THE LABOUR WAR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXII, Issue 15704, 25 August 1911, Page 7

THE LABOUR WAR.

LLOYD GEORGE AND KEIR

HARDIE,

LABOUR MEMBER TAKEN TO TASK. United Press Association—By Electrio Tolegraph—Copyright.

LONDON, August 23

After Mr "Winston Churchill’s reply in the House of Commons Mr Lloyd George read the report of a speech in which Mr Keir Hardie told a thousand people that Mr Asquith had declared on Thursday that if a strike occurred the Government would keep the railways open, even if the troops had to shoot down every striker. Mr Lloyd George indignantly asked when Mr Asquith used such words. Mr Hardie, without making amends, replied—“l told my hearers that the impression left in the minds of the railway men was that Mr Asquith had stated that the military would keep open the railways, and I added that this meant shooting down if necessary.” Mr Lloyd George scornfully retorted that if anything were worse than Mr Hardie’g statement, it was the explanation ho had just given, and that there was no adjective within the vocabulary of parliamentary language that oould fittingly describe it. (Prolonged cheers). THE NORTHERN MINERS.

Out of 212,330 miners in Durham and Northumberland, only 47,000 have been working since Friday. , Owing to the strike 2000 dockers have been thrown idle. The total thrown out of work on the north-east coast is 200,000. . RAILWAY HANDS STILL IDLE.

Despite the North-Eastern executive’s instruction to resume work, several sections, including that of Leeds, have refused to obey until better terms have been secured and all imported labour banished.

MORE RIOTING.

There has been fierce rioting at Alfreton, in tho Erewash Valley. The police used their truncheons and scattered the rioters, who were mostly hooligans from th© surrounding districts.

THE DURHAM COLLIERS,

A conference of Durham miners will be held on September 2 to urge the Federation to demand a minimum wage of 7s per day for coalhewers, and proportionate wages for others, and failing satisfaction to ballot for a national strike. LIVERPOOL TRAMWAY MEN.

The Liverpool tramway men have been reinstated in the carnage works and power-houses, but the masters refuse to reinstate the drivers. Hence the Liverpool committee has decided to continue the fight. TOM MANN AT WORK.

Mr Tom Mann is urging the national transport workers and the railway men’s executives to declare a renewal of tho national fight.

THE RAILWAY COMMISSION.

SITTING IN CAMERA

LONDON, August 23,

The Railway Commission has commenced its sittings in camera. The railway men’s executive protested against the appointment of Mr Beale, solicitor to the Midland Company, but stated that they would nevertheless, abide by Saturday’s agreement. The underwriters have scored heavily over the settlement of the strike, as there were comparatively few claims. Two underwriting firms netted £70,000.

NORTH-EASTERN STRIKE ENDS.

The North-Eastern strike has ended, and the service is now normal.

The Bristol and Avonmouth disputes have also been settled.

GERMAN METAL TRADE.

A GENERAL LOCK-OUT.

LONDON, August 23,

A Berlin message says that, acting on the proposal of the Thuringian Metal Manufacturers’' Federation, a general lock-out in the German metal trade has been decided on. STRIKES IN PORTUGAL. 1

Strikers set fire to two cork factories at Villarinho, on the bank of the Tagus, and hindered the firemen. Tb# buildings were gutted. WILD TALK. PERTH, August 24. The delegate from Fremantle at tho Trades Hall Association moved—- “ That this Association views with abhorrence the action of the British soldiers in shooting their fellow-coun-trymen.” He declared that the sooner a revolution came the better. Tho motion was negatived by a large majority. LONDON AND NORTH-WESTERN MEN. LONDON, August 24. A ballot of the railway men at Crewe overwhelmingly favoured a strike unless the London and North-Western Company recognised the Union officials, but notice was withheld pending an appeal to the company. THE LIVERPOOL TRAMWAY MEN. (Received August 24, 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, August 24. A Liverpool deputation, headed by Mr Tom Mann, met the National Transport Workers’. Federation of London. The latter decided on immediate action unless the tramway men were reinstated. A manifesto issued at Liverpool states that tho membership of tho Trade Unions on strike who support the tramway men is as follows: Dockers 30,000, sailors and firemen 15,000, carters 7000, stewards 4000, engineers 3000, dock employees 8000, general labourers 2000, coopers 800, tramway men 800, warehouse workers 2000. Mr Askwith has gone to Liverpool. THE RAILWAY COMMISSION. STRIKE LOSSES. THE MINIMUM WAGE. (Received August 24, 10.50 p.m.) LONDON, August 24. The Press will be admitted when tlio Commission takes evidence. The official report of Mr Asquith’s reply to Mr Bellamy states that Mr Asquith added : “ The step contemplated is tho appointment of a Commission to immediately investigate the machinery for bringing representatives of the railway companies and the employees together, and a settlement of differences and amendments, if any, which are desirable in order to improve such machinery.” „ , It is stated that the North-Eastern

ings.

Railway Company’s loss by the strike is £70,000. The loss to tho coal trade, including wages, is. £200.000. A newspaper correspondent, at Darlington states that the doctrine of a minimum wag 9 has a firm hold on the railway men. They are familiar with a sliding scale as regards prices and wages in the coal and iron trades, and are anxious to apply the principle to tho lower grade railway men’s earn-

STRIKES SETTLED. LONDON, August 24

The last of the Manchester strikes has ended, a thousand labourers employed by engineering firms obtaining a minimum of £1 a week. The short sea traders and their employees have signed an agreement. One clause prohibits strikes and compels the men to refer any grievance to their respective societies, and the Board of Trade will arbitrate in the event of the masters’ Association and tho men’s Society failing to settle disputes.

The tramway men not reinstated at Liverpool number 250.

MORE RIOTING IN WALES.

THE ANTI-JEWISH OUTBREAK.

DIFFICULTIES OF THE AUTHORI-

TIES. (Received August 24, 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, August 24

Rioting occurred at Bargoed, where a dozen English and Jewish shops were wrecked and looted. Numerous baton charges were made by the police, and the subsequent presence of military stopped further disorder. The crowd at Tredegar, owing to tho presence of military, relinquished threats to release rioters who had been sentenced.

Inquiry shows that the present paroxysm against aliens is attributable to a spirit of indiscipline run riot. A correspondent at Tredegar, discussing the local irritation there, remarks that the inhabitants have always been reluctant to permit a colony in their midst. They expelled Irish co-citizens on a former occasion, and now choose the present national unrest to assail the Jews. What began with a specialised grievance against a Jewish individual quickly developed into a racial persecution, furnishing a pretext for hooligan disturbances and plunder. The authorities emphasise the difficulty of dealing with such outbreaks in long towns, each of one main street following the trend of a valley, with side streets affording easy refuge for bottle-flingers; hence the need for military assistance for the maintenance of order.

(Received August 24, 11.40 p.m.) The statement that Mr Beale is solicitor for the Midland Railway Company i 3 officially denied.