THE RAILWAY STRIKE

Taranaki Daily News, 7 October 1919, Page 5

THE RAILWAY STRIKE

\ SETTLEMENT REACHED. gigpE ZEAimS OVATIGSm, ■.■ Mr Loxdoa, Oct. 3. tfhe railway strike tag teen pettled. A ]*ig» crowd in Bbwaiqf Street voatmew&f cheered the an»ouae«»ffits£ H* railway settlement, and girt as osatiett to limn. Chkiv Bwailejv and JQKMbtt te tfeeir departure. Thchctter shnateds "All over forjs; tMrk IAU ba wsbbw* «■ Monday." <php END BEACHED. JUWER A JOVIAL LBWCa London*. Oafc. 3, tfhe final stsge «f tfca asgatiatkaw ftis)M«Biag Street M eeatete* in the Mtust manner and witfc ao abMto» cf tke femee Mtterawa The M* etttortioa wa» Akeaaed fnmtfy. Mrlkryd George brieflj- explained the «e* offer, witS WMoh 'he tape* to woprtaegotiatioai. tta-railwayman and ether trade retired to snareta rooms, sad IMtMUMtIy eastern* together. ' Lloyd OeMge initat daiaMtn to WMb to latch, »Mek wu a forial ftaetion. A wtttanot «a* now U9«ti and, after anther short uadtatkfe Kmm CMag sad Tiomaa amIMlfct their auwptaaeo of the eCe*. Mr Dmm*s ttasksd Mr Lfayd Geoegs had Mr Bmttr Law for {heir patience fcsi emfidntiA \ Mr Lloyd George paid a tribute to t&M 'eMKffiatoy spirit with which fie <Megat« bad eon darted the negetiakxatt aftd feid that if aS labtf otgaaiaati<M aetad sistiterly tiny would enter «.« Mr cm «f iadustrial pom I Mi jßMgwifr. , | , j TBE HKAL SCESIS. . A DBAifATIC CCHAUGE. , Received Oct 7,1.40 a.m. London, QeL 6. ' Th« news of the settlement reached IJu» country with the same dramatic laddannesa aa, the strike began, and btoukt untold relief to the immense fkvdagr evening crowd* is the streets. Friday night's failure left the outlook blacker, "and thousands enrolled in the {citizens' guard in response to the Government's appeaL Thus, tw* great forces pf citizens were marshalling hourly, and (t final chub appeased inevitable. A quickly spreading report that Mr. gtonar Law. had offered a new wages proposal brought thousands to Downing JSMrt the morning, aad people waited Jill after foar tfckofc, whan the delegates emerged, smiling, and Mr. Bromley anptaafeed: "I am thankful to say all P? over now." The theaiog crowd stopped the pasMfa af the delegates to their motor cars. U Mtcf eagerly kiux>k hands with. Mr. ?koBSt. There was a hostile demon strattoß when Sir Eric Geddes appeared, bat attempt was made to molest him. •ybere mere entlrasiastia scenes of unity £t tin House, where the flag was hoisted -. 4a interval mast inevitably elapse tfare tike railways are normal again, it all the main lines expect a steadily laeiaariag improvement in their services. 9D» Lqmok undergrounds will probably t*n*feg their full service to-morrow PC Bromley, addressing an overflow SMrtfilg outside the Albert Hall, said J flat aB the Workers had reason to be I . featisAed with the result of the glorious j^ML—AM.-N.Z. CaUe Am..

