AFTER THE STRIKE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 17 May 1926, Page 5

AFTER THE STRIKE

THE NEWSPAPER SITUATION

BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYBIGHT. LONDON", May 15. London soon found its .stride this morning. The streets are normal and there are plenty of ’buses, trams and tubes, but the railways will not be normal till Monday. The London dockers’ strike has been settled. The welcome news that the strike was settled brought great crowds to the city yesterday, but normal facilities for transportation not having been restored. handling these crowds provided: a greater difficulty than when the strike was in full swing. The trouble was added to by the free-lance vehicles which were running when the strike was in. operation stopping as .scon as the strike was called off. Drenching rain, also made things most uncomfortable, but the crowds accepted the position in good humour, and a carnival spirit prevailed, under the realisation of the fact that the trouble was ending and normal conditions would soon be restored. The Prince of Wales, presiding at the annual meeting of King Edward’s Hospital fund, said he .sincerely trusted that the hopes of peace, which were at present in the people’s mind, would be realised.

Another symptom of London's recovery of its placid outlook was the Queen shopping in Bond Street. Everybody has been commenting on the regular .attendance of the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York to observe developments in the House of Commons. Some difficulties are reported from certain provincial districts regarding the railway men, who describe the companies’ terms as humiliating, but these are) .expected to be fixed up during the week-end. The general printing trade .has made arrangements for resumption a. day to day basis, pending a national settlement, which will he discussed on Thursday next.

An earlier message stated that a conference in London between the Master Printers, the Newspaper Society and the printing trade unions discussed the re-starting of the general printing trade in. London and the provinces, hut adjourned. Similarly further meetings between the Newspaper Proprietors.’ Association, representing the London newspapers, and the printing unions were also abortive. It is. nncertin whether the Sunday papers will he published. The Federation of Wholesale Newsagents has resolved that its members will, in future, conduct their businesses as free houses, and take on either union or non-union labour at pre-strike rates and hours.

The. newspaper situation remains most curious. No newspapers are publishing normally from their offieces, yet four-page sheets, more or less resembling the usual productions, were circulatsr, to a small extent of course, on Saturday. The Daily Chronicle, in a leading article, said : “The general strike has, lor the time being, depleted the wages fund. Fewer orders will be booked, fewer jobs, will be going, and some reductions in staff will in-many cases be inevitable. The Daily Express, in an editorial headed “No Victimisation,” said, ‘‘The hob heads have- had a lesson, but it is important to emphasise that a policy of •.utting down the basic wage, as a m-eap." of procuring safeguards will defeat its purpose. Good wages make contented workmen.” The Westminster Gazette says the strike failed because the people • as a whole organised their, own defence against it. England remains a constitutional country to the backbone, but the sympathy of the people has remained with the miners throughout. The Da.il.v Mail, in a leader headed “No Reprisals,” says, the strikers are our own countrymen , and they have acted under a sense of loyalty to their trade unions. The more generously employers behave, the sooner the. men will understand how they have been misled. The position of the Sunday papers is obscure, and most of the .offices are closed. The Sunday Express, however, has issued a four-lpage paper, under strike conditions, containing up to date news. It understands it is unlikely that the miners will accept the Government s proposals for settling the dispute, ihe Government, in this event, will probably take firm steps to bring the dispute to an end. Editorially, the paper savs that trades unionism, if wise y led, will now march forward on the old safe path, and will scrap the wild fanatics. The wisest workers will feet. they have been used for and by a political jfbnspinicy, hut this is no time tor rc"vvilings. A good employer does not seek 'to reduce wages, and a good worker is willing to give loyal service. The Scottish ‘newspapers, except those •deciding to employ non-fmion labour, have agreed to a resumption on. Saturday, the workers also agreeing that there shall be no interference with the contents of the papers.

MEN RETURNING TO WORK

GOVERNMENT’S OFFER TO MINERS

MONEY FOR STRIKERS

LONDON, May 15

Some 3000 employers at the Atherton collieries, Lancashire, who were unemployed owing to the strike, were delighted to receive Los each from the firm.

A week’s strike money was paid to 50,000 Derbyshire miners at the rate of 15s per man, with 2s for each: child under 14. The funds, which amount to £250,000 are expected to last a month. Nottingham miners have no funds from which to distribute, strike pay. COMMUNIST OFFICIAL ARRESTED LONDON, May IG. Charged with possessing documents contravening, the emergency' regulations, George Stewart, acting-general secretary of the Communist Party., was remanded for a week on bail. His arrest was the sequel to a police search of the Communist headquarters on the second day of the strike. TROUBLE IN FRANCE THREATENED. PARIS, May 16. A general strike in France is threatened. The Council of the Miners’ Federation carried a resolution in the first place demanding an immediate discussion' on the question, of an increase of Wages-, and if there is no .solution by May 25 the federation will Ire obliged to envisage a general strike movement, and secondly, supporting the decisions of the International Committee concerning the boycott of coal in order to assist the British miners. MORE PRESS' COMMENTS. OBJECTIVE BEHIND THE STRIKE. PEOPLE’S SPIRIT SOUND. Received 10.45 a.m. to-day. LONDON, May 16. The Sunday Herald, reviewing the strike, says: The Reds did not care a halfpenny for the miners’ wrongs, which were only a pretext. What they aimed at were pillage, bloodshed, overthrowing the throne and the Government, and establishing a Red State with. Moscow money. We hope the employers will make every possible allowance 1 for the fact that the men were led into folly against their wills. There should be no attempt to break trade unions. The Sunday Express, says: The nation’s injury is measurable, but the trade unions’ injury is immeasurable. Trade unionism, if wisely led, should march on the safe old path It should scrap the wild fanatics and the shallow doctrinaires with their imported shibboleths and imported, catchwords. The wisest workers feel that they have been used for a political conspiracy, and are glad that the plot has been crushed. The strike hit the workers harder than any other class. Never lias the people’s spirit been nobler, and the nation lias proved itself sound to the marrow. — Sydney Sun Cable. NEWSPAPERS CRITICISED. LABOUR MEETING AT CHRISTCHURCH. (by TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 17.

Attacks, on the newspapers were the main feature of a meeting on Saturday called by the Labour Party in connection with the British strike. The Mavon;, the Rev. J, K. Archer, after calling the Daily Mail' “a dirty literary rag,” said: “I see.. absolute lies, misrepresentations and bitterness in the leaders- of the Christchurch papers on political questions. I can’t help feeling that no linotype man would reproduce them without feeling moral degradation. The ignorance and prejudice of newspaper editors is so great that the rubbish they write should be revised by the workers who reproduce it. ’ ’

Mr 11. T. Armstrong, M.P., said that the strikers at Home had closed the factories, and that would have to be done in this country in time of industrial upheaval if people were to be told the truth, which they had never been told during times of industrial unrest, in New Zealand.,

“Until we got charge of the papers and the reading world,” said Mr E. R. Cooke, “we will have to strike. Then wo shall take charge of the, Government. ’ ’