COST TO BRITAIN

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 18 May 1926, Page 5

COST TO BRITAIN

OF GENERAL STRIKE. ESTIMATED LOSSES REGISTERS OF VOLUNTEERS. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION— COPYRIGHT. LONDON, May 16. The Central News quotes a good authority for the view that the actual cost to the Government of coping with the general strike would be less than the coal strike cost in 1921. when the Government measures cost £8,850,000. This is, of course, apart from the general loss to the community, which in 1921 was estimated at £'250,1)00,000. Similar losses through the general strike must be much heavier. The same authority suggests that extra taxation may not at present be necessary, owing, to the enormous amount of voluntary work done. The Government intends to retain the skeleton of the organisation which worked so successfully in overcoming the strike, and also a general strike book, embodying registers of volunteers’ names and duties, as well as other lessons learned. WISER* AND SADDER MEN. LONDON, May 16. The Times, in a leader on the strike, / praises the absence of vindictiveness, notes the assurances against future breaches of faith, and says; “In the railways and dockers’ settlements the signatures to the agreements are fresh pledges of honour from wiser and sadder men.” SOVIET' LEADERS DISAPPOINTED. MOSCOW, May 16. The Morning Post’s Riga correspond, ent reports that Trotsky and Radek admit that the breakdown of _ the general strike means that the British revolution has not yet begun, despite Communistic exhortations to hold out like the devil. Trotsky concludes that the British proletariat will never achieve victory' as long as the hourgeoise can rely on the Royal Navy. He therefore recommends the systematic penetration of the lower deck. MINING DISPUTE. BETTER HOPE FOR SETTLEMENT. LONDON, May 16. The Times says there appears to be a better hope of settling the mining dispute. Mr. Baldwin’s proposals are disinterested and impartial. It is evidently the Government’s intention that rates of wages properly i-elated to the capacity of the industry shall be. enforced within a month by the joint boards’ apportionment. The £3,000,000 which, is placed at the industry’s / disposal is a small sum compared with I the £23,000,000 it cost for the nine \ months of the subsidy. Probably only Half of this will be spent when the boards have, readjusted wages; the balance will then be available towards tapering off the subsidy and other purposes. The reorganisation will be fully carried out if the owners an<l the miners do not impose obstructions. SOVIET’S OFFER TO MINERS. (MOSCOW, May 16. The Soviet Trade Union Council has handed over the* £260,000 rejected by the'British Trade Union Council to the Russian Miners’ Union. _ The latter lias now telegraphed offering it to the British Miners’ Federation. MINERS OPPOSED TO GOVERNMENT’S PROPOSALS LONDON DOCKERS ACCEPT TERMS. LONDON, May 16. The earliest reports from the coalfields -show that it will not be an easy task to induce the miners to accept the Government’s new proposals. A strong feeling was expressed at today’s meeting of the Forest of Dean miners, which passed a resolution condemning the Trade Union Congress Council for its betrayal of the work-ing-class movement by calling off the general strike. Following a prolonged conference, the London dickers to-day accepted terms closely following the railwaymen’s new agreement. Normal working will be resumed tomorrow. The- employers promise the reinstatement of supervisors of workers to their former positions simultaneously with the resumption of work. Mr. Bevin issued a statement that ithe terms were satisfactory to the \men’s unions. He was confident that similar terms at other ports would result in imfnedinte resumption. 'At Hull the genera] strike was only settled after lengthy negotiations, all grades remaining out as a protest against what was regarded as a humiliating resumption. The terms offered to the tramwaymeu were eventually' accepted in a modified form. GERMAN MINERS SYMPATHY. Received 10.5 a.m. to-day. LONDON, May 17 The Berlin . correspondent of -th-o Times states that the.Germaa miners continue their sympathetic momentary campaign. They declared that the British -struggle was paving the way for international settlement of the coal question.—Times. STRIKE-TIME ORGANISATION. TO -MAINTAIN. ESSENTIAL SERVICES. Received 10.15 a.m. to-day. LONDON, May 17.. The Government proposes to hold a thorough enquiry into tlie working ot the scheme for the maintenance, of essential services during strike-time. Successive Governments, including Mr Ramsay MacDonald, had a skeleton organisation, which it was never necessary to use. Cabinet is anxious to discover how the machine worked and how it could be improved. A complete register of all volunteers is being prepared as part of the comprehensive scheme, and this will be filed for reference in case of emergency.—Times.