STRIKES AND DISPUTES

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 March 1922, Page 5

STRIKES AND DISPUTES

:— FIGHTING ON THE RAND. NATB’ES ATTACKED, (Reuter.) Recd. 8 a.m. CAPETOWN, March 8. Fighting all night long occurred at \ oeUedorp, the strikers attacking the natives out of sheer wantumiess. 'I wo natives and an Indian woman were killed, and three other natives were taken to lhe hospital. A native doctor was wounded. A grave feature is the not unnatural diipusition oi the natives to letaliate. I lie police casualties in yesterday s affray with commandoes were one ollicer and two men wounded. Premier Smuts, in a statement in the Assembly, said that eviiiently tike tempers ol both parties to the Hand strike were growing worse. lie declared that tile Chamber of Mines' reply to the Federation was coiiclied in a deplorable, tone ami was followed by a worse move on (he other side m dei'uiimg' a general strike. I lie bright spot in the s. t;. aI; <> 11 was tin? e.\empl:irv conduct, oi' the police, and l.e stronglv deprecated disiiai aging made reg L arding them. So fur it. had been mmeci'.ssary to take special prceautiims to maintain ordep, hut. it migiit becoine net cssary if the situation giew worse. His si rv ices were alwa.vs at the disposal of the disjmtants. in an eiideavom' to effect a. settlement. HOOLIGANISM RAAIPANT. PREMIER'S WAHNTNG. Recd 1.30 ('AI’F.TOWN, Alarc’n 9All attempts to call mil the railwaymen have hitherto failed, and t!m. so-called general strike, up to lhe present, has imt oveniuated. although owing to the intensified inf imidation campaign, two mines have been compelled to temporarily close. 'lhe commandos are now largi l.v composed of bands of alleged hooligans. 1 In’ railway between JetminL'n ami Pretoria lias been cut and a telephone lines have he' ll cut. jue signal station at .tempos in the centre of Johannesburg, was held up al midnight. Alasked ni< n'-blevv iq> the railway above tlie subway and all trains were blocked lot.’ hours. The attacks on J 1 natives at Veedegorp were resinned ilt'.s mornng. The natives were chased in all directions at the point of revolvers. AVomen and children took refuge in the homes of Europeans. A pitel-e I battle occurred at Ferreiras between bands of strikers amt the natives. The former attacked in a cold-blooded manlier. r .l Im police oventiialiy tesfored order. An aeroplaim squadron is circling over tin? t >wii. The latest report states inat six natives were killed ami nineteen wounded in Hie various at tarns. Ihe president of the .Men's i< ederatioii issued a notice that attacks on Natives must cease. Strikers observing anyone, attacking natives must hand the oil? tiders over to the authorities. In tlie Legislative Assembly Air. Boydell (Labour leadcrl said that the Rumi was rapidly drifting into civil war. He looked to the Premier to end the situation by other means than the Complete surrender oi tue men. Premier Smuts admitted ’.liar tn ie had been a g< od deal of indiscriminate lawdossil ess ami intimidation, but. the jioliee believed they we.r c gradual Iv controlling lhe situation. there was m» doubt that the organised workers were losing cmiiixd which was now' largely in the hands of a hooligan element. He c.ouliT not allow matters to develop into a state of anarchy and mob law, I'liless there' were a. distinct, improvement, immediately the ( Liveriiiiu nt woitld_be compelled to take evtra measures. AAIEItiCAN COAL MINEHS. NEW YOLK. March 8. Following a count ry-vvide miners’ ballot- in favour of a general coal strike on April 1. President Harding lias instructed Ike Secretary <>i“7>aooiir to insist on the min ns and the owners holding a. national conference witli the object of averting' a national menace. BACK SHIFT'S. WELLINGTON, March 8. “After nearly a week of consultation round tin' table, between the State coal miners ami lhe otlicers of the Alines Department,” stated the Hon. G. J. Anderson tn a "T'imes” repoi'ter today, ‘‘the assessors came to a decision which, so far as I. know, is satisfactory to both parties. The shifts on "back'’ Saturdays were agreed to as seven hours and six hours ” A. number ot' coal miners in various parts of the country arf? reported to be dissatisfied with the Arbitration Court's award of eight hour shifts on "back'’ Saturdays. A "Times” reporter was vei: to understand to-day, however, that there is a likelihood of an eventual agreement being arrived at between the miners and mine owners on this point. ENGINEERS’ LOCK-OUT. J.ON DON, March 8. The Council of the Amalgamated Engineering T’nion had two hours’ conference with Dr Maciiamara. Afterwards the employers decided io meet the men’s representatives to-morrow. The outlook is regarded as hopeful. ONE BIG UNION. AV ELLINGTON, Ala reh 8. Air Grayndler, secretary of the New Zealand Workers’ Union, has returueil from Australia, after representing the Dominion at the annual convention of tlie One Big ’Union movement. Air Grayndler stated that the conference, at which the three largest industrial organisations in Australia, were represented, drafted and agreed upon a constitution and general lilies for governing One Big Union for the whole of the workers throughout Australia. and New Zealand. The much-talked-., of 0.8. U. had, therefore, now been launched, ami was an established fact. The organisation represented some 200,060 workers. It would, he said, be both a political ,and an industrial body. It would have one common policy, and one common fund, and, aided by a chain of Labour daily papers, would strive towards the common welfare of emancipation of the workers, along constitutional lines, Industrially and politically.