FRENCH RAILWAY STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 946, 13 October 1910, Page 5

FRENCH RAILWAY STRIKE.

PARIS ISOLATED. GOVERNMENT CALLS IN MILITARY' AID. THE TROUBLE EXTENDING. 'By Telegraph-Press Association-CopvriEflt. Paris, October 11. At a meeting of railway men in Paris it was resolved to strike throughout the Northern system to-day for a general increase of wages and a weekly day of rest, and not to respond.to any mobilisation order. ' "■.■■■; . . Troops. have % occupied the Northern! Railway, terminus in Paris.. Fifty thousand men are affected. The Prime Minister, M. Briand, and M. Millerand, Minister for Public Works, declare that the railway strike ie more political .' and : revolutionary than; professional. ;. '-. ■ ■:■' The Government is publishing a.decree organising the railways on' a military basis, and giving the Government power to mobilise for twenty days railway men liable to service. '. .: .• If necessary, the Government will employ naval engineers and stokers. ; '■■■ ileasirres have been,taken to. ensure the carrying on. of the postal services', and the provisioning of Paris on a normal scale. . ' . ".... . The strikers cut ■ the . telegraph and telephone lines connecting with the provinces',' and obstructed the raflray -line with locomotives.: . ■'■"(■ Eight thousand men on the Western-; of Prance State rairnray. hnve voted foi' a . general strike on. the system. ' JIOTOE SEEVICE TO CALAIS. ' London, October 11. The railway strike has 'isolated Paris. : The French Post Office has established a motor service to Calais.' '. . . ■ • English passengers, to Paris axe.held np at Boulogne; and • Calais. : .. . : REVOLVERS USES, ..COMPANY DISMISSES AGITATORS. ■ GENERAL; STRIKE. FAVOURED. ■:/ ■ •; . V". (Rec,October 12, 9J p.m.) • \ '■. ■'. '-''-. V'.;. :" : ;'Paris, October■ 12. According tn .the Northern. Railway Company, the majority of the ; platform station hands ■ lernain on - duty,.. The strikers, have been - firing revolvers, and stoning them with a view to forcing them to-.etrike; , ' ■;/',,. : : ;\. : -.''" ■•■../■ ■.''.'' ■Tergnier Station, near St. Qu'entin, the centre of the strike, has ...been . closed, eoveral drivers refuse to go there, fearing that.they will be murdered.. - ,;. . The company .is-.dismissing 'prominent agitators,. including. M; Taflb, the president of rthe ■"■ Drivers', and, Firemen's Federation. :, :<■■;''■ -. -.'• /.-. .■ ': : -

The concessiomof a minimum wage of, five francs :• applies. to the ' Paris., area, but the men demand its extension to the provinces. Thby. r complain that although pensions were voted by Parliament, they were not made retrospective. :' .■'■"■■ ~. ;, The. genesis of the trouble was' detailed in , "The Times" early in June and on July 8. '0,, , -'; , :•'; '.," .' v v;:•': /"■ ]■ : Automobiles are plying for hire from Paris to Calais and Boulogne, and chargr ing fares a hundred francs (aboTrt/igf) , ." ; , Public opinion in Paris is hostile to the strike. Vv.; '■■■■. ■ ■:■■■[.-.:■; '■■•.'. ■"'".. : ..■''■'.■' ':.:■' ■: A decree .han been.gazetted' Bummoning to., military .'service.- for ;twenty-oira days 1369 of the higher .officials and 27,680 o'f the, minor, employees., of ■ the '. Northeni Kailwoy.' '■ ■■:■'•'. ; \ .■ ' .; M Tlie men, contend.'that the decreei is' ■illegal, sincethe.-law.-provides for-..the mobilisation' of railway : men exclusively for the' transport of." fxdops. andvwar material...':..!:"..',-.;'..-■•. :".: : ;:- ; .'■•■•'' . ,; ''i~. S ; Tlie Central Strike Committee of .the Railway Men's National , Union has .resolved in'favour, of a general striKe. on all French.railways.:- . . : .. - .- ■••';.'": ■ Tho British, railway men have, sent/a message of sympathy . with the men of. the Northern Railway; Company." .■'. ~ WILL FIGHT TO BITTER END; THE STRIKE;STILI,:EXTENUING;: ""■ GREAT TJNREST.IN.THE;S.CiTJTH.' : : . .' •;.. '(Eec. 'October 12,.10.55'p!m.), ■'■', ':,. '-.■"•, ''.. •■';>': '..'■■.'■ Paris, October: 12.' . Thousands of strikers at Lille,: Arras, Laon, and other'stations have .resolved to fight to the bitter end. . !■,. V ;It is reported' that the strike, is extending in Eastern Pi'ance.... , also great unrest on the Paris,'- -Lyons, and the Mediterranean.line. ~■ ;' i : ; - , --.; /.:.'...',■'. THE ORIGIN' OF THE DISPUTE. . . Writing on. June. 7 the Paris oorres. pondent of.;" The Times" said:—"The beneral Confederation 'of Labour, which has succeeded, in organising a more or.less sucpessful.strilce.on the southern railway ':lines, is now seelring'to.make.trouble for the Northern Railway Company. .The engineers and stokers' of that oompany demand aa. increase of ■ 25f.. (d2l) a month. The board .of directors, of wiich ■ M. Edouard de Rothschild is the chairman; had received, a deputation of the-men during the laternoon and had 'refused ■ to' grant them; this .increase .on .the ground thatit would cost the company annually, an- additional 6,000,000f. (£2iO,m); ■'■ that , it would be but the beginning of a. similar movement for higher wagee throughout the entire?staff; and ttat it would inevitably result in a deficit for the company." The,'average wage at present is stated to be iGI6O. -' ; . ,: .,:'.'■ ; :•.■/-■

•■■ On. .My 8. "The Times" stated- "The among the. Prenbh .railivaymen in favour'.of a general strike is assuming a somewhat threatening aspect.;.: The National Union, of Railway Men appears to 'count upon the obedience of at least 50,000 railway employees to the orders of the executive committee, bat there are more than 200,000. others, who are believed to bo. opposed to the pkm of a strike, and to be aware , of the. fact that the entire population .would regard the strikers .as traitors to 'the national interests. • '.-.'■!' ''■ ■ '■ ' ..." .• .'-,'

"The Government have already taken measures to thwart'the plans of thestrike leaders, who count on paralysing traffic. There is reason to believe thrrt, in case .of a railway strike, they would order a military mobilisation, of the in tlieir capacity of reserviste, as was formerly done iu Italy, and apply strictly the military law. They would : likewise hold the strike leaders criminally responsible for any act of sabotage on the railway lines." •.