THE RAILWAY NEWS STRIKE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 4, 21 August 1911, Page 5

THE RAILWAY NEWS STRIKE.

NEARLY EVERY SERVICE WILL , STOP. London, August 19. The Amalgamated Raiiwaymcn’s Association has authorised strike pay at the rate of 10s weekly. The executive states that two hundred and twenty thousand have struck, and predict that Monday will see nearly every service stopped. Their union fund's total £197,566, and provident funds, which are not applicable to strikers, £243,625. ,-Mr. Thomas, M.P., assistant secrotary of the Railway Servants’ Association, ' speaking at Euston, said that if the companies would meet the men face to face they conld settle tlu difficulties in five minutes. But the companies refused, so the men’s only alternative was to fight, tie regretted that the public and the trade of the nation were suffering, but the responsibility rested with the companies. There could be no settlement which victimised or boycotted anyone. Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, M.P., and other Labourites, are urging" the men’s executives to accept Mr. Asquith’s proposal. The Primate is preparing a special prayer for the labour crisis. The Horae Offico reports that about two-thirds of the railwaymen remain at their posts.

“The limes” declares that the real issue is the admission of union loaders to conciliation boards. The NorthEastern Railway for a long time permitted access, and that line suffered more than others through constant friction and the present strike.

A CONFERENCE. . AN EXPRESS BARRED. London, August 19._ A strike conference between shipowners, the National Transport Workers and the Board of Trade, JVlr. John Burns presiding, is in progress. It has arranged an agreement providing that men employed discharging overseas vessels must bo engaged outside dock premises. The railway executive sat until midnight, and adjourned until this morning. Fifty-eight thousand troops are placed at the disposal of the 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 back and released the train.

Liverpool is quieter, nut although there were a few isolated attacks on banks and hotels, there was no serious outbreak during the last twentyfour hours. Panic-stricken holiday - makers, rushing homewards, increased the congestion on the restricted train services. The trains were stoned near Bradford. Railway points wore tampered with at Rivorbridge and York, but the discovery was made in time to prevent harm resulting. The railwaymen at Edinburgh have decided to strike forthwith. A TRUCE DECLARED. LABOUR SO FAR VICTORIOUS. London, August 20. Tho Board of Trade, at half-past eleven to-night, issued a statement as follows:

“On the Government’s representation, the railways empowered Messrs Claughton and Ora not to confer with representatives selected by the joint executives of the railwaymen’s and trades unions with a view to discussing with them the Board of Trade s suggested terms of settlement. Ihe conference mot at the Board of Trade offices, and was attended by the companies’ and railwaymen’s representatives, and Messrs. Lloyd-Goorge, Buxton, Llowellyn-Smith, Asquith, and Ramsay MacDonald. Mr. Claughton stated that Mr. Granet and lie were authorised to meet the men’s representatives under the special circumstances. He added that the suggested terms had been discussed and agreed to. Messrs. Claughton and Granet further stated that the Commission’s recommendations would bo loyally accepted, even though adverse to the companies contention, on any question of representation, and in the event of settlement any traces of ill-will arising from the strike would certainly lie effaced. . After a prolonged discussion tne following settlement was unanimously reached and signed, and the strike terminated forthwith: — All involved in the strike or lockout, applying in a reasonable time, are to bo reinstated at tiro earliest practicable moment. No proceedings arc to be taken for .broach of contract.

Tim Conciliation Board is to bo convened to settle questions now in dis-

pute

If the sectional boards fail to arrive at a settlement, tho central board will moot immediately. Steps aro to be taken foitliwith to settle tho disputes between the companies and those classes ol employc-..s not included in the scheme of 190.7 by conferences between representatives of Hie companies and representatives of the employees, who are employed by the same' company, and, tailing .•in, agreement, then an Arbitration Commission, composed ol live members, including an impartial chairman, will be instructed to investigate the working of the 1907 scheme ami report as expeditiously as possible, as changes aro desirable with a view to prompt settlement ol the diil'eiouces. Assurances are given that both parties will abide by the findings. The Government has promised to legislate next session regarding the increase of the cost of labour due to the improvement in conditions ol tnc stair and the valid justification for a reasonable general increase in charges within tho legal maximum, Tho Railway men’s Union at midright telegraphed to its branches as follows: “Trio joint committee, has settled the strike. A victory for trade unionists. Ail must resume immediately.” The lightermen's dispute has been settled.

AGITATORS IN BERLIN. Berlin, August 19. The “Taglische. Rundschau” reports that tho Social Democrats are endeavourin'7, to promote a traffic strike i.i Berlin. TODAY’S MEGS AG EG. (Received 21, 8.5 a.m.) London, August 20.

Tho “Railway Gazette”, states that the veal reason of the strikes * was that Conciliation Boards provided a safety-valve, reduced tho opportunities of unions to call strikes, and weakened the power of unions to compel men to join them. The “Chronicle” described _ the strikes as wanton, and the opinion of tiro community was dead against tho authors. There is much enthusiasm at the central station at Manchester at the 'resumption of work. A. number of London and Brighton strikers have applied to resume. The tramways at Liverpool have resinned running; also tho railwaymon at Stroud and at Chatham. Mr. Lloyd-Gcorgo spent ton hours yesterday labouring to obtain a settlement,' during eight whereof ho was face to face with the railwaymen’s representatives. MORE FIGHTENC. THE RIOT ACT READ. London, .August 20. Mr. Williams, secretary of the Amalgamated Railwaymen’s Association, interviewed, interpreted the agreement as paving tho way to an extensive recognition of tho Association.

