INDUSTRIAL UNREST.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 146, 12 August 1911, Page 5

INDUSTRIAL UNREST.

STRIKES IN ENGLAND. RIOTOUS PROCEEDINGS. By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. United Press Association. London, August 11. Tho troops at Aldershot arc sleeping in their clothes. Iho Hussars wore entrained at 10 o’clock, the Queen’s Bays and 3rd Dragoons following. The Royal Irish Rilics and Worcestershire regiments at Dover are confined to their barracks, in readiness to proceed to London. Officers on leave have been recalled. Similar arrangements have been made with the troops at Colchester, where trains arc hold in readiness.

it is understood it is intended that foodstuffs will ho escorted by troops with fixed bayonets from the docks.

The Army Service Corps lias sent forty motor lorries to the docks to draw food and forage to Aldershot. The troops at Woolwich Garrison were without yesterday until the troops fixed bayonets and assisted tho contractors.

Riotous proceedings wore witnessed, and business is dislocated in all parts of London. Lt is estimated that 500,000 tons of goods are detained at the docks, exclusive of food and ether commodities coming by railways. Many lorries and motor vans were overturned in the Paddington district, where the Great Western Railway pickotors arc very energetic. Fifty per cent of the London General Motor Company’s omnibuses have been withdrawn. Twelve hundred men are thus thrown idle.

Australian mutton, usually retailed at 3d per lb., is now 6d. Mr. Koir-Hardie, M.P., speaking at 'Power Hill, advised the men to make the most of having brought London near to starvation. “The masters starve you, sweat you,” he said, “so pay thorn back in their own coin.” Eleven thousand railwaymon are striking at Liverpool. Four thousand are in enforced idleness. Two thou-

sand carters and 6000 dockers are boycotting the goods depots, in sympathy. s Frequent conflicts have taken place with the police, who were pelted with bricks, glass, and apples. Upwards of a hundred charged with batons. Many outrages are reported. A hundred strikers followed a dray laden with fowls, smashed the crates and liberated the birds.

The. Lord Mayor of Liverpool has issued a proclamation warning strikers that the military are available to assist the police. If necessary ho would invoke the Riot Act. Four hundred of the Warwickshire Regiment have arrived, also police from Leeds and Birmingham, and 200 Irish Constabulary. TO-DAY’S ."MESSAGES.

(Received 12, 8.3 a.m.) London, August 11

Owing to tiie strike the newspapers are threatened with a shortage of. paper. Five thousand tons are. used weekly, and ten thousand tons are lying at the wharves at Wapping, and Blackfriars, which is not deliverable, lb is estimated' that many papers have only three or.four days’ supply.’ - There .is practically no business' doing at Covent Garden. Thirty thousand cases of fruit arc lying at the .South-Eastern and Chatham Railway Companies’ sh&ds. The carmen have no grievance, and arm not striking, but other strikers are; preventing delivery. 'i

The; arrivals of 50,000 cases of French, Spanish, and Californian fruit will lie spoilt unless the strike is ended on Monday. Mr. Churchill, cpiestionod in the House of Commons, said that’ .unless there was a settlement to-day (Thursday) it would be necessary for the Government to make a statement regarding steps,, to maintain order, and tlio Food Supply Commissioner and police would be instructed to take all measures for t|io preservation of order and promptly arrest any intimidators. * , .

