WELSH COAL STRIKE

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 273, 17 November 1910, Page 5

WELSH COAL STRIKE

"FRIGHTFUL FOLLY."

OF DAMAGING THE MINES. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyrlght.)November 16. In the House of Commons Labour members hotly demanded the withdrawal of the troops, and complained that. the police had interfered with the pickets. Mr. Winston Churchill (Home Secretary) replied that a ! very determined attempt had been made by the strikers to break the power houses and. destroy the machinery. He hoped the leaders of the men would impress on them the frightful folly of damaging the mines. If the. mines were flooded the strike might end, but the population of South Wales would be faced with starvation, for it would be three or four months before the miners would be able to work again. Mr. Churchill added that he would exert his authority and see that the strikers had property liberty, but they must not be allowed to ruin the mines. The Labourites considered the reply unsatisfactory, and 41 of them voted against the motion for adjournment. The Rhondda strikers persuaded the enginemen and stokers of the Britannic colliery to abandon their engines. The manager and officials re-started the fires in the boilers in order to prevent the flooding of the mine. In response to a bugle call the strikers reassembled on a hill overlooking the colliery, and lustily boo-hooed those at work. This proving fruitless, they finally invaded the colliery, and gave the officials half-an-ho"ur to put out the fires. The officials capitulated. A TELEGRAM TO THE KING. 8.20 ajn.) LONDON, November Iβ. The mid-Ehondda strikers resolved to telegraph to the King that while he inquired into the condition of the imprisoned horses, he has not inquired respecting the starving wives and children of the strikers.