty-six unions affiliated in the Transport Federation with the railwaymen'a executive. Remarkable scenes were witnessed on the Great Western line. Voluntary manual workers include a countess, a duke, a viscount, two earls, members of the House of Commons, a distinguished general, and maDy ex-colonels. A number of ex-officers are offering their services as engine-drivers and firemen.— Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc TRADE UNION OPINION. NOT UNANIMOUS AS TO STRIKE, Received Oct. 1, 10.10 p.m. London, Oct. 1. Though the conference may agree to join the railway men, trade union opinion is by no means unanimous. The London dockers aTe understood to he against joining the strike. There has been a leading body of opinion in favor of big unions reserving themselves for the nationalisation issue. They consider the railwaymen'a precipitate action has prejudiced their scheme. Mr. O'Grady, secretary of the National Federation of General Workers, with a membership of 1-% millions, says he is watching the strike developments anxiously. He was against Parliament interfering, but now thinks Parliament might suggest a settlement which would let down neither the Government nor the railwaymen.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

GOVERNMENT AVOIDS WORST CONSEQUENCESi - VOLUNTEERS LOOK FOR . PERMANENCY. PROBABLE EXTENSION -OF STRIKE. Received Oct. 1, 11.45 p.m. London, Oct. 1. The general impression of the public Is that the Government has, thus far, been remarkably successful in avoiding the worst consequences of the unexpected strike, but there is not the least ground for expecting a speedy collapse of the strike. The two unions have ample resources, and the great majority of their members continue loyal. Many of tbe volunteers on the railway, however, hope their employment will continue after the strike, as experience in much of the railway work is easy to acquire. This is causing much heart searching among the strikers, who have little doubt of their failure to paralyse the railways, and it has caused Messrs Thomas, Bromley, and Cramp to decide to extend the ; scope of the strike. It is evident that the executives of the National Union of Railwaymen and the Transport Federation have decided to recommend the affiliated unions to declare a general strike at to-morrow morning's conference.—Aus,-N.Z. Cable Assn. TRIUMPH OF THE MOTOR LORRY. HALF MANUAL WORKERS WILL SOON BE IDLE. SMJLLIE'S SINISTER THREAT. Received Oct. 2, 1.45 a.m. London, Oct. 1. A feature of the strike is the triumph of motor lorries, some of which arc running a hundred miles from London. The method of distributing food is likely to he continued largely after the strike. If the transporters and omnibus drivers strike, the Government have offers of thousands of ex-service men who have driven motor-cars and lorries in France. The majority of taxi-drivers continue their work. Mr. Smillie, at Glasgow, stated that within' a week probably fifty per cent, of the manual workers of the country would be idle. This would lead to a situation which ought to be avoided if common-sense and the welfare of the nation were observed. —Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.