THE LABOUR WAR.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 1037, 18 August 1911, Page 3

THE LABOUR WAR.

THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS. A CONFERENCE HELD. United Press Association—Bti Electric Telegraph—Cop yri'jht. (Received August 17, S a.m.) LONDON, August 10. The present labour movement is passing more ' and more beyond control. It is .s.tarad that tlio i-umber of non- { unionists nut on strike exceeds the 1 number of unionists. The explanation 'iPVrei' to account t for the strike incdudes dissatisfaction at the comparative stationary character of the rate of remuneration for unskilled labour for several years past. The Westminster Gazette, a Liberal newspaper, commenting on the threat of the workmen to smash the Railway Conciliation Boards, says no country can permit a railway strike on a large scale. If Mr Lloyd-George in 1907 promised to prevent such an occurrence. Mr Buxton cannot do less. It is rumoured that Parliament may possibly continue sitting. ..... j The Government is considering <the appointment of a Royal Commission i to inquire into the problem presented I by the stationary character of wages and t'he increased cost of living. Mr Will Crooks, in the House of Commons, gave notice to introduce a Bill making a strike illegal until the dispute out of which it arises has been considered by the Board of Trade as umpire. After the Board's decision, the men are to be free to accept any award proposed or to strike. The labour members intend to raise I a strike discussion in the House of Commons to-day. Mr Buxton conferred in the morning with the railway managers, and in the afternoon with the railwaymen's representatives. The latter complained of the slowness of the Conciliation Board pro- , cedure which, tliey said, enabled the companies to postpone the settlement of grievances. The crux of the position centred on the recognition of the > Unions, which would enable the men to be represented on the Board by representatives from headquarters possessing greater ability than local shunters and porters. They also contended that the latter were intimidated and deterred from pressing for good j. terms lest they be victimised by the employers. The North-Eastern Company alone recognised this handicap, and iallcftved the Union officials to serve on the Board. The employers' attitude towards Labour caused dissatisfaction. Soft jobs had been eliminated, and the men now worked more intensively, although hours had been reduced. Interviewed after t'he Conference, the employers said that they were determined to maintain a. firm atti- j tude. They consider their direct meeting with the men would be a violation of the existing agreement regarding Conciliation Boards, which the Government had imposed. It is understood that the companies, forseeing trouble, adopted precautions months ago for a skeleton service in the event of a strike. Work is gradually being resumed at the London docks. The Port Authority has re-instated the strikers. ' The increases lately granted to the seamen at Cardiff have led to preference being given to Europeans over negroes, of whom there are some six hundred in Cardiff, many of whom ire starving. Some of these assaulted a ship's officer for refusing to engage them and fought the police who quelled the riot with their truncheons. Seven negroes were conveyed in lan unconscious state to the hospital. i (Received August 17, 11.55 a.m.): LONDON, August 16. Owing to the Strikes the newspapers are discussing the shortage of food in j war time, and the problem of nation- j al granaries. A thousand tons of food have been ' destroyed at the docks and warehouses, and there have been large clearances at the railway depots. The London streets are crowded with merchandise. ] The retail prices of butter, ham, | bacon and other foodstuffs have risen twenty per cent, owing to lack of carriage and the drought. Vegetables and fruit are enormously dearer. The Great Western's goods men at Birmingham are ] awaiting developments ajid have resumed work. / i . The Lord Mayor of Cardiff, fearing disturbances, , asked for 500 infantry | • and; 150 cava<lry to protect the food supply. Railway passenger and goods traffic at Manchester ha& stopped. i The Central Committee demands the abolition of the Conciliation Board, a 54-hours week, recognition o? unions, and an advance of 2s in all grades. Food is almost at famine prices in Liverpool. , A convoy of meat was escorted by the military from the docks to the merchants. Tiom Mann claims that in-granting permits to firms and public institutions to remove bread and . fiour, lie stipulated that carters should exclusively be unionists, arid also stipulated for an abundance of bread for the ran|c and file of strikers, and milk for the'children. Mr Herbert Samuel, speaking in the House of Commons, sa'id the Government recently obtained from the central .strike committee in London facilities for the delivering of mails similar to the measures at Liverpool, and the continuity of the mail cart service was assured. Mr Churchill announced that a fresh difficulty had arisen with the London dockers, who are opposing the employment of non-Unionists at the Albert Docks. 1 Two battalions of infantry and a regiment of cavalry are held in readiness in the event,of trouble to proceed to Manchester. Sir William Guy Ganet, after today's conference, announced on behalf of the railway managers that, the Government having promised the

companies ample protection, they would continue the services, even in the event of a general railway strike, ta give an effective though restricted service. THE SUGAR SETTLEMENT. A REPORTED HITCH. (Received August 17, 9.30 a.m.) BRISBANE, August 17. A. hitch has occurred in connection with the settlement of the sugar strike. The waterside workers at Macktiy decline to work with noti-nrrioimis nnd liavo given notice that unless nott-tiniomsts are removed by noon today work oil all wharves will cease. Before disbanding, the Inter-State Labour Conference took the initial steps in creating a central authority, representing the industrial unions of tho Commonwealth, to deal with disputes likely to involve other unions than the one'in respect of which iany dispute originated.