A TRUCE DECLARED.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 209, 21 August 1911, Page 1

A TRUCE DECLARED.

MEN TO RESUME WORK.

CONCILIATION BOARD TO SETTLE

THE DISPUTE.

TRADE UNIONS CLAIM A VICTORY

[press association. —copyright].

London, Aug. if*

The conference between the shipowners, the national t ran sport workers, and the Board of Trade, Mr. John Burns presiding, arranged an agreement providing that the men employed in discharging overseas vessels must be engaged outside the dock promises.

The railwaymen's executive sat until midnight and adjourned till the morning. The railwaymen in Edinburgh have decided to strike forthwith. The Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants has authorised strike pay at the rate of 10weekly. The executive state that 220.000 have struck. They predict that Monday will see nearly every service stopped. Their union funds total £197,550, and their sick and provident funds, which are not aplicable to strikers, £*213.625. Mr. J. H. Thomas, M.P.. assistant secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, speaking at Euston, said that if the companies had met the men face to face they could have settled the difficulties in five minutes. The companies refused, and the men’s only alternative was to fight. He regretted that the public and the trade of the nation was suffering, but the responsibility rested on the companies. There would be 1:0 settlement, which victimised or boycotted anyone. Mr. Ramsay Macdonald and other Labour M.P.’s are urging the men's executive to accept Mr. Asquith’s proposals. The Primate is preparing a special prayer for the labour crisis The Home Office reports that about two-thirds of the railwaymen remain at their posts.

In the House of Cnmmons. Mr. Churchill defended the maintenance of the food supplies .because the poorest classes and the workers were the greatest sufferers.

STATEMENT BY BOARD OF TRADE.

CONDITIONS AGREED UPON.

London, Aug. 20. The Board of Trade, at half-past eleven last night, issued a statement as follows : On the Government’s representation thq railway companies empowered Messrs. Claughton and Granet to confer with the representatives selected by the joint exeeuiors of the railwaymen’s trades unions with a view to discuss with them the Board of Trade’s suggested terms of settlement. The conference 1 met at the Board of Trade offices, attend eel by t,h‘‘ companies’ ami railwaymen’s representatives and Mr. Lloyd George. Mr. Buxton, Air. Llewellyn, Mr. Smith, Mr. Asquith and Air. Ramsay Macdonald. Mr. Claughton stated that Air. Granet anti he were authorised to meet the men's representatives under the special circumstances, and added that the suggested terms had been discussed and agreed to. Mr. Claughton and Air . Granet further stated that the Commission’s recommendations would be loyally accepted, even though adverse to the companies’ intention, on any question of representation, and in the eventt of a settlement any traces of ill-will arising from the strike would certainly be effaced. After a prolonged discussion the following settlement was unanimously reached and signed : —The strike to terminate forthwith: all involved in the strike or lock-out applying within a reasonable time to be reinstated at the earliest practicable moment : no proceedings to he taken for breach

o fcontract : conciliation board to

he convened to settle questions now in dispute; if the sectional

(boards fail to arrive at a settlei incut the central board to meet : immediately.

THE COMPANIES “PASS IT ON.”

[ The Board of Trade announced j that two steps would be taken j forthwith to settle the disputes bpi ween the companies and the classes j of employees not included tn the j scheme of 1907 by conferences be- ■ tween the representatives of the i companies and the representatives : of the employees who were em- ! ployed by the same company, and i failing an agreement then by an ! arbitration commission composed I of five members, including an irni perial chairman, who wculd lie in- ! structed to investigate the working j of the 1907 scheme and report as ■ expedition dy as possible as to the i changes desirable. In view of the i prompt settlement of the l differi cnees assurances were given- by j both parties to abide by the find- ; mgs. The Government promised ! to legislate next session regarding J the increase of cost of labour due ! to the improvement of conditions i of staff and valid justification for ■ a reasonable and gem-red increase I in the charges with a legal maxiI mum. I THE POSITION AT LIVER- I POOL. ' ’ i THE DEATH RATE DOI'BLED. | Liverpool is quieter. ‘ 1 There have been a few isolated | attacks on banks and hoteks, but i no senous outbreaks during the last twenty-four hours. All traffic has been stopped in the Liverpool streets. Members of the Cotton Exchange have offered to do porters’ work. A Red Cross Transport lias been i organised, and is amply supplying I hospital requirements. I Four thousand special constables 1 I have been enrolled. | It is feared that £500,000 worth 1 | of provisions m cold storage will; ■become tainted owing to insuffici-. ! eney of t‘:e supply of coal for the ; refrigerators.

