THE UNREST IN RUSSIA.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXI, Issue 12584, 23 January 1905, Page 3

THE UNREST IN RUSSIA.

" AND POLITICS. ■t- THE GREAT STRIKE AT ST. • PETERSBURG. THE jPETTIION TO THE CZAR.. United Prww ,A*sociatioiir-j-Per Electric ...jaetpripb—Copyright. ST. PETERSBURG, January 20. The striken' petition to the Czar comjJains of the workers' desperate condition fttfovah being deprived of human rights. 'lt a%M*ttT feats' - to' the fiirone, 'and adds: "Be merciful and let us lw«. If we ue to be left m the present position we would, prjs&r to die." Crowds are parading the and have compelled the owners of many, factories to close. - •-- ;' - " f hj» strikers entered one Government printing; ofUfce and forced the eiaployees to leave. , Five thousand at the Baltic works, 7000 at the cartridge factories, 8000 at the railway -carriage works, and many textile operatives nave struck.

RAPID SPREAD OF THE TROUBLE. $Hg POLICE POWERLESS. TROOPS UNDER ARMS. Received 119 p.m., January 22nd. ST. PETERSBURG, January 2L .The strike is rapidly spreading. Seven,-thousand person* who are employed m 'the Alsxandrovsky machine works and the Baltic cartridge factory. came, out, ajfao thousands at Stiegliz's and /Thorriton/s cloth weavers. Other operatives as srett a& thousands of other workmen empteyed at. the paper raSls, State pjaypg card* factory. State and private distilleries, robber factories, soap works, Imperial glass factory, and civil employees at the arsenals, ore but. Every industry is paralysed. Many disturbances have occurred. The police rae They "do not atsgmgb ,po stem the movement. Owing to treqiwnif of violence and incendiarism, the kaops are Ikept under arms and ordered" ''to- do their utmost to prevent bloodsfieS. '•'• Severs! "q.ri*r*er» m St. Petersburg w»re }n d»rk««r. owirijr to the strike, which effected the electric lighting. Ko newspapers were published in St. i Petersburg, to-day. The printers struck •ad threatened to smash the machinery if $«. wnwptn tfttmpted to d«fy th«n,

When six thousand steel workers at the Government metal works at Obukhoff struck.' General Vlassieff, the director, vainly emphasised that eight hundred of them" who'are reservists were not sent to the Far East because they were needed, at the factory. He reminded them that they were liable for service.

A VAST POLITICAL MOVEMENT THE LABOUR LEADER SPEAKS DEMANDS AND THREATS Received 420 pm , January 22nd ST PETERSBURG, January 21 The Russian Ministers "of Finance and . the-Interior'-'refused .to receive* a strikers' deputationThe strike is. now rapidly becoming a po litical -movement. ' A great demonstration opposite the Winter Palace is being organ ised for to-morrow under the auspices of M< Gapon ..who has tremendous influence with the workers. On being interviewed M- Gapon admitted that he was formerly an agent of the Holy but since M Phleve's death he had become a reformer. The strike had not been commenced until the Prefect of Police had intimated that the men's demands had been rejected. "Political reforms must precede economic concessions. If the police and Cossacks the way to the Palace, I shall be the first to fall, but our blood will accomplish, more than the most agitation. We go- as* loyal citi "zens to obtain a hearing from the Czar If we faif we wfll have proved-to the world -fiat peaceful agitation i.«useless, but we sha 1 ' try diner- means. We have notified Prince Mirskf of our desire to meet the Czar If lie refuses there will be a terrible uprising We expect 500,000 people to assemble in the.vicmity of the Palace, including 130,000 .workmeH."

The Prefect of Police has warned the people that neither gatherings nor processions., will be "allowed. The strikers -coerced 170 factories to-join them on Friday; 88,000 persons"have.-now-struck.

THE PRATEB OF THE WORKERS' PETITION:

SOLDIERS REFUSE TO INTERFERE

WIDESPREAD SYMPATHY WITH . ■THE STRIKERS.

* „ Received 4,30 pm„ January 22nd ST. January 21

I The representatives of the workers at the "lheeting jn the Winter Palace Square on Sunday will -seek to present a petition stating that the limits of endurance have been reached, that the workers have' been by despotism," that bureaucracy is ruining the country, and that the workers have not Been consulted nr regard to the shameful war which is "bringing the country?* -downfall The. Czar is urged to de--jrtioy -rip-wall- of officialdom, -and to rule .with 'the 'people through a constitutional Jassembly elected at a secret-ballot/ , • ~, ! 3H»e ' strikers declare that despite; thfe warning of the authorities they will .employ ' | fozee. They intend to meet 'unarmed and «wish»the- Gzar to personally receive the , titom: They decline to transmit it through the official 'channels, ' * * Mi. .Gapon will-head the procession, car-" jjdng a-cross -*■ * ■*■ A detachment- of the Moscow regiment, "rationed at St. Petersburg, refnsed to interfere with the .workers at SohapsrheT': tobacco factory and returned to barracks

Although 50,000 troops are on duty -night and day, the strikers boast that they do not fear violence, since the soldiers and workmen are one Middle classes aTs'o sympathise with the strikers.