COLOSSAL STRIKE

Te Puke Times, 25 July 1919, Page 2

COLOSSAL STRIKE

«—.— 200,000 MINERS LEAVE WORK COLLIERIES LEFT TO BE FLOODED London, July 23. Two hundred thousand miners in Yorkshire are on strike, J'l he strike include 50,000 pumpers, who left the mines to be flooded and ruined, contrary to the invariable practice hitherto of keeping maintenance parties at work. London, July 22. Thousands have been rendered idle at Sheffield. Owing to the shortage of coal several works have been closed. The miners at North Notts and Burnley . struck as a protest against the 6s rise, which they assert is unjustified. London, July 23. The Government explains it is not attempting to use service men as strike breakers. It took the drastic step of sending 5,000 naval stokers to assist in pumping at the mines with a view of avoiding irreparable damage and preserving the miners' livelihood. The real danger no n lies in the miners misconstruing the Government object. The strike is of colossal proportions. There are 200,000 strikers in South Yorkshire, 45,000 in Derbyshire, 10,000 in Monmouthshire. 8,000 in Mant-field, 4,000 in Burnley, ami 3,000 n, Suuih Staffordshire Two ioundries in Leeds have been closed and many of the largest works have reduced acti vines in anticipation of a shortage of coal, & America has contracted to deliver France 100.000 urns of coal, and idiiuiiS are afoot to deliver a i'urthvr 500,000 tons. Hitherto South Wales supplied France's requirements, but America alone is able to guarantee delivery.