LABOUR IN REVOLT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14522, 18 August 1911, Page 5

LABOUR IN REVOLT.

NEAKLY BEYOND CONTROL, PRICES OF FOOD RISING. Press Association—By Tel. —Copyright. LONDON, August 16. Owing to the strikes tlio newspapers aro discussing the question of the shortage of food in war time, and the problem of national granaries. A thousand tons of food have been destroyed at the docks and warehouses, and thero have been largo clearances at the railways depots. Owing to tho lack of carriage and to drought vegetables and fruit are enormously dearer. The retail prices of butter, ham, bacon and foodstuffs have risen 20 per cent. Food is at almost famine prices in ; Liverpool. A convoy of meat was escorted by the military from the ■.docks to the merchants. Tom Mann claims that in granting permits to firms and public institutions to romove bread and flour, he stipulated that the carters should exclusively be Unionists, and also stipulated for an abundance of bread for tho rank and file of the strikers, and milk for children. Work is gradually being resumed at London docks. The Port Authority has reinstated tho strikers. Mr Churchill, however, announced that a fresh difficulty had arisen, dockers opposing the employment of non-unionists at the Albert Docks. RAILWAYS CONFERENCE. MEN'S COMPLAINTS. EMPLOYERS HOLD OUT, Mr Buxton, President of the Board of Trade, conferred in the morning with tho railway managers, and in the afternoon with the railwaymen's representatives. Tho latter complained of the slowness of the Conciliation Board's procedure, which they said, enabled the companies to postpone the settlement of grievances. The crux of the position centred on the recognition of the unions, which would l enable the men to be represented on the Board by cleverer representatives from headquarters, than local shunters and porters. They also contended that the latter were intimidated and deterred from pressing for good terms, lest they should be victimised by the employers. The North-Eastern Company alone recognised this handicap, and allowed Union officials to serve on the Board. The employers' attitude towards labour caused dissatisfaction. The easy jobs had been eliminated, and the men now worked more intensively, although the hours had been reduced. Interviewed after the conference, tho employers were firm. They considered their direct meeting with the men would be a violation of the existing agreement regarding the Conciliation [ Boards, which the Government had imposed. Bir William Guy Grant, after today's conference, announced, on behalf of the railway managers, that tho Government having promised the companies ample protecticai, they would continue the services. The directors are prepared, even in the event of a general railway strike, to give an effective though a restricted service. It is understood that the companies foreseeing trouble, adopted precautions months ago, for a skeleton service in the event of a strike. The railway passenger and goods traffic at Manchester has been stopped. The Great Western goods men at Birmingham are awaiting developments, and have resumed work. Two battalions of infantry and a regiment of cavalry are in readiness in the event of trouble, to proceed to Manchester.

CONCILIATION BOARDS,

MEN OBJECT TO THEM, The railway men's central committee demands the abolition of the Conciliation Board, a 54-hour week, recognition of the Unions, and an advance of 2a in all grades. The " Westminster Gazette,'' commenting on tlie workmen's threat to smash the Railway Conciliation Boards, says that no country can permit a railway strike on a largo scale. If Mr Lloyd George promised to prevent such an occurrence, Mr Buxton cannot do less. GOVERNMENT CONSIDERING, BUT NOT DOING MUCH. Mr Samuel, Postmaster-General, speaking in the House of Commons, said the Government recently obtained from the Central Strike Committee in London facilities for the delivery of mails similar to the measures at Liverpool, and the continuity of the mail cart service was assured'. A representative of the Labour party states that Messrs Asquith and Buxton's conference had nothing to do with the actual strikes, but was designed to discuss preventive measures. ' Mr Buxton has invited the railway managers and representatives of Railway Unions to confer with him'to-day. Mr "Will Crooks has given notice of a Bill making a strike illegal until the .dispute is considered by a Board representing the masters and workers, with the Board of Trade as umpire, after the Board's decision, the men to be free to accept the award or strike. The Labourites will raise a strike discussion in the House of Commons to-day. is considering the appctinranent of a Royal Commission to inquire into the problem presented by the stationary character of wages and the increased cost of living. The explanations of the strike include dissatisfaction with tho comparatively stationary character of the remuneration of unskilled labour for several years. It is stated that the non-unionist strikers exceed the unionists. It U rumoured that Parliament may contijrns gitting.

MOT AT CARDIFF.

