STRIKES IN FRANCE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 300, 15 September 1936, Page 9

STRIKES IN FRANCE

— —. Position Again Very Acute PREMIER AS MEDIATOR Paris, September 13. ' Though the Minister of Labour, M. Salengro, induced the textile workers to evacuate the mills, the employers refused his mediation because he, as a former Socialist Mayor of Lille, was a conspicuous leader of campaigns against employers. The unions thereupon reoccupied the mills last night without incident. position is again very acute. In response, to an appeal by M. Salengro, the Premier, M. Blum, left for Lille to-day, and is conferring with the parties. PLIGHT OF CALAIS LACE INDUSTRY So serious has become the plight ot the lace workers of Calais that the men employed in the Industry recently agreed with their employers to send a delegation to M. Blum, the Prime Minister, with the request that immediate steps be taken to prevent the export of French looms to foreign countries which intend to manufacture lace in competition with French producers. At a meeting of 10,060 employers and men at Calais, under the presidency of the Mayor, It was declared that as a result of the world crisis and monetary instability the French lace industry had lost practically all its foreign markets. Competitive Industries had been set up wbroad, particularly in Great Britain and in the United States. The •trade of Calais had fallen from 350,000,000 francs in 1930 to 40,000,000 francs in 1936, and that of Caudry from 200,000,000 francs jto 20,000,000 francs. There were at present 6000 unemployed at Calais and 2000 at Caudry, and about a quarter of the population of the two towns was dependent on public assistance.