LABOUR WAR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10232, 15 August 1911, Page 3

LABOUR WAR.

30,000 Dockers Locked Out A Midnight Affray. Anarchy and Rioting in Liverpool. Widespread Effects of Crisis. Tho industrial position in the Old Country is more serious than ever. Although a settlement was supposed to have been reached in London work has not been i esumed. and business is at a standstill in the metropolis. There have been grave disorders at Liverpool, where a serious riot occurred at midnight on Sunday. Scores of minor strikes are reported. Railway men, tramway employees, carters, and all classos of workers are striking, with the object of obtaining higher wages and better conditions.

United Press Association—By Eleotrlo Telesrrspk—Copyright. (Received August 15, 8.20 a.m.) LONDON, August 14. The transport crisis is virtually at an end so far as London is concerned. Last week the shipowners threatened that if the strikers did not resume work the whole of the dockers would be locked out. In pursuance of that threat a lockout was declared at Liverpool this morning. In all 30,000 dockers are affected. A FIERCE RIOT. NINETY OFFENDERS ARRESTED. Ther-e wa-s a tierce affray at Liverpool about midnight last night. Crowds of Unionists and others were parading the streets in the north end of the city and they came into sharp conflict with the police. The mob extinguished all til© gas lamps to start with. When the fight developed, the rioters tore down a wall for weapons and missiles. The police were unable to cope with tho disturbance, and the assistance of the military was invoked. Revolver shots were fired and tho street was cleared. Many persons wera injured. Ninety arrests were made. The mob broke into four hotels and looted the provision shops. STRIKE LEADERS' ATTITUDE. WORKED BRAVELY TO KEEP PEACE. THEY BLAME POLICE. The strike leaders, from the very first outbreak, bravely risked personal injury from both sides in their efforts to calm tho crowd. They blame the police for precipitating the riot, DOCTORS KEPT BUSY. Doctors were kept busy for a couple of hours bandaging and stitching the injured. The sufferers were taken to St George's Hall, which was converted into a temporary hospital. _ ' One fireman was scalped by a flying brick. An officer of tho Warwickshire Regiment was injured.

less their wages are advanced, with the concession of an eight-hours day. SMITHFIELD POSITION NORMAL. The situation at Smithfield is normal. THE BUTTER BUSINESS. The butter business has nc-t been resumed. WHARF LABOURERS STILL " OUT." The wharf labourers are still out. STRIKE OF WOMEN TEAPACIvERS. Many women tea-packers have struck in London. BETTER PAY DEMANDED. Factory women at Bermondsey have held meetings to demand improved Pay " TOM MANN ACTIVE. Tom Mann is daily delivering speeches at Liverpool. THE SWANSEA RAILWAY MEN. STRIKE UNDER CONSIDERATION. The Swansea railway men are agitating for nn eight-hours day, with 30s per week as a minimum. They have summoned a meeting to consider the date on which to strike. GRIMSBY LIGHTERMEN JOIN STRIKE. ALL TRAWLERS IDLE. (Received August 15, 10.40 a.m.) The coal lightermen at Grimsby have struck for twopence per hour increase of wages. All the trawlers have been rendered idle. TELEPHONISTS AGITATING. The General Post Office night telephonists are agitating for better conditions. POSITION AT LIVERPOOL AND

BIRKENHEAD. FURTHER RIOTS OCCURRING. There have been further riots at Liverpool and Birkenhead. REFERENCES IN PARLIAMENT. STATEMENT BY THE HOME SECRETARY. LONDON'S FOOD SUPPLIES. ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE POLICE. Mr Winston Churchill, in the House of Commons, said that if necessary al! 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. Attacks were still being made on warehouses, factories and private houses, and the police were being assaulted in the performance of their ordinary duties, and consequently the Government was of opinion that the police were entitled to effective military aid. Further troops had therefore been ordered, making a total brigade of infantry and two of cavalry. Mr Churchill added, in reply to Mr ,T. Ramsay Macdonald, that nothing would be done to weaken the action of the police, and there would be no inquiry into allegations until complete order had. been restored. RAILWAY COMPANIES' DECISION. WILL RESIST STRIKERS' DEMANDS. A]l the leading railway companies have decided to resist the strikers' demands, and to insist on the rentimption of work and an appeal to' tho Conciliation Board.

THE RAILWAY MEN OUT. COTTON MILLS CLOSED DOWN. About 15,000 men are idle on the North-eastern and Lancashire and Yorkshire Railways. Bales of cotton are lying on the quays and in the railway goods yards. Several Lancashire niilhs have been closed. The trade in frozen meat is impeded.

AN EPIDEMIC OF STRIKES. There is an epidemic of minor industrial strikes.

RAILWAY MEN'S PROTEST. (Received August 15, 9.15 a.m.)

The London and North-Western railway men at Coventry have protested against the despatch of men from Coventry to fill the strikers' places at Liverpool. The chairman of the Coventry branch declared that the cause of the whole railway trouble was the Conciliation Board, which the men ought to smash. GLASGOW TRAMWAYS. Tlio tramway service at Glasgow has been partially resumed. NEWSPAPER COMMENT. The "Pall Mall Gazette" says thai; the workers generally interpreted Mr Lloyd George's denunciation of the governing classes in their own ignorant way. From Limehouse to Lime Street was an easy transition through several phases of covert encouragement and masterly inactivity in the protection of life and property. The " Westminster Ga&ette" says that the most serious feature is tho tendency of the men of all trades to break away from their official leaders. If the railway difficulty were merely a question of interpreting ' arbitrators' awards, tho remedy would be easy.

TO PREVENT INDUSTRIAL WARFARE. ANNOUNCEMENT B'tf MR LLOYD GEORGIi MR ASQUITH AND *{R BUXTON CONFERRING. Mr Lloyd George announced in the House of Commons that Mr Asquith and Mr Buxton were conferring on the whole question of the improvement of means available for preventing or shortening industrial warfare. DOCK CHARGES IN LONDON. SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE. News was received in Christchurch to-day that the dock authorities in London had decided to increase their charges by 7i per cent.

LONDON TORT AUTHORITY'S

EMPLOYEES

NO GENERAL RESUMPTION OF WORK. (Received August 15, 10 a.m.)

There lias been no general resumption of work in London owing to the Port Authority dismissing 400 permanent men for striking. The Authority has now promised to consider tho question of reinstatement as a condition of general resumption, but declines a request on behalf of the Surrey Commercial Docks porters to re-open the question for the payment of mealtime,

RAILWAY CARMEN. POSITION CRITICAL. The situation in connection with the railway carmen is critical. GOODS DRIVERS AND PORTERS IDLE. The, goods drivers and porters at Paddington are idle. LONDON TRAMWAY MEN. PROBABLE STRIKE ON WEDNESDAY. The London County Council's tramway men will strike on Wednesday un-