BY STARVING NEGKOES. The increases lately granted to tlio seamen at Cardiff have led to the preference for Europeans over negroes, <"jf whom there are some 600 at Cardiff. Many, who are starving, assaulted ship's officers refusing to engage them. They also fought the polite, who quelled the riot with their truncheons. Seven negroes were taken in an unconscious condition to the hospital. The Lord Mayor fearing further disturbances, lias asked for COO infantry and 150 oavalry to protect the food supply.

THE RAILWAYS,

A CONFERENCE AGREED TO. LONDON, August 17. Tho strike is unlikely to commence to-day. Mr Buxton, following up yesterday's conference, desired to meet the milmen's executives, Tho latter acquiesced and are coming to London to confer. Meanwhile sectional meetings of railway employees agreed to obey the call. London newspapers are organising motor dolrverie3 in the event of failure of the railways. The "Daily Mail" states that at the Conference the companies wore asked to meet the union officials -half way and they refused to do so. THE POLICE CONDEMNED. In the House of Commons the Labourites denounced the brutality of employing soldiers. Mr Ramsay Mac Donald criticised Mr Churchill's attitude. He said his blood boiled at the conduct of the police. If it was true that an officer shot a man through the head he ought to be tried for murder. APPEAL FOR CALMNESS. Mr Lloyd George deprecated making Mr Churchill's and Mr Buxton's tasks harder. He considered the twentyfour hours' notice a mistake, making negotiations impossible. Ho appealed to the men to withhold the threat till the Board of Trade's machinery would come into operation; .otherwise they would alienate public sympathy. The Government at all costs would protect the railway food supply. Mr Churchill declared that while the Government could not support the companies against the men, or vice versa, they would see that no disaster befel the community's food supply. MILITARY UNDER ORDERS. ! TO PROTECT THE RAILWAYS. Received 10.15 p.m., August 17th. LONDON, August 17. Every available soldier at Aldershot is under orders for service on the railways. Men will be stationed along the lino, and the cavalry will be utilised at large stations to patrol the lines. Twenty-five thousand aro ready to move in a few hours. Similar orders have been issued to other stations in 'England and .Scotland. York railwaymen decline to handle tTains for the conveyance of soldiers or policy. Mr Haldane, in the House of Lords, ' declared that the Government will use all the force necessary to repress unruly and turbulent violence at Liverpool. They deplored the use of the military, hut there may be no other way. Several detachments have arrived in London. Five hundred and ftfiy troops have been sent to Cardiff. RAILWAY MEN'S DEMANDS. Only one-fourth of the railway men are members of trades unions. The railway men have issued a manifesto demanding the same opportunities for combination as other workers; also to have wages and hours settled by their own union. They are determined to accept nothing less, and say they will now settle the job <nce for all. UNREST SPREADING. Widespread unrest exists on the north-east coast among colliers, stevedores, boilermakers and shipyard labourers. TOWARDS SOCIALISM. Mr Tom Mann, in an article in the "Daily Mail," states that the present strikes are a move in the direction of industrial solidarity as opposed to sectional trade unionism. The outlook promises gloriously for the worker. i There is, he sa3-s, no real necessity for any one, even.a labourer, working un(der 40s a week. The new unionists will take special pains to prevent artificial prices by launching co-operative production and distribution. LIVERPOOL RIOTS CONTINUE. Farther rioting has occurred at Liverpool. A mob smashed the -windows of tramways, and took no notice of a display of force until the military knelt in the attitude of firing. Then they hurriedly left and scattered. Assemblages were dispersed by baton charges in various parts of the city. The police have secured tho services of an armoured motor waggon. Owing to shortage of coal the Liverpool Corporation humanised milk depots are closing, depriving seven hundred of the poorest children of all sustenance. MANCHESTER IN TROUBLE. Business in Manchester is demoralised. The bulk of the transport workers are idle. The strikers have notified the post , office that they will not permit postmen to supplant railway workers in unloading mails. The ranks of the strikers are swelling hourly. The railway services are reduced 60 per centum. TELE QUEENSLAND STRIKE. ANOTHER HITCH. BRISBANE, August 17. Before disbanding, the inter-State Labour Conference took the initial steps for tho creation of a central a.it'thority representing the industrial unions of the Commonwealth to deal with disputes likely to involvo other unions than the one of origin. | A hitch has occurred in the sugar settlement. The waterside workers at Mackay decline to work with nonunionists, and have decided that un- | less the non-unionists are removed by noon to-day, work at all the wharves win cease,