BRITAIN'S STRIKE

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 29, 3 August 1926, Page 3

BRITAIN'S STRIKE

SOM€ OF ITS MANY HUMOURS ADVENTURES OF STUDENTS. One perforce found the funny side of those uncomfortable ten "days known as the general strike. It was not meant to bo a picnic, and it certaintly was not one, but the pleasant young men—University, students chiefly—on the rare and irregular trains did much to cheer up belated and foot-weary travellers, writes Ada A. Holman in the "Sydney Morning Herald." It w.as a refreshing change for a woman to have her parcels carried to the carriage from the ticket office, and to "be asked to "Hurry, if you don't mind, for we are a little late already," instead of being bustled, and ordered in stentorian tones to "Hurry on there, nowli" The volunteers made a joke of the work themselves, and would sit down and chat to passengers about their difficulties in artless fashion. "That is how it will always bo under Socialism," said a. t Labour member of the House of Com; mons. "Everyone will be educated and courteous and everyone will do his share of manual toil." It is quite an alluring prospect. On a bus going to Islington, thatigrey region of bricks and mortar, one Oxford youth called blithely, "Come, on! Still room for two or three little ones. Ours is a nice bus, ours is! Beautiful scenery and cheerful societyl" One certainly had the ■ cheerfulness, for .the strike did not last long enough to be tragic. It-was treated as a new kind of game, as an exciting adventure, and all travellers spoke to ane another in most un-English fashion, telling each other "how dreadful" it was, that it would be over to-morrow, or not over for months, according to temperament." In a lift at one metropolitan station the amateur operator could not get the igate to shut, and without thia the lift could not ascencl. "There I am pulling the wrong thing again!" he' exclaimed, "I don't know how the bally thing works!" After a chorus of advice from" passengers the right lover was found, arid we were released. "I'm not really a lift man," he said as we alighted; "I'm really a stationmaster, but all the other chaps have gone to lunch, so some one had to look after you, hadn't he? No one has ever shown me how to work the gates; and yesterday I nearly guillotined an old lady." Another suburban, train announced no stop between Earl's/ Court and Knigbtsbridge, yet did pull up at an intermediate station, "They said we were, not stopping here," commented an old priest as the nonchalant conductor stepped into the carriage. "We're not, really," he explained, "but there's just some little thing to adjust on tho engine." "I thought the engine-driv-er might be wanting to light his pipe," went on the clergyman facetiously. This in allusion to the pipes, after Mr. Baldwin, affected by most of the volunteers. Those with their spats and plus fours gave an unwonted air of cheerfulness to the railways. "Why," said the priest, looking hard at the youth, "you are'one of my old pupils!" "Yes, sir; glad to see you, sir," said the conductor." , "What's become of -r — ri" began the priest, settling down for a nice gossip. "I'll see you later, sir; must be off. Next stop Knightsbridge!" Hyde Park was turned into a huge milk depot, and here the House of Lords held away.; So many peers and Conservative M.P. s were then engaged rolling milk cans that the Carlton Club was empty for days on end. The eminent Judge complained that he could get. no bridge throughout the strike. Kolling cans, it seems, is an art, and the feet of elderly lords and marquises were bruised with their own aud their colleagues' inept movements, Lady Louis Mountbatten, who was pictured in one of the tiny sheets that managed to appear, as frying sausages at a voluntary workers' canteen, "afterwards took a billet as manager of the telephone switch at the "Daily E&press" office. At this newspaper office, as well as at most of the others, all the regular workers having departed, ithe 1 overflow of peers' from the milk depot put in time at both mechanical and clerical jobs. It was'."lolanthe" in, real life. The T.ir.C. were very insistent that no goods but foodstuffs should be delivered, and also tried to keep employees from travelling by conveyances provided by the big firms. One huge covered van was leaving aft important emporium, when it was stopped by; T.U.C, agents. "It's all right—only food," said the driver, trying to push on. , "I'll satisfy myself," said one of the agents, there in some force. He pulled the end canvas aside, and saw that the van was full of young girl employee?. "Good? Oh, I see —tarts!" he said solemnly. "Pass on." One had to pretend that "organisation" was wonderful, but it really was not so that you could notice it. Motorcar owners were asked to put up a placard stating destination, if willing to give, pedestrians a lift, and it was always the humble little car that stepped into the breach. However i full their cars some women seemed always able to squeeze in just one more. Just when the strike was at its height, May took the opportunity to produce, a record downfall, with hail, fog, and sleet, to beat anything done in that line by No vember. That was not a humorous day