BRITAIN AND LABOUR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16338, 22 March 1915, Page 6

BRITAIN AND LABOUR

STATEMENT BY LABOUR M.P. LONDON, March 19. Mr J; H. Thomas, Labour M.P. for Derby, addressing a meeting of railwaymen, declared that the censorship was responsible for the -workers not fully iinderstandins: occurrences at the front. It "was certain that now that the workers had been brought face to face with all that is involved thev would give their best work to ensure that the lives of their sons in the fighting line -would not be unnecessarily sacrificed.

MINERS' FEDERATION. LORD KITCHENER'S APPEAL. RECEIVED WITH APPROVAL. LONDON, March 19. The Miners' Federation received with approval the appeal of Lord Kitchener to limit their Easter holidays to one or two days, as the curtailment of the output of coal might lead .to a veritable disaster. THE MUNITIONS CONFERENCE. UNDERTAKING BY WORKMEN'S REPRESENTATIVES. . LONDON, March 19. The Munitions Conference has signed an agreement. The workmen's representatives undertook to submit to their members the recommendation against the stoppage of work during war time, the settlement of all differences at conferences or by arbitration, and the relaxation for the period of the war of the existing trade practices. An advisory committee was appointed representing organised workers. RELIEVING THE ELIGIBLES. INVITATION TO WOMEN. A READY RESPONSE. (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) LONDON, March 19. The Government's invitation to women to apply for employment in industries to cope with the war needs has caused considerable excitement amongst employable women. The trades -unions declare that 40,000 women nominally wage-earners are unemployed, and claim that they should be absorbed before presumably economically independent women are introducied on to the labour market. The morning the papers announced the scheme a steady stream of applicants soon commenced. Seven hundred registered in London, the majority of them middle class, including many wives who had worked before their marriage. The Board of Trade is not sure of the extent of the response of the employers, ■upon whom the success of the scheme will ultimately rest. It is uncertain whether the bulk of the employers will seriously consider the duty of substituting female for male labour in the national interest, . and it is suggested that the Government might lead the way by relieving thousands I of its clerical staff.

The employers are being asked to consider the question of reinstatement after the war.

Harrods' Stores have approved of the scheme, and already 90 of the staff have enlisted. Three hundred eligibles remain. Girls are working the lifts and packing parcels, and it is being considered whether they might notalso serve groceries and slice bacon. STEVEDORES' STRIKE. OFFER TO LOAD ARMY AND NAVY STORES. LONDON, March 20. (Received Mar. 21, at 3.30 p.m.) The stevedores have- offered to load army and navy stores at the old rates forthwith. PUBLIC-HOUSE QUESTION. LONDON, March 20. (Received Mar. 21, at 3.30 p.m.) The Government is considering the closing of the public-houses in certain districts except from noon to 2 and 7 to 9. Mr Lloyd George has invited an expression of opinion on this by commercial people.