The death rate of the city has almost doubled in a few days. The Hmm Office Mr. T. P. O Connor. M.P.. and Colonel G. Kyffin-Taylor. M.P., to report on what measures were necessary to restore better relations between the various classes in Liverpool, also as to State food supplies. THE RESLMPTIOX OE WORK. (Received -21. 5.5 a.m.) Much enthusiasm was witnessed at the Central Station. Manchester, on resumption of work. A number of London and Brighton strikers applied to resume work on the tramways. Liverpool trains have resumed running, and also the railwaymen at Stroud and Chatham have returned to work. The Railwaymen’s I nion, at midnight. telegraphed to the branches as follows .— -“The joint committee has settled the strike ; victory for trade unionists ; all must resume immediately.’’ The lightermen’s <1 -prte has been settled. ; Mr. Williams, sc . uy of the; A malgamat < d R nil .-ay men's A ssociation. interviewed. intet p’ • ■te<l the agreement as paving the *; : y. for the extension of rt cognition of the Association. LLOYD GEOKt E S TI’ORTS. ! Lloyd George , u’- hoursi yesterday labou? i:m > obtain a : settlement, during cigar whereof' he was face to fate with the rail-i waymen’s representatives. ‘

OUTRAGES BY STRIKERS.

TROOPS USE BAYONETS. Fifty-eight, thousand troops have been placed at the disposal of military commanders within the strike areas. The Irish Express at Fishguard was barred by strikers. A party of troops returning from furlough fixed bayonets, drove the strikers bark, and released the train. Panic-stricken holiday-makers rushing homewards, increased the congestion on the restricted train services. The trains were stoned near Bradford. The points were tampered with at Riverbridge, York, but dis-' covery was made in time to prevent barm from resulting. Soldiers are guarding all the electric power stations in London. A SERIOUS AFFRAY. TROOPS FIRE BALL CARTRIDGE. SEVERAL CASUA LTIES. (Received 2!. 8.5 a.in.) London, .Aug. 20. A train entering Llanelly yesterday encountered a mob standing on the slopes beside the track, who stoned the police and soldiers guarding the lino and attacked the driver and firemen. The Worcestershire regiment advanced. an officer warned the rioters, but without result. \ The Riot ?vt was rend, but the' crowd laughed and jeered. The officer fired in the air. ! The jeers were renewed, and i then the troops fired a volley over- ; head, and two other volleys at ' lower range. ' None of the mob were hit, but ' out of four persons in a garden in ■ the vicinity two were killed, including an invalid Londoner. The \ otbm - two were seriously injured. The railwaymen, late las? night j or early to-day, were so incensed ! at the incident that they d er Ls nd j a section of the lino and held up | the troops in the train for Llandilo ; Junction. ! They captured a quantity of am- j munition and looted the shops in Llanelly, set fire to trucks and the j provisions in the railway goods ■ shed, where an explosion killed i throe and injured several. i Many others were wounded in I the bayonet charges of the troops' clearing the streets. ' ! Fifty Grenadiers were sent to Norwood on the report that two j men were shot in a fight round the signalbox. I THE REAL ISSUE. j The “Times” declares that the ‘ real issue is. the admission of the union leaders to the conciliation J boards. The North Eastern Railway for a long time permitted such ' access, but that line suffered more ; than the others through constant friction and the present strike. j THE CAUSE OF THE STRIKES, j The ‘‘Railway Gazette” states that the real reason for the strikes was that the Conciliation Boards provided a safety-valve and reduced the opportunities of unions to call strikes and weakened the power of the unions to compel men to join them. PUBLIC OPINION AGAINST STRIKERS. The “Chronicle” described the strikes as wanton, and said the opinion of the community was dead against their authors.

TIMELINESS OF THE SETTLEMENT.