Messrs. G. Lansbury and W. Crooks bitterly complained of the action of the police. There has been an all-night conference to reach a settlement. In connection with the carters’ grievances, it was agreed on a six-days’ week of seventy-two hoars, no day to be more than fourteen hours, drivers of onehorsed vans to receive 275, twohorsed 31s, four-horsed 38s, and stablemen 275., The lightermen and stevedores’ grievances are still under consideration. None of the sections are resuming work until all arc satisfied. improved. (Received 12, 9.20 a.m.) London, August 11. The situation has improved. The carters are resuming work. Orders for the reception of troops in London have been countermanded. The Smithfield meat market has boon re-oponed. Private darters are drawing supplies unmolested. London, August 11. The strike has not affected wool. It is estimated that 95 per cent, of the purchases at last series was removed from the warehouses prior to the strike. A deputation of Tooley Street importers interviewed Mr. John Burns, and on receiving a satisfactory assurance of the Government’s action, decided to remain open, as they would bo able to deliver to buyers in their own vans. The Port of London authority notifies an increase in port dues of 7i pei’ cent, from Monday, pending a revision of the tariff. More than half the motor-buses have ceased running. In the House of Commons Mr. H. L. Samuel said the Government was taking the fullest steps to safeguard London’s food supplies. Peak Frcan’s biscuit factory has closed down, throwing 2500 men idle. There is hardly a factory in Bermondsey that is not closing owing to the failure of coal supplies. There is great distress among the poor. The railwayman at Newcastle refused to handle goods diverted from London and Lancashire through the strike. One thousand workers of the 'Edinburgh roperies and sail cloth companies at Leith have struck. They have no grievance beyond a desire to secure for women increased wages. Liverpool is quieter owing to strong police measures. A considerable quantity of foodstuffs has been removed from the stations. Two squadrons of Scots Greys have arrivedRUSSIA. (Received 12, 10.39 a.m.) St. Petersburg, August 11. The deckers have resumed work. They are receiving piecework instead of day payments. AUSTRALIA. | Sydney, August 11. Matters in connection with the su-

gar strike arc cjuiet, ponding Lie derisions ol the Brisbane conicreuce.

‘ll lO steamer Gabo inis arrived at Newcastle, General cargo is being unloaded, but the GO tons of sugar aboaid are untouched.

'Die Gabo came on to Sydney, and the wharf labourers removed her general cargo, but ignored 120 tons of sugar. A fresh cargo going in was placed above the sugar, widen will lie taken away again. .Melbourne, August 11.

Mr. Hughes, Acting-Premier, referring to the rise in the price of sugar, said the Prime Minister of Now /e iland had informed him that the pi ice of No. 1 sugar in New Zealand was £ls 15s per ton, and of No. 2 sugar £ls ss, against £22 IGs (id and £2l 17s Gd in Australia. The seller in both cases was the Colonial Sugar Company. The Australian public wore aide to see the possibilities of this lucrative business, seeing that the prices were six or seven pounds more hero than in Now Zealand, and want to know the reason.

Brisbane, August 11

A conference between the State Treasurer, Mr. Barnes, representing the State Sugar Mills, representatives of the Sugar Producers’ Association, and representatives of the Interstate Labour T'nious, was opened this afternoon. Mr. Barnes was voted to the chair, and explained the position in regard to the strike, and intimated that representatives of the various unions were empowered to negotiate a settlement. Mr. Coyne, chairmin of the Inter-State Trade Union Conference, objected to the presence of the press, but said there was no objection to a digest of the proceedings being published. Later, a motion was carried excluding the press. (Received 12, 9.10 a.m.) Sydney, August 12. The Lithgow ironworkers’ dispute is still unsettled.

The miners, at a meeting, decided to take a ballot on a motion ‘'That it is in the interests of the Association to have no more to do with the Wages Boards.’ Evidence in the Federal Arbitration Court showed that machine shearers average £7 13s 5d per week of 48 hours.

(Received 12, 10.5 a.m.) Sydney, August 12. It is reported that the Brisbane conference of transport workers proved abortive.

Telegrams have been received in Sydney instructing the Unions involved to refuse to handle any cargo vessels carrying non-union sugar. This affects wharf labourers, storemen, trolleymen and draymen. Engineers and seamen will probably also bo drawn in.

Tbe Coal Lumpers’ and Clerk’s Union are attempting to influence clerks not to handle cargo. The position has become grave. Newcastle men are also affected. Brisbane, August 12.

The navvies on the Avoudale-In-victa railway have struck because a special train carrying free labourers was run over the line.