LABOUR IN REVOLT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14520, 16 August 1911, Page 5

LABOUR IN REVOLT.

STRIKES SPREADING. MILITARY CALLED OUT. ' A MIDNIGHT AFFRAY, Press Association —By Tel.—Copyright. LONDON, August. 14. Ninety arrests were made at Liverpool after a fierce affray at midnight in the north end of the city. Tho mob extinguished tho gas lumps and tore down a wall for missiles. The police were unable to cope with tho mob and the military called out. Revolver shots were fired and the streets cleared. Many persons were injured. The fronts of four hotels were smashed in and provision shops looted. The 6triko leaders, from tho first outbreak, bravely risked injury from both sides in their efforts to calm the crowd, and they blame the police for precipitating tho trouble. Doctors were engaged for a couple of hours in bandaging and stitching the injured. St. George's Hall was converted into a temporary hospital and scores wero laid on the tables. A fireman was scalped by a brick thrown by some one, and an officer of the Warwickshire Regiment was injured, Thirty thousand dockers are looked out. A thousand bales of cotton are lying on -the quays and in railway goods yards. Several Lancashire mills have closed and. the trade in frozen meat is impeded. Tom Mann is making daily speeches at Liverpool. GOVERNMENT ATTITUDE. ORDER MUST RE RESTORED. Mr Churchill, speaking in the House of Commons, said that if necessary, all the forces'at the Government's disposal would be used to secure the free working of London's food supply. He said there was no improvement in the serious position at Liverpool, and although hooligans began the disorder, undoubtedly many strikers joined in. Attacks were still being made on ware* houses, factories and private houses, and the police assaulted in tho performance of their ordinary duties. Consequently the Government was of opinion that the police were entitled to effective military aid, and further troops had been ordered, making the total a brigade of infantry and two regiments of cavalry.

Mr Churchill added, in reply to Mr Ramsay Maodonald, that nothing would bo done to weaken the action of the police, and there would bo no inquiry into allegations until complete order had been restored. SEEKING A REMEDY. Mr Lloyd George announced that Mr Aaquith and Mr Buxton, President of the Board of Trade, were conferring on the whole question of the improvement of the means available for preventing or shortening industrial 'warfare. THE STATE OF LONDON. GENERAL UNREST. There has been no general resumption of work in London owing to the port auiihcrity dismissing four hundred permanent men for striking. Tho authority has now promised to consider their reinstatement as a condition of general resumption but decline a request on behalf of tho Surrey commercial dock porters to re-open the question for payment during mealtimes. Tho situation at Smithfield is normal. The butter business has not been resumed. There is an epidemic of small industrial strikes in London. Many women teapiekers- have struck/ Factory women at Bermondsey had meetings to demand improved pay. The London County Council tramwaymen wffl strike on Wednesday unless their wages are advanced with a concession of an eight hours' day, and the General Post Office night telephonists axe agitating for better conditions. THE RAILWAYS. CONCILIATION~BOARD BLAMED. The London and North-Western railwayman at Coventry protested against the despatch of men from Coventry to fill the strikers' places at Liverpool". All the leading railways have decided to resist the strikers' demands and insist on resumption and appeal to the Conciliation Board. The chairman of flie Coventry branch declared that the cause of the whole railway trouble was tho Conciliation Board, which the men ought to smash. Fifteen thousand men are idle in ISorth-Eastern Lancashire and Yorkshire railways. The Swansea railwaymen are agitating for an eight hours' day with 30s a week as a minimum wage. They have summoned a meeting to consider a date on which to strike. ™" lOOdSl OOdS dlirers and Peters at laddington are idle, and the situation in connect.on with the railway carmen is critical. FISHEMffiN OTJT The coal lightermen at ' Grimsby struck for twopence an hour increase, and all the trawlers have been rendered idle. The tramway service at Glasgow bus been partially resumed. PRESS~COMME>n". LLOYD GEORGE THE FIREBRAND.

