The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-18
DESPERATE EFFORTS TO
 PREVENT ENORMOUS LABOR s WAR HANGS IN THE BALANCE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE n

fuse to accept the responsibility which the government has attempted to throw upon us, and respectfully but firmly ask lis majesty's government whether the res ooa- sibility of the railway companies to the nation is less than that of the other em- ployers of labor.
 With a full sense of the grave step we are taking, we feel satisfied that your duty to those who were present compels us to refuse the offer of his majestg's government and respectfully revert the de-
 cision of this body on last Tuesday" Enroll Special Constables The home office has instructed all the provincial authorities concerning the clos ing of taverns and the enrolment of ape cial constables. The government offers to contribute half of the amount necessary to pay these men. Arrangements have been made to open 50 depots in London for the swearing in of special constables if this should be found necessary. Reports from the provinces say there has been a wide cessation of work. es- pecially on the part of men handling freight traffic. The passenger service, however, is maintained with fair reg ularity, 1t Is stated. There are also re- ports from many places of minor dis turbances. Il is not yet known wheth- CT Scotland will be affected by the strike.
 The strike committee expresses sur prise at the large number of men re- ported to have gone out. Among them, they say, is considerable number of non -unionists.
 The committee which the labor mem- bers or parliament have resolved to support to the finish was in session until late tonight. Before adjournment 1t issued manifesto reviewing it's po- sition since the 1907 agreement with the railway 'comparies was entered in
 to and attempting to show that the companies have avoided the obligations they assumed by it. but brigandage for them to t,rn
 -"As the men throughout the Kingdom
 have shown the unchangeabie determi- :
 nation not to tolerate this state of
 affairs any longer the manifesto says
 in conclusion. we call upon all railwa,,
 men to strike a united blow for de-
 liverance from petty tyranny and also
 to help obtain higher wages, shorter
 hours and a more humane life for all. :,
 How tenacously the government Is
 clinging to hopes for settlement of the
 great labor dispute and is working to
 arrange one. was displayed by David
 Lloyd-George, chancellor of the ex-
 chequer, in a speech in the house of
 commons tonight. which quickly sent
 abroad the impression that the situation
 had taken strong turn for the bet
 ter and that fears of an immediate
 strike might vanish.
 Ramsay Mcdonald, the labor leader in the lower house, was prepared to move a vote of censure against the governn1en, for it's use of the military in strikes and because of it's general attitude in the pres- ent situation Feeling in the House ran high.
 MT. David Lloyd-George, however, nti- mated that the representatives of the union had failed to understand the gov ernment's offer to form a royal commits sion which should report what nmead- ments were needed to hne agreement of 1907 between the railroad managers and the men. He said it was not intended to form an ordinary royal commission, but one composed of three members one rep rcsenting the railways and one the men.