Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-12-01
General Strike Threatening in the
South Wales Mining Area-7oiier
Makers Still Ballotting.
a WORD ON the END or
THE FRENCH STRIKE
Important International Convention Of
MetaIworkers' Unions - liverpool
Carriers and eoods-D Delivery Men
Threaten to Strike Against
Excessive Hours.
(From a correspondent.)

(From Corfespo ndent.)
London, November 81. Trouble has
been acute in British coal mining now
for many months, despite the success
Jul Inauguration Of the eight hours
day and, perhaps, in some cases, be-
cause of it. Above all, however. the
Welsh coal miner is a staunch union
list and he cannot stomach working
with non-unionist. A growing sec
ton of Welsh miners are disinclined
to put up with the accumulation of
grievances any longer, and desire,
above all things, a prompt general
strike over the whole. field. This
strike would affect 100000 miners and
would have the support, of course, of
1.-THE Miners Federation of Great Bri-
tain, of which the South Wales
Miners Federation is an integral
lpart.
At the time of writing 10000 Welsh
miners are idle owing to small sec
Itional strikes covering from 500 to
1000 men. To show how the sectional
strikes occur / might explain one
which broke out on November LIST, on
one group Of mines. Here 1900 men
refused to go down the pits because
they found there were 231 non-union-
lists working there.
Along with the non-unionist trouble
is the ''defaukers' trouble who are
members of the unions who have not
| paid up their dues. Eight thousand
Merthyr miners are striking mainly
because they see no other way of.
forcing the defaulters to pay up. The
men who are on strike and who desire
to proceed to more extreme measures
to force the settlement of pressing
troubles are followers mainly of GER
tain miners agents who are opposed
! to the old patriarchal rule of w.
Abraham Labor member of Parlia-
ment), the president and Thomas
Richards (Labor member Of Parlia-
ment), general secretary of the South
Wales Minesr Federation.
f C. B. Stanton, he most picturesque
figure of the insurgent group OF
miners leaders, lis aatall, hig-chested
man with dark curly hair upon which
he sets jauntily an American broad
brimmed hat. Born in the mining
valley of Aberdare, he is carrying all
before him in his own district and
opening a big campaign against the
great group of colleries owned by the
Powell uffryn company. Station,
with his fellow insurgent leaders and
followers, are the men who want the
general strike. The old leaders, head
led by Abraham (familiarly known in
South Wales by the Cymric title OF
..Mabon'') have issued an appeal to
1.-THE miners not to generally strike,
urging them not to be parties to an
attempt to redress grievances by this
Irregular method sof bringing about q
general stoppage Of the collieries
which under any conditions, says the
appeal, can only be successful after
proper organization. Members are re-
minded that they recently declared in
a ballot vote of an Overwhelming ma
jority against a general strike.
Rioting is not usually associated
with the English strikes, but several
Outbreaks have taken place in South
Wales directed against imported black
LEGS. In one district the mining en-
]ginemen who belong to separate I'M
ion, have resolved that If the miners
demands are not granted they will
also strike. Should they do so,
pumps will be stopped and mines,
flooded.
A curious sideline of the already
struck area is that the colliery own
Iers are giving $500 week during the
strike to the local education authori-
ties for the purpose Of feeding the
miners children.
The boiler makers, or more correct
lIy, the iron and steel shipbuilders, are
Istill locked out and another ballot is
ito be taken Of the union branches to
Isee whether the members can be in
lduced to accept the terms practically
ARRANGED between the union officials
land the EMPLOYERS. 1t may be recalled