The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-18


They claimed that 100000 men had quit
work.
James H. Fry Thomas, labor mem
] Der of parliament for Derby, and as
sistant secretary of the Amalgamated
Society of Railway Servants, issued a
statement in which he asserted that
the strikers had almost paralyzed the
whole railway system of the United
Kingdom.
Strikers Are Firm.
The government proposal for royal
| commission was considered by Joint
committee of the railway societies
during the forenoon, but the men did
not change or alter their position that
managers must deal directly with
them in the slightest degree. The
! Great Western railway and the Great
Central railway appeared to be the
most seriously affected. The officials
of the former line candidly confessed
their inability to afford the usual SER
vice but claimed that the modified
schedule which was drawn uD when
the strike threatened, was working
smoothly Troops were in control of
: their London station at Paddington
while the police and troops guarded
the signal boxes and locomotive car
works. The Great Western has four
principal routes covering in a general
way the territory from Dover and
London to Liverpool and connecting
the ocean ports with London, South
Wales, the Midlands and the west of
England. It possesses the largest mile
age of any railway in the United King
dom, the company owning 2,572 miles
Of road and partly owning 244 miles
more.
Only one train came in over the
Great Central railway this morning
This road operates S36 miles. its
branches reaching out to Liverpool
and Manchester. The other lines were
getting their trains in and out of the
those 70
coast were selling return tickets and
continued some of their excursion
trains, though they abandoned a part
OF the suburban service in order to
maintain that on the longer lines
Many roads succeeded during the
night in clearing their lines of perish
able freight by keeping their freight
trains running at passenger speed
In the Provinces.
The conditions in the provinces
were somewhat more serious than in
and about London. Early in the day
word came from Birmingham that
West England was completely cut off
Passenger trains on the Midland rail
way in other directions were running
as usual. but freight traffic on some
branches had been stopped. There
was some disorder at Bir7ningham. At
Manch ester business was at a stand
still as the teamsters Wers still out
today, while at Liverpool the chaos
was complete With the exception of a
Few incoming trains. all OF which were
late, the train service at LiverpoOI
was practically suspended The three
passenger stations in that city were
bes1eged with passengers and the plat
forms were piled high with baggage
belonging to Americans who had gone
there with the hope of securing pas
sage to America on outgoing liners
Ihe companies were finally compelled
Throuout Wales where the unions /
are strong, there was almost a total
stoppage of traffic. No trains were able
to get through to Fishguard AS the
oay progressed more serious reports |
came IN. Strikers took possession of /
the railway line at Llanelly, a seaport |
OF Wales and succeeded in repulsing the /
police who attempted to drive them off |
At several out Of the way places in |
w 2les signal boxes were burned
Some 200 men employed on the Gale |
donla railway went out and efforts were
MADE to bring about a general strike /
in Scotland. The threat to call a gen
eral strike Of teamsters throughout the |
country IS thought likely not to be en-
forced, as the men appear satisfied |
with the settlement recently reached.
An Interesting incident was noted at /
EustUn station, where the police were /
seen escorting boxes containing strike |
pay from the station to the offices of |
the union.
Government Is Blamed.
The first of a series of meetings ar
ranged by the Amalgamated Society
OF Railway Servants was held outside
the EustOn railway station this after
noon and was addressed by Assistant
Thomas He blamed the
government for the strike and strong
~ appealed to all railroad men to Join
the great fight for emancipation The
speaker deprecated the rioting which
he said placed the strongest argument
in the hands of their enemy He
added:
''I am not going to boast without
knowing that what I am saying is So
Scotland is already cut off. Railroad
traffic in Wales is absolutely stopped.
tween Bristol and the Channel ports
and within another five hours the
W mole railway system of the United
kingdom will be stopped. The railway
unions ! are unanimous and they mean
TO night to a finish
For some time past the railway COM
panies have been preparing for diff
nult1es and engaging duplicate staffs
They claim already to have large
number of ''understudies'' in the place
OF strikers Living and sleeping ac-
commodations for these men have
been provided within all the stations
so that the chances of conflicts be-
tween the strikers and the workers
have been reduced to a minimum.
rms afternoon there have been no
at the chief railway depots
and the duties of the soldiers were
light
The lack of wagons to move coal
necessltated the closing down of
number of collieries. thus adding
thousands to the ranks of the idle
ones. Some of the provincial railway
staffs have been so reduced that clerks
are acting as fremen and guards
1n2nnGf0Tc a. DIV -
tives- In many instances caskets were
of necessity removed from the trains
and taken to their destinations in
Government Is Worried
London. Aug. $3.50 critical does the