The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-09
Sad Scenes Among the Po)r
of London.
HALF A MILLION ARE IDLt
This is The Estimate on the United Kngdom---
ShjpbuiIders Federation Preparing for
Test Of Strength With the
Labor Unions.
(By the Associated Press.)

London, Dec. 6.-The grip is unusually
severe this winter and already has been
felt throughout England, with the re-
suit that all who can do so arc leaving.
Hundreds Of people arc on their way to
India to attend the Delhi Durbar, and
thousands are flocking to the south OF
France and the Channel Islands.
Christmas house parties are being or
ganized at all the big country places,
where the frost is rapidly spelling the
hunting and driving the guns" indoors
to less active recreations, such as bridge
whist and amateur theatrcals.
In East London, the winter is having
very different effect Thousands of I'M
employed persons daily congregate at the
dock yard gates, literally fighting for a
chance to do a days work. Unskilled la
borers are there in strong force and the
police find it necessary to protect the
forcmen who distribute the work tickets
each morning.
That portion of the fashionable world
which can afford Christmas gifts IS
watching the purchases of the members
of the Royal family in order to follow
suit. King Edwards gifts this year run
largely to pen and pencil holders, cigar
cite cases and delicate enamel work set
with a new variety of soft-tinted. semi
Transparent stones heretofore unknown
in the realm of jewelry. Queen AleXan-
dra is also partial to enamel work. This
year she is giving many photographs IN
artistic enamclcd frames, whereas the
late Queen Victoria usually favored silver
for the same purpose. Queen Alexandra S
welI-krown fondness for pearls, leads
her TO distribute many of them among
her intimate friends at the Christmas
season.
Ii is estimated that 100000 persons arc
idle in the United Kingdom, and the
Board of Trade returns show The largest
percentage for ten years past of unsldlled
nersons out of work, while the proper
ton of skilled men without employment
is constantly growing. The NoolWich
arsenal authorities have discharged TWO
thousand mechanics since the winter set
in, and are preparing to let out four
thousand more. To the army OF people
out of work must be added fifty-six thou
sand members of the army RESERVE who
have been released from service With the
colors. The worst Distress, naturally IS
visible in the East End. numper OF
the newspapers have started subscription
columns and daily print narrowing stories
of half-clad school children, many OF
whom are without any food except scahty
luncneons furnished by sympathetic
teachers. A number of the London sur
hurban councils are starting public works
in order to employ a small proportion OF
the idle persons.
Coincident with the general distress
and idleness the Shipbuilders' Federation
is quietly preparing for test Of strength
with the labor unions that may preclpl-
tate a general strike equal to the great
engineers strike OFF, few years ago. inc
shipbuilders, who have suffered Tor years
from the restriction of the output coun-
tcnanced by the unions, have decided that
it is necessary to introduce radical re-
forms in the way of labor-saVihg ma
chinorv. This means a reduction IN the
,,,ico of niccc-work on which almost ali
tho wards arc running.