The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-03-30
TEE Big BRITISH STRIKE.
Over 100000 Stop Work in the
English Coal Fields.
Railroads and Factories Crippled
by Lack Of Fuel.

A dispatch from London. England, says:
The majority of the coal fields in Great
Britain are idle. The grand total of men at
play is about 100000 In Durham the men
to the number Of 80, 900 are on strike against
reduction of wages but in all the other dis
tricts the men have simply decided to takea
week, fortnight or even three weeks holi-
day in order to restrict the output Of coal.
The collieries Of Lancashire. Cheshire,
Yorkshire, North Wales and other districts
are idle. The miners Of Scotland, South
Wales and Northumberland are working
quietly.
thusiastic meetings and have resolved that
under no circumstances will they yield to
the proposed reduction.
This movement on the part Of the miners
has caused the greatest disturbance in the
British labor world. and in the manufactur-
ing centers, that has been known since the
American Civil War when so many hun.
dreds of thousands Of the cotton operatives
of Lancashire would have starved but for
boundless charity.
The Miners Federation has led in the
strike movement. It claims the exclusive
honor of having forced the miners WAGES
forty per cent. above the rates OF 1883. The
advance was wruug from the masters In
successive driblets of ten per cents. and five
per cents. The last installment of the forty
per cent.-that is to say, the concession OF
fifteen per cent.-made little more that
wear ago was given in three sub-install.
ments.
The miners outside Of the Durham district
s,y that the present movemsnt is not against
the reduction Of wages, but to prevent the
reduction Of wages at any time in the fu-
ture. They are afraid from the way that
the owners Of collieries have been outbid-
ding each other for the custom, especially
of large corporations, q general reduction
cannot be far off, and they have adopted
this method Of raising prices
The latest cablegram in regard to the
strike, received just before this side OF the
paper went to press stated: Fllntshlre, IN
order of the Miners Federation to leave of
work has not been 6beyed by the members
of the association. The latest estimates OF
the number Of miners who are now idle place
the figure at $4,000. Owing to the closing
down of other industries because Of the strike
fully 100000 men in other employments
have been thrown out OF work.
The full effect Of the strike will not be felt
Immediately. In many cases manufacturers
who have large coal stocks Will endeaVor 10
tide over q weeks stoppage, but If the strike
exceeds week in duration their supply Will
soon be exhausted. and they will be com.
pelled to shut dow. Fifteen thousand coal
nliners are idle in North Staffordshire. Un-
less they resume wors in few days the pot
teries will be compelled to close down, throw
ing SO, 900 men out OF work.
The miners who have stoppe1 work ara
observing the '.strike" purely as holiday.
Large numbers Of them are taking advan-
taes of their idleness to leave the districts
In which they work, and to visit friends
elsewhere. There is no excitement what
ever.
The Northeastern Railway will withdraw
1870 passenger trains from its lines because
Of lack Of fuel, and will reduce work In its
workshops to four days week.
The Lonion gas companies report that they
have coal enough to last month. The
Shipping Federation is preparing to meet
the London coal porters refusal to unload
foreign coal. Agents Of coal firms are
negotiating in France for supplies
from Pas-de-Calais companies. Cargoes
of coal are being shipped from Ant.
werp. The dock laborers in London and
/ Antwerp are not allowed to know whence
the coal came or whittier it is going. In the
Leeds district the strike Is severely felt.
Nearly all the large mills and the iron nd
steel works are reducing the number OF their
employees, or suspending WORK altoSeth er.