England’s Strike War

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 5, 22 August 1911, Page 5

England’s Strike War

FURTHER RIOTING

By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. United Press Association. London, August 21. Tho Lord Mayor disbanded the special city constables, and each was presented with J'is baton and armlets as mementoes. The railwayman's executive lias issued a joint manifesto, which declares their recognition in the negotiation of tho present dispute, and their’ evidence before tho commission, will win in a few weeks a charter long enjoyed by every other class. It urges a loyal acceptance of tho agreement. They had shown their power and taught their opponents a lesson. I’hcir loyalty had swept away the potty tyrant that for years had been the cause of so much unrest.

The manifesto adds that a settlement was reached only after Mr. Buxton’s statement that the lock-out at Liverpool would be withdrawn immediately after a railway settlement was reached.

Mr. Williams, addressing a railwaymen’s demonstration at Hydo Park, said the committee was approached with a proposal for a Royal Commission. There was) groat prejudice against it, but now they were convinced tho offer was legitimate and sincere. The terms of reference were such as had never before been given >y any commission. It had been resolved” that the men should resume, although they did not accept the terms as full settlement of their demands. A motor-car until Messrs. Kcir Hardio and G. N. Barnes aboard, struck a side bank in a narrow mountain roadway at Merthyr, Tydril. Both were thrown out and severely shaken.

News of the agreement met with a mixed reception in the provinces. The railwaymon at Leeds and Bradford are not enthusiastic. There was a meeting of thousands •at Manchester, who greeted references to the strike leaders with cries of “Traitors!” A resolution in favour of resumption was angrily rejected, but later great numbers resumed. Many speakers at Bristol declared it doubtful whether tho men ought to resume till the full terms of their demands were conceded. The Sheffield men will not resume until tho carters’ dispute is settled. The railwaymon at Liverpool criticised the settlement as not embodying the promise of material advantages, but resolved to resume to-morrow. Those at Birkenhead doubted if tho settlement was a victory, and threatened to again strike unless the local dockers’ demands were conceded. The settlement failed to give much satisfaction at Birmingham, Crewe, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. , There aro indications that resumption will be general to-day, even in :;hc disappointed centres. There were serious disturbances at lincoln on Saturday night. The men attacked the Great Northern and Midland Station, and stoned the police. The latter made constant baton charges. Hundreds of shoo windows were smashed, and two constables and many rioters injured. Tile brewery offices were also set on fire, and the. Riot Act read. At two o’clock in tho morning tho military were summoned and tho mob dis oarsed.

Some rioting is reported in Dublin, and 120 people received minor injur-

Hooligans at Tredgar, profiting by the labour troubles, looted . eighteen Jews’ shops. Saturday’s misdeeds include an .attempt to wreck tho Accrington-Tod-moren passenger train, a riot at Birkenhead, and looting at Noath. Tho newspapers congratulate the Government on the success of its efforts to cope with such an unprecedented emergency as the railwnvmon’s strike. Hopes are expressed that an effective settlement will follow, but the concensus of opinion is that the situation is still delicate, requiring careful handling. The good sense and conciliatory spirit shown on both sides in Saturday’s agreement is warmly commended.

Mr. Thomas, interviewed, described the agreement as temporary and contingent. “The Times” remarks that Saturday was tho crucial day. Had the strike spread, producing an effective paralysis of the railways, no settlement could have been reached, but it became clear that traffic was not being paralysed but only interfered with ,sufficiently to cause, an intense public agitation, and with the succeeding days tho situation would improve as the companies mastered the difficulties and filled their depleted staffs. Unless the strikers could early the position by assault from the outset they could' not snccoccd, because it was evident on Saturday that they had failed to do so, and one ol the essential conditions was that protection should lie afforded to the lines, wherefor the Government deserved the full credit, particularly Mr. Churchill, who had taken to heart tho lesson of the danger incurred in tampering with disorder. It was undoubted that but for the presence of troops great disorder would have occurred in many parts of the country. The strike was an outbreak in revolt against society, and to a great extent was forced upon tho union executive, who, seeing the strike would fail, wisely accepted the Government’s olive branch. There had been a tendency to blame Mr. Asquith for tho blunder of making the original offer, but had the union committee intended to accept it it would immediately have asked for details of tho proposal. It was what had happened since the strike was deferred which had changed their mind, coupled with the companies’ concession for conferring directly with them. Tins was duo to tho Government’s guarantee that power would bo given to raise the railway charges. Mr. Herbert Emory, a member of the Parliamentary Committee of the Trade Congress, addressing the rail-, wayinen at Hanley, stated that he attended Thursday’s negotiations. When Mr. Bellamy asked , “Have yon endeavoured to get the companies to meet the men’s representatives?” Mr. Asquith replied in the negative. Therefore Mr. Asquith failed in his duty as Premier, for everything now arranged could have been arranged on Thursday. i The “Daily Chronicle” declares that the nation will gladly pay an increase of rates beyond tho present maximum in order to raise the railwayman's wages to a decent minimum. Rises to-morrow (5.10.

TO-DAY’S MESSAGES.

DETAILS OF THE LLANELLY RIOT. (Received 22, 8.5 a.m.) London. August 21. The crowd booed until the train annroaclmd the Union bridge, _ where many had congregated. Some jumped on too footplate and struggled with the driver and fireman. The driver was badlv hurt. The fire in the locomotive was extinguished, and the machinery thrown out of gear.

