Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-03-21
MANY PEOPLE eEsiEoE MAYORS
OF CITIES DEMANDING FOOD
SUPPLIES.
THREE MILLION IDLE
6EcAUsEsoF STRIKE
Quitting Of 1,oooooo Miners Involves
Other Millions in ldIeness-Fats Of
Minimum Wage Bill Prepared by
Government in Doubt-BaIfour Asks
for More Time.

London, March 21. The crisis which
has arisen over the minimum wages
bill introduced by Premier Asquith in
the house of commons to bring to an
end the deadlock in British trade
caused by the national coal strike con-
tinues. The idea appears to be gaining
ground that there will be considerable
delay in passing the measure. even II
it Is not thrown out entirely. and that
thus the strike will be prolonged.
The spread OF this opinion caused
CONSERVATION in the Industrial districts
of the kingdom. where the suffering al
ready is extreme. The total Of the men
out Of employment is increasing daily
and 1t is now estimated that besides
the million strikers nearly two million
other persons have been rendered idle.
"Hunser Marches" Probable.
The people Of many cities daily be-
siege the office of mayor, where reileI
is freely distributed. 1t is thought that
unless something is done quickly,
hunger marches such as that which
took place last night in the fishing
town of Grimsby. when 800 starving
men marched to the town hall ana
begged for relief, will become COM
mon sight all over the country.
In towns Of the kingdom people are
waiting the action Of the house OF COM
mons tonight There is no doubt that
the minimum wages bill will receive
second reading, for the coalition COM
posed of the liberals, the Irish party
and the labor party will unite in voting
for it.
Trouble will begin. however. when
the bill reaches the operators, at which
time members of the labor party Will
propose an amendment on the adoption
of which they insist.
aalfour Wants More Time. ~.
Arthur !. ~Baifour, the former leader
Of the opposition, who. for the moment
has again resumed his former position
as chief of the unionists, is expected to
ask the government to give more than
one day for the committee stage OF the
bill, which would delay the passage OF
the measure until next week.
There is another danger. The union
lists under the leadership Of Mr.. Balfour
have condemned the principle of the
minimum wage bill, and the house OF
lords possibly will take the same stand
and refuse to consent to its passage.
Liberals Not Agreed.
The liberal party is now swept by
storm of doubt. Some Of its members
wish the bill to be abandoned. Others
desire to accept the miners wage
schedule. and an even larger faction Of
the party Is willing to engraft on the
bill a clause establishing minimum or
s1.25 daily for all men employed under
ground and so cents for boys.
The government, however. 1t is un-
derstood, is bound by it's pledges to va
rious parties not to state the figures
of the minimum wage in the bill. II
the government accepts the amend
ment establishing fixed rate Of wages
and inserts the figure in the bill. the
owners, it is believed, will refuse to
open the pits.
Parliament is Msnaeed.
Liberal members Of parliament are
warning the labor members that
should the bill be defeated it will be
necessary for the government, which is
friendly to them, to resign and hand
over the management Of the country's g
affairs to the unionist party. which Is
not SO friendly.
A general election would, it is point
ed out, be impossible until the dispute
is settled and the government would
be carried on without a parliament.
While a ballot of the men would
doubtless show willingness to accept
the bill as 1t is and return to work
union leaders apparently are deter
mined to adhere to their decisions az
to the inclusion of the figure Of the
fixed minimum wage. N
At a meeting this morning the ex-
ecutive committee of the! miners feder-
alton conferred with the labor mann
bers Of parliament and framed the
amendment which they intend to move
when the minimum wage bill reaches
the committee stage in the house.
The members Of the cabinet under
the presidency Of Premier Asquith as
sembled early this morning. I'D
The railroads continue to curtail
their services and on some OF the
northern lines all the freight trains
have been cancelled.
on the stock exchange. markets op-
ened weak, home rails being quoted q
half per cent lower, while consois asso
showed a slight loss.
' House Discusses Situation.
The gravity of Great Britian's ma
tional peril arising from the labor war
which Arthur ]. Balfour the unionist
statesman, characterized as passing in
magnitude anything that this country
had heretofore experienced. was re-
flected in the tense atmosphere Of the
house Of commons this afternoon when
the minimum wage bill came up for .
second reading.
The house had not been 30 crowded
for years. Every gallery was packed.
Premier Asquith formally moved the
second reading Of the bill and then
yielded the floor to DIR. iBaifour, who
moved its rejection.
The country" said Mr. Balfour. has
never before becn faced with crisis
such - this. We are witaessing The