MAY DAY.

Timaru Herald, Volume 170, Issue 170208, 3 May 1920, Page 7

MAY DAY.

GREAT ONE-DAY- STRIKE. EXPECTED IN ENGLAND. Australian and N.Z. Cable Assu. By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. LONDON, April 30. There are indications Unit se\ea or eight million workers in Britain, will strike oil Mav Ito celebrate Labour Day. ihe leaders explain that; the object is to give prominence, to the importance of Labour without inconveniencing the public. Railways, tramways,. and- other ctscnijal services will not be interrupted. The workers in many ol the biggescindustries are taking a day's holiday to participate in- Labourite processions. Three will be speeches from twenty platforms, in Hyde Park.. The idea originated in France, where there are preparations for a. strike on the most extensive scale. The Socialists in Germany also ore determined om ai national holiday.

I MAY DAY IN FRANCE, ! ■ ANTICIPATIONS. PARIS, April 30, "With a yiew to- defeating the May Lay strikes "the Government is taking control of all the underground arid other communications, and assuring the carriage and distribution of food. Many people have left for the country, dreading riots. The Government doss, not fear serious outbreaks, but has l ' assembled troops, who are authorised to , use ball cartridge. The Genral Federation, of Labour sup- I ports the'railway strike, which will pos-; sibly continue for a week. ..:■•' j

EXTREMISTS IN SOUTH AFRICA. CAPETOWN, May 1. May Day was generally observed, for the first time, throughout the Union", as Labour Day. Factories mvi workshops were closed, and there, were demonstrations in all. the> larger towns. At Capetown the demonstration, was characterised by a significant split between moderates and extremists. The latter organised a procession and a mass meeting, and prepared resolutions ■affirming the iniy. iding dissolution of 'the present system, of society based on private ownership, and pledging the workers-to prepare to carry on the,production during the period of collapse' entailed through tho transformationfrom a dictatorship to :i. co-operative commonwealth. Most of; the Labour members announced that they would speak from various platforms, but on learnings the terms of the. resolutions they withdrew from participation in I he demonstration, and hone appeared on the platforms. Owing to a. downpour of rain the resolutions were merely put. no speeches being made.

QUIET MAY DAY IN UNITED STATES.

WASHINGTON, May 1. May Day was celebrated quietly. • In Chicago the police arrested 300 Radicals as a precautionary measure, following on the State' Department's announcement that prominent officials' lives wre threatened. The Department of Justice ."lamis that the preventive measures, which were effective, : disclosed that large amounts from Russia and Amsterdam had been received by the Communist and Anarchist parties in the.--United States. - A United States coastguard cutter has been despatched to Alaska, to take measures against the activities of aue.n [ agitators.

A TOWN HOLIDAY LN ITALY.

ROME, May 1

May Day in Italy was celebrated by a twenty-four hours railway strike. There was ah abstention from work u« most towns, shops being, .shut, and factories closed.

i THE STRIKE DISCUSSED

Received 11 p m , May 2 PARIS, Ma-, L Fiench dockeiv, and slup<i' cr Q ws derided to stiiko in ■Ainpathv with the lailwajmen Jlic ccneial impiossion is llniu live M:iike will be, a faihuo the Cotifpdciatioii ot Laboui suppoits it Lv .lecianug 1 general stiike, when the. position vould become senous Iliac is -1 pieH conflict of opinion amongst the. milwavmen, and thousand:: ~,e levelling fiom the union's .is a piotest against the extiemist<= 1 Ihe Goneial Fedeiation of Labnu ■mppoi ts the Fi ench 1 a riw avmen i dc cision to 'tnke far the natioinliSition of tianspoit and is consideiing steps to a«i«.fc the 1 ailw ivmcn It appeals to tlie -ohdanU nrd dv='ipline of M woikMS F.ench iic**papeis almost unnmmQush condemn t>e strike, and considti tJiat 1+ is doomed to failuie