As a train was entering Llanelly yesterday a mob standing on tho slopes beside the track stoned the police and soldiers guarding the lino, and attacked the driver and firemen. The Wcvcertershii’e regiment advanced, and an officer warned the rioters, but without result. Tho Riot Act was road, but the crowd laughed and jeered. The officer fired in the air, and tho jeers | \rhre renewed. Then the troops fired a volley overhead and two others at a lower range. None of the mob wore hit, but of four persons in a garden in the vicinity, two were killed, including an invalid (Landover), 'and tho’other two were severeIv injured.,;. The railwaymon were So incensed at the incident that they destroyed a section of tho line, hold up a troops’ train at Llandilo Junction, captured a quantity of ammunition, looted shops in Llanelly, set fire to trucks of provisions in' tho railway goods shod, where an explosion occurred, wliiclt killed throe and injured several. Many others were, wounded by the bayonet charges of troops clearing the streets.

Fifty Grenadiers were sent to Norwood on a report that, two men had been shot in a light round a signalbox. (Received 21, 9.0 a.in.) London, August 20. All troops have been witndrawn. The Home Office reports that things are quieter everywhere. A diabolical' but unsuccessful attempt to derail a mail and passenger train at Taff A'ale by loosening a rail was opportunely discovered. Strikers and miners destroyed the rails in the Erewash Valley, and stopped the Mid-land-Scotch express and two other trains. Troops from Darby cleared the line. Several were injured in baton charges in an attempt to wreck a sig-nal-box at Stafford. The strikers at York stoned passing trains, rushed the station gates, ana 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, at Nottingham. Two thousand troops had boon sent to London, and the “troops at Alderney and Guernsey wore summoned to England oxi strike duty. The Great Eastern Railway was unable to guarantee delivery, and requested suspension of German shipments. . . Dolton and Liverpool were within a day or two of starvation. Cardiff had only one-tenth the us 1 milk supply. Margate and Eamsgaf were siibit of provisions, and many visitors left. Immense quantities of perishable goods are at a standstill on the eastern coast.

Owing to rioting a thousand troops wore sent to Leicester. The races at Wolverhampton were postponed. An express, at King’s Cross, by a mistake in signalling, narrowly escaped collision. The Home Office report states that it is expected that tlie railway settlement will solve Liverpool’s and Birkenhead’s difficulties. TJio military report that railwayman were not responsible for any rioting. At Llanelly a train with three hundred passengers was derailed. _A liridgo at Runcorn was set ante m two places, and lias been closed. Forty racehorses are hold up at Redcar, waiting trains. The War Office has ordered all troops on strike duty to return as soon as possible. The timeliness of the settlement is illustrated by the position up to midnight. The incident at Llanelly deeply impressed the conference. Mr. Kcir Hardio, in a speech at Merthyr on Saturday, said there would Iso no settlement until the uniions were recognised. Mr. Barnes, at Dowlais, said the on!v solution was to destroy the damnable capitalism. The great railway dispute was only one feature of the labour unrest spreading through the length and breadth of the country. While ho did not object to conciliation to settle temporary difficulties there would be no broad solution while the workers won for themselves the whole produce of llioir labour.

The- “Railway Rows” shows that in 1910 thirty-six railways paid thirty and a quarter millions in salaries and wages, or about the same amount as pro’ei cnee and ordinary stockholders were paid, The paralysis duo to tho strike rendered idle 120,000 men in collieries and iron and steel works in Cumberland, thousands in Derbyshire and at f’.l iddleborough, eight thousand colliers at Nottingham, ten thousand at .Durham, forty thousand in North Cumberland, two thousand at .Bishop Auckland. There wore threatened with idleness within two days, also, two hundred thousand in Wales. hour thousand dockers at Bristol struck cut of sympathy with the railwaymeu. Acts of wanton destruction rapidly increased in many directions, but tho lines on tho whole were well controlled.

Continual despatches of troops to the threatened areas had an important influence in securing peaceful methods.

The Home Office reported that the Port of Lon don was almost full, owing to the'activity of tho Amalgamated Society. It is estimated that the strikers this evening numbered a quarter of a million. Its executive made a gratuitous allowance of 0s per week to non-unionist strikers, ot whom there are nix thousand of all trades.

Some lawyers and doctors volunteered as special constables in London. Hundreds were sworn in. The London and North-Western Company give loyalists double pay. Tiic London and Brighton Company promised a reward to non-strikers. Passengers on many trains made a collection for loyalists. Lord Derby insured Knosley Hall for .£191,000 "against strike rioters at a premium of "one shilling per cent, monthly. Numerous insurances on warehouses and shipping are reportG(l* Mr. Asquith, who is suffering from an cflection of the throat, has deputed Mr. Lloyd-Goorgo to act us spokesman at the conference.