New-York tribune., 1909-03-28
UNIONS GRIP FRANCE
OTHER STRIKES FEAhED'
Ministry and Parliament Defed-A
Loss of 500, 100000.
rsveo,.i sy French cable to Tire Trioune1

--~,s., ~ French Gable to Tne Tribune
p,,ss March 2T-Fhe principle Of state owner
chin IN rhich the French government is YIN
-n;ttrd in being subjected TO severe and r"u0 20
,ect lessons of which the strike ot me Pos'ai'
telegraph and telephone employees was mercy
the milo beginning Of an apparently
-,i,,b,. srr,es. TIE trend Of events is leading
logically sno directly toward a regime OF COM
rn,snurd comruittees. ignoring parliament aiio
rexpcnsthie only TO the proietariat Scarcely
have ths postal branches Of the Civil Service re-
surned their work and already they are organ
tztnz another strike which II ii takes place WIN
be far mere serious than the one just enoeu' anu
threatens 90 bring into action all the other Ci'ii
.-,7l,v~. Together with the bakers, electricians
snS gii VINO fesl that they have grievance
The CIsnenoeau Cabinet has all along favored
che formation Of associations Of CIVIL Servants
for fh.ir r1utusl. social and economical welfare,
bot these unions have now usurpeo the 1unc'i
which belong to the executive branches OF the
rfn-e They coerce the government and pretend
N dictate their own terms. In every instance
r5ere the prssent government has abdlcated OF
declined 20 exert it's authority some new 1or1l OF
rival executive power has forthwith cropped up
Ia the shape of a league, or cornHittee OF con
ssse-atiou For example. q permanent strike
committee has been called into existence
This committee after the resumption OF Work
hy the strikers pacarded the walls OF Paris Win
-oY,oes thanking the public for its patience and
forseersnce. but at the same time declaring the
refusal of the employees TO obey or 10 recognize
I simynu their unpopular chief, whose i'm
mediate removal they demand They announce
that they cannot accept the decision or the gov
eminent 20 stop the pay OF the postal strikers
during the DAYS when they ceased work, protest
against the intended punishment Of those who
signed rebeIlious appeals, and insist that the
Eovernnent's pl1n Of rewarding the faithful en-
ployes who remained at their posts during the
ttrike must not he put into effect
NJ Clemenceau and n. Barthou. Minister OF
Public works, denounced these acts with be-
coming energy in the Chamber of Deputies last
evening and obtained a good working majority
Ct ninety-four votes. but the prestige Of the
Chamber Of Deputies has been seriously i'm
paired IN the last fortnight, and the public is at
last getting impatient
The permanent strike committees to-day snap
their fingers at parliament. declare openly that
they do not care what the decisions Of the Cham
Der may be and continue to dictate their terms
10 the government They say that they are fully
prepared to begin another strike, and announce
their determination TO fight to the bitter end.
Parisians are asking: shall we be receiving our
letters and kilograms in day two. or Is the
economic life Of the nation TO be suspended
anew"
The postal employees themselves do not know
what they viii do, because they have placed the
direction Of their conduct IN the hands Of leaders
who will pronounce without consulting them.
The executive power seems to be drifting and
fltering into the various trade unions and COM
1nittees, whose Organization and pretended func-
tions resemble the famous committees Of public
safety which played such an important part dur
ing the first French revolution. In any event.
these strike committees so far seem 10 have
been Influenced solely by selfish motives and are
absolutely impervious to patriotism ideals of
responsibility TO the nation and 70 the public for
the consequences of their acts. Already the
losses which France has sustained in direct con-
sequence of the recent postal strike are esti-
mated at S1O00G0Oe0 c / b