THE LABOR WAR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3297, 16 August 1911, Page 5

THE LABOR WAR.

FIERCE AFFRAY AT MIDNIGHT.

EPIDEMIC OF STRIKES.

WIDESPREAD RIOTS AND DISORDER.

[UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.! LONDON. Aug. 14. Thirty thousand dock workers at Liverpool have been locked out. Ninety arrests have been made at; Liverpool. There was a fierce affray at midnight at the north end of the city. The mob, after extinguishing the gas lamps, tore down a wall for missiles. The police were unable to cope with the rioters, and the military were utilised. Four revolver shots were fired. The street) was cleared. Many persons were injured. Four hotels were smashed in, and provision slums were looted. The strike leaders, from the first outbreak j bravely risked injury from ibotli sides in their efforts to calm the crowd. They blame the police for precipitating the riots. Doctors were engaged for a couple of hours in bandaging and stitching the injured persons at St. George’s Hall, which had been converted int-o a temporary hospital. Scores of injured persons were laid on the tables. A fireman was scalped by a brick. An officer of the Warwickshire Regiment was injured. Fifteen thousand men are idle on the North-Eastern, Lancashire, and Yorkshire railways. Thousands of bales of cotton are lying on the quays and in the railway goods yards. Several Lancashire mills have been closed. The trade in frozen meat is impeded by an epidemic of small industrial strikes.

“ MOST SERIOUS TENDENCY.”

THE RAIL W A Y f/S EN ’S TROUBLE

AN EASY TRANSITION

The London and North-western railwaymen at Coventry have protested against the despatch of men from Coventry to fill the strikers’ places at Liverpool. The chairman of the Coventry branch declared that the cause of the whole railway trouble was the Conciliation Board, which the men ought to smash. The tramway service at Glasgow has been partly resumed. The Pall Mall Gazette says workers generally interpreted Mr Lloyd George's denunciation of the governing classes in their own ignorant way. From Limehouse to Limestreet was an easy transition, through several phases of covert encouragement and masterly inactivity in the protection of life and property. The “Westminster Gazette” says that the most serious feature is the tendency of the men of all trades to break away from official leaders. If the railway difficultv was merely a question of interpreting the arbitrators’ awards the remedv was easy.

The coal lightermen at Grimsby have struck for twopence per hour increase. All trawlers have been rendered idle.

The general post office night telephonists are agitating for better conditions. There have been further riots in Liverpool and Birkenhead.

ATTITUDE OF GOVERNMENT.

"ALL THE FORCES WILL BE USED.”

A SIGNIFICANT CONFERENCE

Mr. Winston Churchill, in the House of Common., said that if necessary all the forces at the Government’s disposal would be used to secure the free working of London’s food supply. He said there was no improvement in the serious position at Liverpool, and although hooligans began the disorder, undoubtedly many strikers had joined them. Attacks were still being mode on warehouses factories, and private houses, and the --olice were assaulted in the performance of their ordinary duties. Consequently the Government was of opinion that the police were entitled to effective military aid. Further troops had been ordered, making a total brigade of infantry and two regiments of cavalry.

Mr. Churchill added, in reply to Mr. Ramsay MacDonald that nothing wmuo be done to weaken the action of the police, and there would be no inquiry into allegations until complete order had been restored. All the leading railway 'companies have decided i o resist the strikers’ demands and to insist on the resumption of work and an appeal the Conciliation Board.

Mr. Lloyd George announced that Messrs Asquith and Buxton were conferring on the whole question of an improvement of the means available for preventing or shortening the industrial warfare.

NO GENERAL RESUMPTION. A CRITICAL SITUATION. TRAMWAYMEN MAY STRIKE. LONDON,, Aug. 15. There lias been no general resumption of work in London, owing to the Port Authority dismissing 400 permanent men for striking. The Authority has now promised to consider the reinstatement of the men as a condition of a general resumption of work, but decline a-request, on behalf of the Surrey commercial dock porters. to reopen the question of payment for meal time. The situation in, connection with tne railway carmen is critical. The goods drivers and porters at Paddington are idle. The London County Council tramwaymen will strike on Wednesday unless their wages are advanced, with the concession 1 of an eight hours’ day. The situation at (Smithfield is normal.

The butter business has not been resumed. The wharf laborers are still out. Manv women tea-packers have struck in London. Factory women at Bermondsey held a meeting to demand improved pay. Tom Maim is making daily speeches at Liverpool. The Swansea railwaymen are agitating for an eight hours’ day, with 80s per week minimum. They have gammoned a meeting to consider the date of a strike.

THE TROUBLE EXTENDING.

FIVE THOUSAND SOLDIERS

READY

MEN FIRM AND DETERMINED

(Received August 15, 10.50 p.m.) r LONDON, August 15. The railway labor war in spreading to Birmingham, Bristol and Sheffield, and numerous sectional strikes have commenced. Three thousand men have struck at Manchester, while the trouble i-s extending to the southern railway systems. At a meeting of workers of the latter at Bermondsey, the Transport Workers’ Federation announced that all London railway depots "would be blockaded to-day, and the companies notified that the railway carters and allied workers should be included m last week’s settlement. Five thousand infantry and cavalry are in readiness to proceed to Liverpool and a: hundred of the Scots Greys and two detachments of Hussars have been despatched. The strike committee at Liverpool have issued manifestos to a hundred thousand men calling for a general strike, and pointing out that as the shipowners had forced a lock-out and the railway companies had not shown- a willingness to negotiate, while the authorities were despatching the military, the Transport Workers’ Federation had determined to stand firm and cease work at midnight. At Liverpool there were two skirmishes between the rioters and . the police, but the military quelled them. The mob barricaded*Christian Street, and placed wire entanglements on the sides of the streets. The offices of the Shipping _ Federation have been burned, it is believed, as the result of incendiarism. The strikers cut the fire hoses, but the police dispersed them after a sharp conflict. A hundred men and women have received sentences nn to tliree months’ imprisonment in connection with Sunday’s riot. . Seven thousand dockers participated in riots at Birkenhead. One policeman was seriouslv injured, and the troopis were sent for. The strikes were mostly unsanctioned by the Union Executives and therefore participators will not receive any financial benefits. The Amalgamated Railway Servants Society will meet to consider the situation. The secretary states that nonunionists started the strikes, and induced unionists to join them. Had the railway companies recognised the Union the trouble would have been averted.

WOMEN TAKE A HAND.

THREE THOUSAND TROOPS UNDER ARMS. POSITION AT DOCKS IMPROVING. (Received August 15. 11.20 p.m.) LONDON, August 15. Mr. Gosling, secretary of the Transport Workers’ Federation, states that the men are resuming work gradually, and that dock work will be normal in a few days. Fifteen thousand women in factories joined the strikers in South London, and obtained an advance of one shilling to four shillings weekly. Nearly three thousand troops, under General Maekinron, are located at Liverpool.