MILITANT LABOUR.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 22 September 1913, Page 5

MILITANT LABOUR.

ADVICE FROM MR P. SNOWDEN. THE OLD POLICY AND THE NEW. (Received Last Night, 5.5 o'clock.) LONDON, Sept. 20. Mr Phil Snowdeii, the Labour leader, in a letter to the Morning Post, says it is unfortunate for Labour that the Trades Unions of the world are following the will of revolutionary appeals by such men as Larkin and Ben TilleTt, though there are signs that practical experience is sobering the home workmen. Labour has secured a small, but substantial gain from the disputes during the last two years. "When the men win any particular demand," says Mr Snowden, "every workman knows that the employers indirectly take it out of the workmen." The irresponsible section of The Trade Unions, he says, exercise an influence altogether beyond their numbers. The leadens of the unions have been led more often than they have led. The new policy of militancy will certainly ruin trade unionism, if it is not subdued. The old policy built up strong reserves, and refrained from exasperatng the public and the employers. It therefore secured the public sympathy. The new policy was to enter upon a strike without any •effort to secure a settlement, to exasperate the employers by every means, and to indulge in wild, sanguinary language. :Mr Snowden concludes by advocating State arbitration and Trades Boards. State arbitration would, he says, make Trades Unionism istrong and universal, as it had done in the colonies.

AT THE PORT OF MANCHESTER. BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY MEN INDIGNANT. ' (Received Sept. 20, 10.20 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 19. The trade of the port of Manchester is paralysed. Five thousand persons are idle. Efforts to arrange a conference proved abortive. The Birmingham men are increasingly indignant. They allege that the local leaders deliberately concealed from the executive of the union that they were repudiating the strike. Two hundred and eighty have resumd work. Two hundred of the Midland Company's railway men at Derby have struck in sympathy with those at Liverpool and Birmingham. Three railway men at Crewe have been suspended for refusing to handle Dublin goods, and five hundred have struck in sympathy, causing a complete stoppage.

"WEAKNESS AND PROCRASTINATION." CONDEMNATION BY STRIKE COMMITTEE. (Received Sept. 20, 10.20 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 19. The Birmingham Strike Committee condemns the National Union of Railway Men's weakness and procrastination. The strike will continue until a policy regarding blackleg traffic has been defined. At the request of the Chamber of Commerce, the Birmingham authorities have offered police protection to traders wishing to bring goods from the railway depots. UNIONS RECOGNISED.

STRIKE PROBABLE. (Received Last Night, 5.5 o'clock.) LONDON, Sept. 30. The Steam Car and British Aiitamobile Company, which employs many motor 'buses in Sheffield, has agreed to recognise the union's representations. The men declare that they will not agree to anything Sir 11. Askwitli may suggest, unless the unions' are recognised. This view* of the situation is meeting with general .support, and if it fails the strike will begin on Monday night, and with the support of the tubemen. Since the beginning of the dispute, 5000 non-unionists have joined the union. RAILWAY STRIKE. PROSPECTS OF SETTLEMENT. (Received Last Night, 5.5 o'clook.) LONDON, Sept. 30. Prospects of a settlment being arrived at in the railway dispute are more hopeful. All the companies concerned have offered to reinstate strikers who are willing to handle traffic, which the railways are bound by law to accept. The repudiation at Birmingham of the Committee of the National Union's decision, has caused chaos there. The local leaders encourage the continuation of the strike. Seven hundred railwaymen at Sheffield have struck. WORK TO BE RESUMED. (Received this morning 12.20 o'clock.) LONDON, Sept. 21. The Liverpool railwaymen have unanimously resolved to resume work to-morrow. The Union of Railwaymen recomi mends all members to resume.