The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-12
GOVERNMENT SEVERELY
 CONDEMNED BY STRIKERS
Resistance to Employees VIII Be Stub born on the Part of the Govern ment, Which Has Been Pre-
 pairing for the Event.

Paris, May 1.-The federal committee of the postal employees tonight voted and issued an order for a general strike,
 Toward the close of the meeting of the federal committee the speakers became more and more excited in their denuncia- ton of the government. caricature of NJ. Clemenceau was carried into the hall amid hoots and jeers and the pre- mier was denounced in violent terms.
 You are fighting for the liberty of opinion and liberty of association" shout ed M. Patron. and you must not re- sume work until you have obtained the right to unite a syndicate"
 A permanent strike and branch com mittees were created and delegates were dispatched to the provinces to pursue an active propaganda to make the strike complete. The secret committee was abolished.
 Dispatches were received from many cities announcing the sympathy and sup port, not only of the postal employees, but the various trades unions. The mi ners' congress now in session at Lens also pledged aid
 The president of the committee declared that tomorrow not a letter must leave Paris.
 Plans of Strikers.
 Patron assured the meeting that with the aid of M Pataud, the electricians leader, a way could be found to upset the wireless system. The proceedings closed with the addition of a resolution condemning the disloyalty of the govern ment and binding all present to remain on strike until full satisfaction had been 1 given.
 The general opinion tonight is that the government with the aid of the soldiers l and the cooperation of the commercial bodies will be able to maintain crippled services. The main danger is that vio- lence may occur.
 The Paris chamber of commerce to- night sent out letter to all chambers Of commerce in France with full instruc- tions relative to a scheme for business letter service, which is 10 be carried out, in event of the railroads failing by means of automobiles The projects of the various departments already have ar ranged for these.
 The chamber of deputies. after a stormy session of four hours, adjourned the de- bate on the interpolation on the postal situation until May 13 The response of the postal employees was quick and deci- sive. Within half an hour the federal committee had issued order for a general strike, and the railway mail clerks walked out in body. An hour later meeting of 5000 postal employees at the Hippodrome took up the gage of battle and unanimously voted to strike. There was no great enthusiasm shown, but de- termination and resolution to force the hand of the government was appr snt.
 The government is playinl lor time: We must not be caught mapping" This was the spirit of the meeting expressed by Paurier a dismissed postman and one of the most active organizers of the movement.
 In debate in the chamber Deputies Sembat and Willm, socialists. defended the position of the strikers, affirming their right to organize themselves into syn dicate as the only way of redressing their grievances and charging the government with failure to keep it's promises at the conclusion of the previous strike, especial- ly with regard to the retirement of M simyan. under secretary of posts and tell egraphs.
 Crisis Is Grave.
 M. Deschanel considered the crisis very grave. He laid the responsibility for the present situation largely on parliament which, he said, was working in vicious circle and he considered that the only remedy would be the introduction of real civil service based on merit, to end favor itism and the spells system.
 M. Barthou, minister of public works, liC Oily SpohcShltilt ilSict- ed that neither he nor Premier Clemen- ceau had promised Secretary Simyan's dismissal. He produced the official jour nal as proof of what he said.
 The minister reaffirmed the govern ments unalterable opposition to conced- ing the right of state employees to form a syndicate. there was no analogy be- tween their case and that of ordinary workmen who are not protected against stoppage of work and are not guaranteed promotion and pensions in old age.
 If parliament asks us to reverse our at- titude," continued M Barthou, we will retire and leave to others the abdication which would be mortal blow to the im- preseriptable rights that parliament holds from the nation and to the essential. vital and permanent interests of the nation itself.