FEAR OF CHAOS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 June 1921, Page 5

FEAR OF CHAOS.

THREAT TO INDUSTRY. SREAT LOSS IN BRITAIN. MINERS* STRIKE CONTINUES. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.— Copyright. Received June 23, 10.30 p.m. London, June 22. Since the New Year 70,000,000 working days have been lost owing to labor disputes. For the first time in the history of industry in Britain, not a single blast furnace is operating normally, and when they are working it will cost £5OOO to rekindle each furnace, so that at least £1,000,000 must be expended to re-es-tablish the industry in which 325,000 workmen are now idle. The only development of the coal dispute is the fixing of a joint conference for Saturday between the miners’ executive and other trade unions threatened with wage cuts. The miners are not building much hope upon a general strike, and it is more probable that an effort will be made to secure bigger financial support for the miners. Speaking at a mass meeting at Merthyr, Mr. Noah Ablett advocated withdrawing the safety men from the mines to hasten the end of what becomes a trial of endurance. The stocks of coal in the country would soon be exhausted, and the miners would still win if they stuck together. Strikers tried to prevent the safety men working at a West Lothian mine to-day, but a detachment of the Royal Scots was summoned and escorted the men to the pits. 'Exciting scenes were witnessed: at .the Hollybank ctilliery, Staffordshire. When five hundred miners started work a big body of strikers attempted to prevent them, but a hundred police arrived and guarded the colliery, enabling the five hundred to work unmolested, though they were subjected to hostile demonstrations when returning to their homes.