The "Pall Mall Gazette" says that tlio workers senerally have interpreted Mr Lloyd George's denunciation of the Hovenang classes in their o.rn ignorant way. From Limelicusa to Limestreet was an easy transition through several phases of covert eneouragennait and masterly inactivity in the protection of life and property. The " Westminster Gazette" says that tie most serious feature is the tendency of the men of all trades to break away from their official leaders. If the railway difficulty was merely a. question of Interpretation of arbitrators' awards, the remedy was. easy.

A CKIi.WAX KK.UAIiK. The "Zeit" romnicnting on the effect of the strike on food .supplier pointedly remarks that Britain has a vulnerable point, AN INTERNATIONAL DANGER. The International Trade Union Con. gress at IVudapesfc accepted the Swiss proposal for the international support of affiliated federations in strikes. RAILWAY STRIKE EXTENDING. NON-UNIONISTS BEGAN IT. THE COMPANIES BLAMED. Received 9.25 p.m., August 15th. LONDON, August 15. The railway Labour war is spreading to Birmingham, Bristol and Sheffield. Numerous sectional strikes have commenced. Three thousand struck at Manchester. The trouble is extending to the southern railway systems. At a meeting of workers of tho latter at Bennondsey, -the transport federation announced that all the London railway depots will be blockaded to-day, and tho companies notified that railway carters and allied workers should be included in last week's settlement. s Tho railway strikes were not sanctioned by the union executives, therefore tho strikers will not receive financial benefits. The Amalgamated Railway Servants Society meet to consider the situation. The secretary -states that non-union-ists started the strikes, and induced the unionists to join. Had the rauV way companies recognised the union the trouble would have been averted. STATE OF LIVERPOOL. RIOT AND INCENDIARISM. GENERAL STRIKE THREATENED. Five thousand infantry and cavalry are in readiness to proceed to Liverpool, and a hundred Scots Greys and two detachments of Hussars have been despatched. The strike committee of Liverpool, in a manifesto calling for a general strike, points out that the shipowners forced the lock-out, and the railway companies have not shown a willingness to negotiate. The authorities are despatching military transport, the federation being determined to stand firm and cease work. Two skirmishes took place between rioters and police, but the military quelled tho iiot. The mob then barricaded Christian street and placed wire entanglements in the side strcetfe. The offices of Ithe Shipping Federation have been burned, it is believed by incendiaries." The strikers cut tho fire hose. The police dispersed them after a sharp oonffKit. A hundred men and women have been sentencod up to three months in connection with Sunday's riots. Seven thousand dockers participated in riots at Birkenhead. One policeman was seriousl yinjured. Nearly -throe thousand troops, under General Mackinnon, are located at Liverpool. LONDON DOCKERS. RESUMING WORK. Received 11.45 p.m., August 15th. LONDON, August 15. Mr Gosling, secretary to the Transport workers, states that the men are resuming gradually, and that dockwork will be normal in a few days. Fifteen thousand women employed in factories, who struck in South London, have obtained an advance of Is to 4s weekly. QDEENSLANTJ SUG AR. THE STRIKE SETTLED. BRISBANE, August 15. The conference sat until midnight. The Minister of Works then announced to the Press representatives that the negotiations had been concluded in the form of an agreement which had been drafted ana approved and would be completed by noon to-day. ' It is understood that the settlement is on the basis of a 48 hours' week; overtime to Ihe paid only after nine hours' work. : The settlement covers not only the [ sugar dispute, but any possibility of ; dispute in the various callings repre- | sented by the delegates to the conference. Field work is ucfc touched in } the agreement, the delegates withdrawing their demands. The delegates gave an undertaking that work would be resumed immediately. Received 9.25 p.m., August 15th. I Work will be resumed forthwith. The terms of agreement include 30s and keep; overtime rate time and a quarter and a -18 hours week. No vindictive spirit is shown towards the strikers. General satisfaction is espresed at the settlement of the strike.