The Portland daily press., 1889-08-29
QUEER SCENES ON THE LONDON DOCKS
clerks and Stevedores at Work L oad-
Ing ocean Steamers.
The Strikers Begin to Show Fight
A Conference Falls.
Over One Hundred People Reported
Buried Alive In Russia.

LONDON, August 2S.-At meeting of the
striking dockmen this morning, John Burns,
the Socialist leader, said he had heard that
1000 Belgians would be imported unless the
strike was ended. He at once telegraphed
to the Belgian Workingmen's Union and
blocked that move of the employers. The
strikers have reached the number of 10000.
The leaders express determination to press
their claims and march through the streets
until the demands of the dockmen shall have
been granted. There is less intimidation,
and affairs have generally quieted down. In
the vicinity of the st. Pancreas depot, how
ever, there is still some excitement. Many
coal beavers are resuming work at an ad
vance in wages, which course is violently
opposed by the strikers, who urge that no
work should be resumed until the advance
demanded is conceded TO ALL A mob of
sands, attacked coal vans leaving the yards
under police escort this morning. They
undid the chains and traces, compelling the
drivers to return. In short while 6000
strikers had arrived on the scene and started
for the Coal Exchange. The streets, wharves
unusually free from noise, owing to the abb
sence of the railway vans and the carriers
carts Street traffic is almost entirely con-
| fined to omnibuses and cabs. Public senti-
ment is growing in favor. OF the abolition OF
the private dock companies, and the placing
of the docks under municipal control. The
price of provisions Is rising, and Liverpool
consignees are suffering, owing to the ina
bility to discharge ships freighted with per-
ishable cargOes.
dock companies to yield, declaring that they
are driving trade to other ports. Some of
the car men have resumed work. The men
at Hirsch's Copenhagen ore mills, and at
johnson Brothers white lead mills have
struck. A delegation of wharfngers and
directors of the Dock Company today. The
latter discountenanced the disposition
evinced by the wharfngers to agree to the
mems demands, thereby forcing the hands OF
was imminent. Delegates. from the coal
beavers visited the Coal Exchadge this after
noon and admitted that they had no griev-
ances of their own, but had struck on princi-
pie, and would not resume work until the
demands of the dockmen had been granted:
The merchants pointed out the injustice of
this position, but to no effect.
Various ports in the metropolitan district
are crowded with vessels bound for London,
detained pending the settlement OF the strike
A monster procession left the West India
docks this afternoon, and was swelled, as it
carriers and cutters. A Millwall steamer.
loaded by stewards and clerks from the office
of the consignee, sailed today for New Zea-
land. Other shipping houses are taking
similar action. The clerks are disposed to
object, and are considering the question of
striking. Several ships, laden with sugar,
lying in the Thames, are unable to unload.
Ali the sugar cargoes at Greenock were
bought today in 10 minutes. at an advance of
sixpence on previous prices, and sent by
train to London.
The officials of the dock companies, at to-
days conference, offered to concede all the
demands of the strikers except that fixing
the rate of compensation at sixpence an hour
The delegates Of the dockmen insisted upon
sixpence as the rate of wages, and the con-
ference was suspended without definite
settlement having been arrived at.