THE MADNESS OF THE MOB. ATTEMPT TRAIN WRECKING. (Received 21, 9.0 a.m.) London, Aug. 20. The Home Office reports things are quieter everywhere. A diabolical but unsuccessful attempt to derail the mail passenger train was made at Suffvala (?Taffvale) by loosening a* rail, but it was opportunely discovered. The strikers and miners destroyed the rails in Erwash Valley, and stopped the Midland Scotch express and ether trains. Troops from Derby cleared the lin e. Several were injured in baton charges in the attempt macle to wreck the signal-box at Stafford. Strikers at Cork stoned the passing trains, rushed the station' gates .and attempted to wreck two trains. The military then occupied the station. Two Dover stations are closed, also a dozen stations at London and the Great Northern -station at Nottingham. Two thousand troops had been sent to Swindon, and troops at Alderney and Guernsey were summoned to England on strike duty. The Great Eastern Railway was unable to guarantee delivery and requested suspension of German shipments. Bolton and Liverpool were withing a day or two of starvation. Cardiff had only one tenth of its usual milk supply. Margate and Ramsgate were short of provisions and many visitors quitted. Immense quantities of perishable goods are at a standstill on the Eastern Coast owing to rioting. The express at Kings Cross by mistake in signalling narrowly escaped a collision. The Home Office report states it is expected the railway settlement will solve Liverpool’s and Birkenhead’s difficulties.

The military report the railwaymen were not responsible for the rioting at Llanelly. A train with three hundred passengers was derailed. Bridges at Runcorn were set afire in two places and the line has been closed. The Fishguard express ran through the disturbed district's with rifles through the windows. Forty’ race-horses were held up at Redcar, wanting trains. The War Office has ordered ail troopts on strike duty to return as soon as possible.

The timeliness of settlement was illustrated by the position up to midnight. The incident at Llanelly deeply impressed the conference.

FIREBRANDS AT WORK

Kier Hardie, in a speech at Merthyr Tydfil on Saturday, said there would be no settlement until the unions were recognised. Mr. Barnes, at Dowlais, said the only 7 solution was to destroy 7 the damnable capitalism. The great railway dispute was only one feature of labour unrest spreading

through the length and breadth of the country. While he did not object to Conciliation to- settle temporary difficulties there would be no broad solution until the workers won for themselves the whole product of their labour.

INDUSTRY FEARFULLY DISORGANISED.

(Received 21, 9.-15 a.re.) London, Aug. 2i Th? paralysis due to the str

rend.-r.-.d idle 12,060 men in the' collitri'c and iron and steel works, in (. ■.Lcrland, thousands i.v Derbyshire, and at Middlesbrough! 8000 colliers at Nottingham, 10,000' at Durham, 40,000 in North C'um-i berland, and 2000 at Bishop Auck-' land were threatened with idleness within two days, also 200,000 in Wales. Four thousand dockers at Bristol struck out of sympathy with 11:A railwaymen. Acts of wanton destruction rapid-; l.v increased in many directions, bi t the lines on the whole are controlled. The continual despatch of troops to threatened areas had an impor- J tant influence in securing peaceful! methods. * !

Tim Rome Office reported that’ the Port of London was almost full owing to the .activity of the Amalgamated Society. i It is estimated that the strikers; this evening numbered a quarter of, a million. Its executive made a' gratuitous allowance of 6/- a week' to non-unionist strikers, of whom there are six thousand of all trades. ■ Some lawyers and doctors volun-: teered as special constables in' London. ■

Hundreds were sworn in in London, and the North Western Company gave Socialists double pay. The London and Brighton Company’ promised a reward to nonstrikers.

Passengers on many trains made 1 collections for Socialists.

Lord Derby insured Knowsley i Hall for £191,000 against the strike! riots at a premium of 1 - per cen-! turn monthly. ! Numerous insurances on ware-! houses and shipping are reported.! Air. Asquith, who is suffering; from an affection of the throat, de-J puted Mr. Lloyd George to act as spokesman at the conference. ;

LAST YEAR’S WAGES BILL.

(Received 21, 9.45 a.m.) London, Aug. 20.

The “Railway News” shows that in 1910, thirty-six railways paid £30,500,000 in salaries and wages, or about the same amount as preference and ordinary stockholders were paid.