The Worcester Regiment lr;.d been previously withdrawn to the' Gioat Western station, two hundred yards distant. They returned at the at nine. The people ascended the slope and scaled tuc walls of hack garclt ns, whence they threw stones and piec.es of railings torn from tho tops of tin) walls at the soildiors and train. . An officer and two soldiers went into the gardens, causing a temporary stoppage of tho iusihulc. Ihe _ officer was snaking hands and talking to some of the aggressors wiiile in the meanwhile other quarters were being stoned, 1 several soldiers doing struck. Tho military thereupon fixed bayonets and rushed towards tho crowd. Some of the rioters shouted chat tho soldiers did not dare go to extremes. One man bared ins breast, challenging them co shoot. Finally tho Riot Act was read, but the seriousness of the situation was

still unrealised, as laughter and jeering followed. A volley was lired in tho air, blank cartridges only being used; but the crowd continued stoning and rushing at the soldiers trom all” directions. Further stray shots followed, and tho belief tiiat the shooting was only a bluif appeared to be confirmed, until two youtlis seated on a wall tell backwards shot dead, then two others fell injured in the same garden. Tho liorrilied ciowd fled. Leonard Worsey, a London u. was killed. Ho merely went into He garden out or curiosity on seeing an.. • men coming over tiie wall. An indignation meeting of strikers and sympathisers vowed vengeance upon those responsible tor the reading of th.o Riot Act. The mob grew. While tho police and soldiers wore engaged near the railway station crowds swarmed along and looted a stationary train and seized liquor and ammunition, intended for the soldiery. The vans were then set on lire. The mob then marched through tiie town, and wrecked the. Magistrate’s premises, smashed, the windows in Jones’s residence, proceeded to his business premises in Market Street, broke the windows, and looted his provisions, wrecked the ironmongery shop belonging to Mr. Wilkins (Magistrate), also another shop. Thereupon twenty constables and one hundred soldiers quitted the station and took up a position in Market Street. Baton charges were made, and the mob < was repulsed in town. They returned to tna railway and burst into tho Great Western goods shod, pilfering warehouses, scattering provisions; they burst casks and drank whisky and beer, ladling out tho liquor in pails; and tho Deadly sued was soon a maze, and trucks on tho sidings wore looted and lired. Some trucks loaded witn gunpowder, gelatine, etc., exploded and portions cl tho blazing trucks and contents were hurled through tho air among the crowd, who made frantic efforts to escape, hour wero killed and a dozen injured—on© ’fatally. A crowd ol women and children was among the looters in the snops. tortious of the main up and down the hues wore previously destroyed, and telephoning was ciimcult. lintels wore closed, and all business suspended. jljio Worcester Regiment made a bayonet charge near Heaton Hill at midnight, and injured several. The riots lasted till the news of the settlement arrived at three in the morning. HrUiio person, ;died of suffocation due to taking an excess of alcohol. < j A mass mooting in the afternoon protested against tho importation of troops, arm demanded a Government enquiry. ‘i | , T < • , « - 1 Later.

There were several killed at aJonolly, ami; twenty-live injured, including soldiers and police, and not including injured removed by the rioters. Seven rioters aro stfltonng from , bayonet tnrusts and one from a bullet wound. ■j‘llo remainder were injured by the explosion.

EFFECTS OF THE STRIKE. (Received 22, 9.20 a.m.) There were'extraordinary scones in Lancashire. Several thousands of the u orking classes and holiday makers were stranded at Fleetwood, Morecombe, and .Blackpool. They tramped towards Lancashire, and in the towns, churches, chapels, and theatres were thrown open to afford them sleeping accommodation. There wore long processions of perambulators, and lug-gage-ladon persons walked thirty a lid forty miles. The plight of women and children was pitiable. The local authorities, where possible, provided food. Liverpool’s leading men kept the electric light and tramways running. Merchants, barristers, and clergymen acted as stokers at the powernonse, under the direction of a mercantile captain, while skilled merchants attended the machinery, and soldiers guarded them from the menacing crowd. Amateurs were similarly acting as scavengers to conserve the city’s health. (Received 22, 9.-15 a.in.)

London, August 21. The newspapers and public generally approve of the promptness and efficiency of the 'War Office’s action, without which the violence and sabotage would have been much greater. Troopers are still guarding the goods depots at Manchester and Salford. Of ninety thousand railway men, dockers, seamen,, and carters on strike in Liverpool, ono-third resumed work to-day. The Midland Railway strikers at Burton-on-Trcut, on returning to work,-were informed that they had last seniority, loyalists receiving promotion. Thereupon the strike was resumed. Similar action resulted at Carlisle. The Midland guards at Cricklewood refused to resume.

DARK CLOUDS. (Received 22, 10.10 a.in.) ' London, August 21. Mr. Thomas, assistant secretary to the Railway Servants’ Society, states that it the companies do not- adhere to the terms regarding reinstatement the in on will he called out. The railway executive is again contor ring with the Board of Trade. Mr. Ramsay MacDonald states that there is a slight hitch, which ho is confident will lie overcome.

Too lightermen have finally agreed to refer future disputes to the masters’ aiid men’s associations, and tailing a settlement, to then refer them to the Board oi Trade. The position on the North-Eastern lines is*still serious. The strikers will not return until their demands have boon granted. The Leeds station has been barricaded and is guarded by troops. The men believe the company is attempting to give priority to non-un-ionists. The Hull dockers agreed to strike it the railway men so desire. One thousand troops have been despatched to Darlington and Bishop Auckland, whore rioting is proceeding. The Midland men have notified the company that unless all the men are reinstated to-night, the strike will ha resumed.

A conference at Liverpool regarding the lock-out resulted in an agreement to resume.

Twelve thousand Rhondda minor

threaten an immediate strike regarding tho minimum wage. the “Daily .Mail” says that the best bulwark against a general strike is compulsory arbitration. Tho “Daily News” blames the Government for not before summoning the troops, and compelling the companies to meet tho men’s representatives.