X 6&& AT DEMONSTRATION. ' CKABEBS CLADI* A VICTORY. GREATEST 'WORKERS' STRIKE IN HISTORY. JUednred Get 7, 12.10 i nf. London, Oet. 5. ltmdsr'o tirade* Union ecnferenae Km Ike* ifcaisdoMd. The nilwaymefl's ae«od»t»ti6B was crowded at the Albert Will the evening. Messrs. Thotsas psd Gwnp were given an ovation when tfcejr «HMtnd on tie platform. ' lit. Cfamp described the strike as the greatest fight of organised worker* in gke world. Th*y had won a battle, not had; far themsehw, bat for au Workers. The settlement was the best that «cuW possibly be obtained. He tirged the railwayman to resume as pol'dly as they had struck. Mr. Thomas said that he was glad they had succeeded in keeping 'lie dispute t<rth« siapk wage issoe, avoiding dangers which might have arisen if other Jaetera had bee* introduced. The raiL Waylne* did net desire to defeat the jOsmranent The settlement wa° such, hs justißed their action and vindicated ihs railway executive. The raiUraytiur. could now resume without a trace "jof bittarnesi, because they had achieved B settlement, which, thanks to Mr. Lloyd fitotge, was honorable to both sides. The meeting carried a resolution accepting the settlement and agreeing to return to work to-morrow.—Anr.-N 'L fable Assa. TEEMS OF SETTLEMENT. London, Oct. 5. 'the settlement provides for the imJsediate resumption of work, followed by the resumption of the negotiations lot stabilising wages in the various grades, which will be completed by the tnd of the year. The rates may be Reviewed after August 1, 1920, in accordance with the eircumatances then jaistine. .... tire week's wages doe to the strikers grill al*6 be piid. The unions guarantee that loyalists and others who reWttßd to work during the strike ahall lie treated without prejudice by the jrtrfkert. . The official aimotrtuMnent «ays that tte terms of the settlement provjde that wages ahull remain unaltered till the end of September, 1920. No adult ►ailwavmen shall receive lw* than 51s »rhile the cost of living i« over 110 per fetit, above the pre-war cost. UGHTNING STBIKBS A PAILCBE. Received Oot. 7,1.1s a.m. London, Oct. 6. r jtr CijMS writes in the Daily News Efcat d««pite the apparent advantage, it it Moved that lightning «trik(W we tMte liable to fait (ban notified strikes, %ioM*.ftia public is indignant, when nAhatltry it to iois and inemnrenience I* Owe* «•# that they mat 1 km to iMfctqpb the public at a jury, itae npftot artst be secured.—Aaa.- - - •'^ ' - f'-i T - .wrfcr • '

A WASTE Of STRIKE PAY, WPE OP-NATION tJNIMPEEILLEJJ, W Received Oct. 6, Iffid p.m. London, Oct. 5. Tt is too soon to sum up all the lessons Of the strike, but it is clear that, in so fSr as it was an attempt to hold ' ]> the Government, it has been a gigantic failuie The railwaymen were out for eight days, and spent £300,000 in strike pay Without result. They never succeeded at any time in imperilling the life of the mibon. For this result the two factors chiefly responsible were the admirable organisation of emergency services by the Government, and the courageous and cheerful acquiescence of the whole (iullic in, the temporary inconveniences. —Reuter. NATIONAL WATCHWORD. "STAND' rom" j London, (Tet. f . There was an instantaneous response to the Government's appeal to Lordlieutenants, mayors and other officials tiat the time had arrived to form citizens' guards, and the organisation has commenced in London and elsewhere. Special constables have been called tip. Government circles express the opinion that the railwaymen's conditions would have meant the abdication of the Government. The Daily Chronicle declares that the conflict demonstrates that the striko weapon, while effective against industrial employers, is unsuited for employment against the State, for its use then means war. The Daily Telegraph says that the people support the Premier in insisting on the submission of the railwaymen's executive to the authority of the community and to the abandonment of tie claim to give orders to the Government. The Morning Post says that the issues is now plain. It is a conflict between Bolshevik and constitutional Government. The Daily News says the men acted with great unwisdom from the viewpoint of their own interest in rejecting the Government offer and have gono ■far to deprive themselves Of aay jilstifieation for inflicting grave injury on the community. The Times, in $ leader, deelares that lie national watchword must be "Stand firm." The Daily Herald (Labor)' says the Government's last offer is the greatest insult of all. It is the old offer with the additional suggestion that the forces of reaction have seven days' truce to perfect the strikebreaking organisation. EFFECT ON SHIPPING. London, Oct. 4. Many meetings of omnibus and tramway men favored a sympathetie striko. Their executive coinmittees recommended them to await Tuesday's conference. Four hundred Nortli British railway--1 men have returned to work. The tramwaymen in Dublin threaten to strike in the event of dismissal owing to the reduced service. The strike is having a serione effect at Tilbnry Docks. Many of the quays are overcrowded with all classes of goods, and the sheds reserved for foodstuffs are filled; 75,000 cases of cheese and vast stores of wool and hides are stacked in the open.

