THE LONDON STRIKE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18975, 28 March 1924, Page 5

THE LONDON STRIKE

THE THREATENED TUBE STRIKE GOVERNMENT PLACED IN A QUANDARY

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Copyright. Received March 27, 9.30 p.m. LONDON, March 27. The threatened strike by tube workers in sympathy with tram men has placed the Government in a quandary, especially as a tube strike may involve electricians. The general opinion is that the Government cannot allow all services to fail in the metropolis. It must at least assist the tube managers to maintain a skeleton service, as during the post-war railway strike. The Government has also a right to invoke the Emergency Powers Aclr to deal with the situation. The Act would allow the Government to take control of trams, buses and tubes. GOVERNMENT ACTION URGED Received March 27, 9.30 p.m. LONDON, March 27. Mr Bevin, interviewed by the Daily Herald, says: Mr MacDonald would receive public gratitude if he stepped in-co-ordinated the services and paid the men their demands. Mr Ben Smith and other Labour leaders enunciated the same view. LABOUR MINISTRY’S DIFFICULT POSITION DEBATE IN THE COMMONS. Received March 27, 9.30 p.m. LONDON, March 27. A Labour Ministry’s difficult position in an industrial dispute was shown in a debate in the House of Commons, which Mr Bridgeman initiated, wherein he urged that the man in the street was in the position of a football kicked by both sides. Mr Tom Shaw agreed that the public should be considered more. The searchlight of public opinion should be shed on disputes. The sooner both sides recognised that the country is greater than either the better. A total of 699,000 working days were lost in February through disputes. In the last three strikes if the employers’ offers had been made quickly instead of slowly, strikes would not have occurred. He appealed to the employers to speed up offers. The workers would quickly decide, in order to give conciliation or arbitration a chance before a dispute occurred. Mr Ben Tillett regretted public hardships consequent on the strike, but asked Commoners not to press the Government to take action. Mr Clynes, replying to the debate, warned critics that compulsion could not be easily enforced on the strikers. It might widen the struggle. These recurring difficulties were the ordinary symptoms of a disordered state. If the doctrine of outlawry was to be pushed to full length it must extend to profiteers and other exploiters. LOCK-OUT NOTICE POSTPONED Received March 28, 1 a.m. LONDON, March The shipbuilding employers agreed to withhold the announcement ot the date of the lock out until April 1 to enable the unions to induce the Southampton men to resume