BRITAIN'S ARMY OF WORKERS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2499, 28 June 1915, Page 5

BRITAIN'S ARMY OF WORKERS

THE MUNITIONS BEL

THOUSANDS ENROLLING

NATION BEHIND THE SPEAR HEAD London, Jima 25. The Munitions Bill includes a provision that a lock-out cannot be declared until a month after the employer has reported the difference to the Board of Trade.

The Minister of Munitions has power to control the net profits, the standard amount of which will be the net average of two corresponding periods comolflted before the outbreak of war. Wages are not to be ohanged without the Minister's consent. The Bill fixed the divisible amount of profits of controlled establishments at one-fifth above the standard amount of profits. Any rule or custom not having the force of law* which tends to restrict the the production of those employed shall be suspended. Nobody will be employed unless he produces a certificate stating that his last employer has consented to his leaving. Owners are required to inform tie Minister of the number of their employees, machines, and the nature of their work.'

Certain penalties are specified for offences under the Bill. The Munition Tribunal will consist of the Minister's nominee and two more assessors chosen equally. Panels will be constituted by the Minister, representing the employers and workmen. ENLISTMENT OF WORKERS. MEN FLOCKING TO ENROL. London, June 25. The Munition Workers' Enlistment Bureau opened at 6 o'clock this evening. There was a steady stream of volunteers, including millwrights, fitters, shipwrights, toolmakers, turners, boilermakers, and other engineers anu shipbuilders. TEN THOUSAND REGISTERED IN , GLASGOW. London, June 25. Ten thousand workers registered in Glasgow by noon'to-day. GUARANTEES FROM THE MEN HELD UP. A STUMBLING BLOCK. (Rec. June 27, 3.25 p.m.) London, June' 27. The ammunition volunteers are satisfactory in their work, and increasing in numbers. Mr. Lloyd George has not yet obtained the guarantees from the men. The failure of the masters and men to reach the now wages agreement is the stum-bling-block.

Arrangements have been made for a national meeting of masters and men to consider the coal output, including a co-oDerative scheme.

'i'h'e men threaten to resist compulsion. -

ENOUCH EXPLOSIVES, BUT NOT ENOUCH MUNITIONS.

PRESENT PACE OVERTAKING THE

SHORTAGE. (Reo. June 27, 4.5 p.m.) London, June 26. Speaking at West Hartlepool, Mr. Walter Ruuciman (President of the Board of Trade), caid: "We have enough explosives for our own use, and some for the Allies, but we have not enough munitions. The pace we have now set is overtaking the requirements, and we will soon have enough for ourselves, the Russians, and possibly for the French." He added that he believed it to be possible to get tho best maiihopd of the cation' Without compulsion. NATION'S STAYINC PffWER ON TRIAL. SPEECH BY MR. BONAR LAW. (Rec. June 26, 6.10 p.m.) London, June 25. Mr. Bonar Law (Secretary of State for the-Colonies), in a speech at Dulwich. said: "We can trust our soldiers. They are the spear-bead, but the united nation must drive it home. The Coalition Government does not possess polititjal convictions of any land, but has been formed with the single purpose of carrying on tho war. Our lighting power has been proved; the nation's staying powers are now being tested.— ("Times" and Sydney 'Sun" Services.)

STRIKE AT AMMUNITION WORKS,

OVER A DISMISSED OFFICE BOY

(Rec. June 27, 3.25 p.m.)

London, June 26. Fourteen hundred men who are making explosives at Nobel's works in Ayrshire, have struck because the directors dismissed an office boy. There is intense. feeling in the district. The other workers are threatening the strikers, and the Labour leaders. The latter are persuading the men to resume. AUSTRALIA'S OUTPUT. SECOND SHIFT AT LITHGOW, Melbournu, June 26. In the House, relying to protests at the delay in starting the second shift at. the Litbgow Small Arms Factory, iVlr. Jensen stated that it was being started forthwith. CANADIANS AND THE ROSS RIFLE. DIFFICULTIES ARISE. ~ ~ T _ London, Jmie 20. Air. U. J. Tennant, Under-Secretary foi \\ai, m the House of Commons, said that certain difficulties had arisen in the use of the Ross rifle supplied' to the Canadians., The matter was hems' investigated. Meanwhile, some of the Canadians were armed with Lee-Eu-iields.

I The Canadian Ross Rifle is considered by experts to be superior to the Lee-jMific-ld rifle of the British Army. It is bored for a calibre smaller than the British service rifle, but is also made of .303 cahbro, INDUSTRIAL COMBINE OF THE ALLIES. RUSSIAN SUGGESTION. (Ken. June 26, 5.10 p.m.) London, June 25. A correspondent of the Russian Press notes the Anglo-French collaboration in war industries, and urges Russian paitlcip<;tlon, pointing out, that the colossal problems confronting the Allies can best be solved by their joint labour and co-operation in speeding up the war factories.—("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.)

"When our men took to hand grenades," a non-commissioned oißeer of the Royal Fusiliers writes, "we were for a while at a loss to know what to call the men who were kept for throwing these. Then one day a chap, who is a hit of a wag in his way, had an idea. He started calling them 'the suffragettes,' and the name has stuck ever since so far as that part of the front ifi conrarnorl."