Mr Henderson, member of the Conciliation Committee, predicts a settlement within 24 hours.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. *

.EMPLOYERS CARRYING ON. London, Oet. 3. The National Union of Manufacturers has ascertained that the bulk of its members are carrying on and caring for the welfare of their workers. Firms at Glasgow are able to carry on for another week. There have been, no dismissals of Clyde workers on any large scale. The official communique states that ' the response to the call for volunteers : shows the public determination to meet the situation.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. I The Mediation Committee left Downing Street at 7 o'cleck to-night and appeared very cheerful. An official statement issued later j say's: The deputation saw Mr Bonar I I«w and the interview was adjourned .till to-morrow. The general opinion is that.the committee has again succeeded in bringing the Government and the railwaymen's executive together.—Renter. DEMAND FOR PARLIAMENTARY ' SESSION. I TROOPS IN S. WALES. London, Oct. 4. Mr Thomas has issued a statement regretting the failure to arrive at a settlement. Th£ only reason to give was that the railwaymen's executive weTe convinced that they could not per-j suade the men to resume work on the conditions offered, but the fact that trade unionists were still in session and might take steps to Bee the Premier might lead to anoth'pr meeting. Other leaders working for a settlement are Messrs. O'Grady, Henderson, and Gosling. The public demand that Parliament lie immediately convened is becoming insistent. It is believed the' questions debated will assist the strikers to see the facts of the situation, especially as there is much distrust of the Government in trade union circles. Outrages against volunteers are increasingly numerous though few considering the great numbers involved and the bitterness of the struggle. A young man among a crowd of loafers threw vitriol over a motor lorry driver at Clapham. Probably the driver will suffer permanent injury to his eyes. Twelve thousand troops have already been sent to South Wales and machineguns posted at tunnels and bridges. In nuuiT districts the approaches to the stations are blocked with barbed wire Of 4780 trains on Friday 400 were goods and 900 underground. It is the greatest slump in London theatres since the raid nights. The majority were half empty. Owing to the strike the New Zealanders will embark on the Arawa at Torquay instead of Plymouth. GOVERNMENT READY FOR EMERGENCIES. An official message says that the Government is satisfied that all necessary measures have been taken to deal with any situation that may arise. A very limited service of passenger trains was running on Sunday .to enable more goods traffic to be earned. Thanks to offers of service still coming in from '§U |£gj;i the 4optst Osw

ment is confident t&tf if: Will foe pos'i »bl» to continue* to safeguard €&e' Cttmmunity entirely through the civil arm with the voluntary co-operation of the civil population. The Prime Minister lias telegraphed . to the heads of- the principal oiviG' authorities as follows; —"Circumstances arising out of the regrettable conditions regarding railway communications and their effects on trade, industry and the life of the community generally render it necessary that I should hare an opportunity of conferring with the heads of our great civic authorities on matters of urgent public importance. I shall be glad if you can meet me and the Minister concerned on Tuesday and, if unable to attend, to send a responsible deputy." ACTION OF TRANSPORT 6 WORKERS. The conciliation committee of the Transporters Conference has issued a manifesto referring to the negotiations and complaining at the harsh terms and irreconcilable attitude of the Government and the desire to punish them for striking. Ths manifesto concludes with a strong warning to the Government tfcat unless a more reasonable attitude is adopted before- Tuesday's conference assembles it will be impossible to avert a widespread extension of the strike. As the result of the Bradford operatives working overtime the weekly increase of production of combed Wool will be half a million pounds. A Downing Street communique says that plans are in active preparation ito meet the sittftftifflr caused by the strike leaders' refusal to accept arbitration. Among the aristocracy assisting in the crisis are Lords Elgin and Wode(louse, wb<j are actinfi as firemen and stoker respectively. 'Lord Cfcolmondeley is a porter at Paddington, and Lord Mofftagtfe of Beaulieu drove a: train to Bournemouth. !, the London! Conciliation Committee, after a prolonged conference with the railwaymen's executive, called at Downing Street, saw Mr Bonar Law and will interview the Government and strikers' executive together.