COAL STRIKE

Southland Times, Issue 19224, 14 May 1921, Page 5

COAL STRIKE

LOCOMOTIVE MEN’S ACTION REFUSAL TO HANDLE IMPORTED COAL (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, May 12. The coal situation is generally unchanged awaiting to-morrow’s conference. Meanwhile the Associated Society of Locomotive Engin eers has come to a grave decision, ordering 70,000 of their men to refuse to handle imported coal without even awaiting to-mor row’s meeting. The National Union of Railwaymen am? the Transport Federation, apart from 1,177,900 on short time, have 1,920,000 people wholly unemployed drawing unemployed pay, of whom 1,313,000 are men, 78,000 boys, 459,000 women and 167,000 girls. Some iron and steel works are closing down. About one-third of the boilers supplying power for the London underground railways have already been converted to oil burning, saving 2240 tons of coal weekly.