LABOR WAR DECLARED

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 1038, 19 August 1911, Page 5

LABOR WAR DECLARED

(Received Last Night, 10.10 o'clock.) LONDON, August 18. The railway strike has officially begun. There is considerable scare as to how it will fare. Whether, it will become general, remains' to be seen. Thousands have already joined those on, strike. AN ABORTIVE CONFERENCE. After an abortive Board of-Trade conference, the railwayman's! execut-, ives met the Parliaanentary Commiti tee of the Trades Union Congress' and the LaJkxur party in ithe House I of Commons. I Afterwards, the secretary of the ' Amalgamated Railwaymen announced 1 that war was declared on the railways in consequence of the refusal of a Royal Commission. MR ASQUITH'S WARNING. The Right Hon. H. H. Asquith addressed the conference. He said the Government would not allow a paralysis of the railway systems. The men would incur heavy responsibilities if they did not weigh his words ) carefully. ' \ The joint Executives subsequently issued a manifesto in reply to Mr j Asquith, declaring that Jus sta'teonent was an unwarrantable threat j against the railway workers, who j for many years had repeatedly asked i tlie Board of Trade, also Parliament, to amend, the conciliation scheme. THE SIGNAL GIVEN. Fifteen hundred telegrams, giving the signal, were despatched. i A CENSURE MOTION. The Labour Party and Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress had resolved to help tho railwaymen. •. Afterwards,. the position Was discussed, hy the-Laboiir Party' tiVeV'Vi&eli. .dissatisfaction was ex- I pressed-at the ssympathetic attitude. toyard'S r the Government; and it -was deasd«d\'tliat 'notice'be given of a mbr tion of censure. , NEGOTIATIONS RE-OPENED. The 'scene of action has. been, transferred to the House of Commons, where the Hon. D. Lloyd. George said , he* thought the men did not preciate the character of Mr Asquith's proposal. They had proceeded to recommend a great strike. He felt,that if a conflict must come, it should only come after a full understanding of the character of the proposals. He was glad to announce that negotiations had been reopened. The parties were considering this as an interpretation that the Government did not intend a roving commission for the purpose of staving' off the evil hour. The commission would consist of three, representing the Companies and the. men, with an independent ehairman. It would ;neet forthwith, and arrive at/'a prompt 'decision. ' r Mr Ramsay MaeDonald said that there had apparently 'been- a misunderstanding; 'but :so grave and keenly ,was it felt tnat he had intended itp move a 'motion of censure on the Government foi* the -way it had conducted the negotiations. The Labourites would now do their utmost! to (bring,about peace. The Hon. D. Lloyd George said that if the Commission were accepted, it would be appointed on Saturday and meet on .Monday. The Government would take immediate administrative action, on the Commission's decision,, and, if necessary, would summon Parliament. ■ ' . CONSIDERING THE POSITION. The Railway Executive sat till late, considering Mr Asqui'th's proposal, but adjourned . until this morning, without arriving at a decision. STIRRING SCENES. Stirring: 'scenes occurred at Alder- '■ shot and Waterloo, over the departure and arrival of troops. ; Two hundred cavalry and eleven thousand infantry were transported to London during the night, and bivouacked in the London Parks. ! Three thousand Guards arrived from Perbright. The Aldershot command was utilised in London, while the Southern, command was concentrated on Salis'ibury Plain, in readiness to proceed tfco strike areas. MOVEMENT OF TROOPS. Six hundred West Yorkshires were despatched to Leeds, and six hundred Durhams to Bradford, Two hundred Royal Engineers have left Chatham for Liverpool. NORMAIi TRiAFFIC. ' ' Late last night traffic was proceeding normally at the London terminii. Few' men ceased work except at St! Pahcras, , where ' five hundred goods striker® endeavoured to induce the passengernmen to strike. \,, A GENERAL STRIKE. ' ( The Thames lightermen strike ' today, and it is expected that the whole of the transporters of the United iKihigdom will be called ;eut' by Tuesday. ■ FAMINE THREATENED. Liverpool is going from bad to worse. ■ ~. A famine is threatened, and the When you require a casting of any description, make a point of securing a quotation from us, and also be bUi'e to inspect the samples of our work. We make a specialty of casting Verandah Posts and Ornamental Friezes. An up-to-date plant enables us to turn out any clas* oi casting in the quickest time.— The Mastertnn Farmers' Om- " ui A CHILD'S LIFE SAVED. "My son Jack was severely axr tacked, with croup," writes Mrs Agnes L. Vincent, Margaret Street, Geelong, Vic. "He was almost choking, and we had not time to send for medical aid. We had Chamberlain's Cough Remedy in the house, and it was the means of saving this child's life. It took only ten minues for this remedy to do the work. We think a lot of Chamberlain's Cough Remedy. It is> the only cough meracin© we use in our home." Sold by all chemists and storekeepers.

RAILWAY STRIKE BEGINS

SFURTHER NEGOTIATIONS COMMENCED.

WARNING BY MR ASQUIJH.

FAMINE THREATENED IN LIVERPOOL.

spectre of pestilence hovers over the city, which is presenting a more dirty appearance. Tlie scavengers have struck work, and the' daily cleaning of the city .is not ibeing performed. This is acting as a menace to health. 'An effort to plunge the city into darkness was partially successful., . The authorities iseeured assistance, and maintained the street lighting. The theatres have been closed. The railway services are fairly maintained, except to Manchester and Yorkshire. . HOTELS CLOSED. . Hotels .. are being closed at two o'clock in the afternoon. The sale of bottled liquids has been interdicted to prevent the strikers using bottles as missiles. RIOTING IN LIVERPOOL. Rioting has 'begun in the Scotland Road area of Liverpool. Many bakers' .establishments have been looted in the lower pants of the city, where the pinoh of hunger is being keenly felt. Two thousand special constahles have been enrolled. The tramways are suspended at nightfall, in order to conserve' the current for lighting. FRANCE AFFECTED. HEaV Y LOSS ON PRODUCE. Received This Morning, 12.50 o'clock. PARIS, August 18. The English strikes are seriously affecting the French export of produce. It is estimated tiliat a loss of £40,000 is ibeing daily sustained. MEAT IN THE LONDON BOCKS. - ~'; \ " \.._ ■By Telegraph— Association. ... CHRjSTCHITRCH, Last-Night, Mr Gilbert Anderson cables! 'from' ! London, stating that, owing to the transport tstrike, the following quan- \ tities of meat are awaiting discharge in the London docks: — Mutton, 600,000 carcases; lamb, 500,000 carca6- i es; beef, quarters. , . j