POLICE AMD PICKETS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 70, 22 March 1912, Page 7

POLICE AMD PICKETS.

FORMER OVERPOWERED. REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE AND ORDER RESTORED. SEVERAL PERSONS INJURED. TEN ARRESTS. By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Copyright, (Received March 22, 9 a.m.) LONDON, 21flt March. Five hundred pickets who were endeavouring to prevent 100 non-unionists working at the Kirkconnel pits, Scotland, overpowered the police. They used sticks and stones, police reintorcements arrived and order was restored. Several policemen and strikers were injured. Ten of the rioters were arrested. GRAVE ANXIETY. COAL MINERS' FEDERATION'S ATTITUDE. DRASTIC AMENDMENTS ASKED FOR. MR. BALFOUR MOVES THE REJECTION OF THE BILL. LONDON, 21st March. The Coal Miners' Federation's attitude* is causing the Ministerialists grave anxiety as to the fate of the Coal Mines Bill. The owners also seek draetic amendments. At a. meeting of Opposition leaders it was decided that the minimum provisions were not calculated to secure permanent peace, arid. Mr. Balfour therefore moves th<> rejection of the Bill. South Wales miners are also dissatisfied with the Bill. The Engineering and Shipbuilding Employers' Federations, representing 1000 firms and employing 70,000 men, paying £40,000,000 annually in wages, carried a resolution of protest against legislating for a minimum wage and pointing out the injury inflicted on collective bargaining by breaches of agreements. The Cardiff Chamber of Commerce carried a. resolution expressing concern at the Government legalising for breach of contracts, and regretting that there was nothing in the Bill preventing a. rbcufrence of troubles. It recommended that the Bill should not apply to Wales until the expiry of the existing agreement in 191b. Mr. Victor Grayson, ex-M.P. (Socialist) for Colne Yorkshire, counselled the miners to insist on the schedule being embodied in the Bill. Stormy weather and enow are increasing the Bufferings of the poor at Cardiff. Three hundred hunger-marchers at Grimsby appealed to the Mayor for food. The mon were suffering * keenly, and rations were distributed. CHANGED SITUATION, THE BILL MAY DIE. GOVERNMENT EXPECTS DEFEAT. (Received March 22, 8.5 a.m.) LONDON, 21st March. The Daily Nows (Liberal) states that Mr. Balfour's move radically changes the situation ; it takes, the decision out of the Government's, the coalowners', and the miners' hands. The Opposition controls the Houso of Lords, and the Bill may die. - The Daily Mail (Unionist) says the Miners' Federation "has wrecked the BUI. The Government expects defeat, and, not improbably, is willing to escape the enormous difficulties its blunders and weakness have produced. MR. ASQUiTH EMBARRASSED. WHAT THE FEDERATION LEADERS CLAIM. STRIKE" Px\Y. (Received March 22, 9.5 a.m.) LONDON, 21st March. The Premier's position is embarrassed by his declaration when introducing t>he Coal Mines Bill that it would be neither right, fair, nor common-sense to embody in the Bill a schedule of wages. The leaders of the Miners' Federation claim that they have the power to turn out eixty-eix Radical members of Parliament, including seven Cabinet Jbnltlers. - . , The strike pay to miners up to the 23rd will amount to £578,000, and to members of other unions to £240,000. SECOND READING STAGE. MR. BALFOUR RECEIVES AN OVATION. IF THE GOVERNMENT IS DEFEATED. NO NEED FOR~~A DISSOLUTION. (Received March 22, 1 p.m.) LONDON, 21st March. There was a packed house when the Prime Minister formally moved the second reading of the Coal Mines Bill. Mr. Balfour received an ovation when, at, the request of Mr. Bonar Law, Leader of the Opposition, he rose to move the rejection of the measure. Mr. Balfour bald the strike was the first formidable display of a policy which, if allowed, would be destructive of society. No American trust had ever misused its powers of paralysing trade like the miners' loaders had. The Premier had never mentioned the notoiious fact of the agreement between the men and the Scotch and the Welsh owners, one which Mr. Churchill had countersigned on behalf of. the Board of Trade. The Government, continued Mr. Balfour, was trying to pass a colossal revolution in forty-eight hours. If the Government was defeated there would be no dissolution, because it would be impossible to add the confusion of an election to the horrors of a strike. The Opposition intended to vote against the Bill, and if the Government was defeated it (thß Opposition) was prepared to take up tho responsibility. PREMIER'S REPLY. Tho Premier replied that Mr. Balfour's speech .va& worthy of a critical occasion, but propounded only barren negotiations. The Bill was only a preliminary to further eteps which might be necessary— " which God forbid." SOUP KITCHENS. • PATHETIC SCENES AT MIDDLES. BROUGH. STRIKE PAY~REDUOED AT CANNOCK CHASE. (Received March 22, It a.m.) LONDON, 21st March. The chapelc and churches are opening soup kitchens at Middlesbrough. There are many pathetic scenes. Hundreds, oi men and women aie besieging the Town Hail in order lo register their names for groceries tuid fuel wing piovided out of tae Ma-yov's Kelief Fund.

Strike pay at Cannock Chase. Staffordshire, has been reduced to 5e a week. Many non-unioniste at Cannoek are- prepared to return to work, but tho owners do not favour a, partial jet urn. fearing trouble. GERMAN COAL. -n LOADED AT MIDDLESBROUGH. LONDON, ast Maich. The German coal at Middlesbrough. Yorkshire, intended for the Relief Committee, and which the dockers rofuscd to handle, lipb been unloaded. The first shipment of Canadian coal, 1250 tons, hae arrived at Millwall. TOM MANN. VICTOR GRAYSON CONDEMNS ARREST. LONDON, 21st March. Mr. Victor Grayson condemned Tom Mann's arrest, and said that any soldier firing at a striker wae not fulfilling the function for which ho enlisted. He urged soldiers not to shoot, or to shoot high. (Received March 22, 1 p.m.) LONDON 21st March. Tom Mann was remanded in custody to appear at Salford.