WOMEN'S PROTEST

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 129, 1 June 1926, Page 11

WOMEN'S PROTEST

AGAINST STRIKES AND,LOCKOUTS

20,000 MABCH IN PBOCESSION.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, 21st April.

On Saturday afternoon 20,000 women from all parts of Great Britain marched in procession through the streets of London to-the Albert Hall, and passed a resolution: — To demand that the resources of the nation shall no longer be wasted in strikes and lock-outs, but that industrial disputes shall be settled by negotiations and arbitration. ■. Miners' wives and flsherfolk, women members of the Whaddon Hunt on their horses, Welsh women in national dress, Lancashire millgirls, society women, Scots girl pipers, combined in. this "Prosperity March," organised by the women's Guild of Empire. Hundreds of people lined the route from the Embankment to tho Albert Hall. Groans, boos, and hisses from the groups of Communists were mingled with cheers from crowds of supporters of the Women's Guild of Empire as the long procession marched from the Embankment. COMMUNISTS' TAUNTS. Much has been made of the fact ! that miners' wives were marching in the procession with women of title. The Communists refused to beliove it. '' Have you seen a miner's wife ?'' they demanded with scorn, in intervals of singing "Tho Red Flag." "Go up to I Harloy Street," one exclaimed, "and get a microscope to dig them out." The women took in good part tho scorn the Communists endeavoured to pour on them, and pointed in answer to the taunts to their banners, "Lancashire and Wigan starving for peace," "Make bargains-and stick to them," "Ye mauna tramp on a Scotch thistle," "Lock-outs are nae quid," "Miners' wives want district settlements," and countless others.' The Duke of Hamilton's sister marched with tho wives of' tho miners from Lanarkshire, and Drj Baniardo's widow, who has always taken an interest in dockland, was wheeled in a Bath chair. Those who were to speak at tho meeting at the Albert Hall marched in a group by themselves, amongst them a Welsh miner's wife, a Scottish railwayman's wife, and an engineer's wife from the Clyde. ORGANISED WOMEN'S OPINION. Mrs. Flora Drummond, the leader of the Women's Guild of Empire Movement, marched: on foot tho whole of the way. As the procession passed through Pall Mall all the men in tho clubs, on each side, c^roe to the windows and waved theij uands- or raised a cheer. The Albert Hall was packed with cheering women when Mrs. Drummond rose to speak. Mrs. Drummond welcomed the meeting as tho "inception of organised women's opinion on industrial matters." There were one or two interruptions from a woman in the gallory during the speech, and niuch indignation was shown by the audience at them. Mrs. Drummond, however, refused to be ruffled. The resolution was put to the meeting and carried. 80, Fleet street. !