New-York tribune., 1912-06-11
STRIKE OF 100000 MEN
THREATENED IN BRITAIN
All Transport Workers Asked to
Stop Work, Ship Owners Re-
jecting Any Compromise.
FEELING IS OPTIMISTIC
Hope General That Few Will
Respond to Leaders Mani
festo-Employers Refuse
to Recognize Unions.
fgv Cable 10 The Tribune. ]

London. June IA national strike oi
transport workers has been decided
nron. 900 1000 mea being affected by the
order to quit work. There is grave dam
ger oi a serious dsocation of shipping
throughout the country similar TO that
Of last year. but the leaders do not ex-
pect a general stoppage Immediately.
They are looking for an early response
from the Bristol Channel ports, the
Humber and the northeast coast. ana
they expect the Mersey, the Clyde the
English Channel and the Irish ports TO
fall into line as soon as the necessary
arrangements have been made locally.
In Liverpool the men are under agree
ment TO give notice of an intention TO
quit work in a body. The Scottish are
lukewarm and unlikely to be unanimous.
In any case there will be no enthusiastic
response as there was last year.
There is little prospect. too. of any eX-
tension OF the strike among railway men.
The more bellicose branches of the Anal
gamated Society of Railway Servants
passed resolutions OF sympathy last
srs and have threatened that they win
not handle traffic diverted from the port
The great mass OF railway men, however,
are not willing 10 go on strike until d
strike in every port in the United King
dom is certain.
The price of bread has been raised one
hslfpenny four-pound loaf in London
owing TO the strike
London. June 1O-Threc hundred
Thousand transport workers IN this ISL
and will give up their jobs and all for
eien and cosstwise shipping will he tied
up indefinitely If the union men obey
the orders OF the general council of the
Transport Workers Federation, which
tonight sent kilograms to every port
In England, Scotland and Wales, calling
for national strike.
The ship owners to-day decided TO re-
Sect q compromise. the terms of which
the government has been attempting 10
arrange. The principal points of the
governments proposals We're a general
organization Of the employers TO treat
with the unions and money guarantees
by both sides as insurance against Nio-
latiens OF agreements.
The employers maintain that their IN
terests are so diverse that any organi-
zation embracing all would be impos-
s:ble; they consider the Cabinets pro-
posals, particularly the financial feat
'ure, impracticable, and set their races
strongly against giving labor monopoiy
TO the unions.
When the Federation Council learned
of the employers decision II sent tele-
grams broadcast, signed by Rob A Will
'iarns, secretary, and Harry Goslins
chairman. reading: The employers
.pointblank refuse to accept the proposals
Tor a settlement The national executive
recommend a general stoppage at once
The country has not been thrown into
panic by the calamity which threatens
because there is general hope that COM
.parativeIy few of the men will respond
TO the leaders manifesto Notes Ct dis
affection are reported in several cities.
The Cabinet Ministers this afternoon
receive. a committee of the employees
headed By the Duke OF Devcnshire. who
presented resolutions adopted by the
London shipowners dock labor commit
ties. The resolutions set forth that the
shipowners were prepared scyerally 10
mako agreements with the mon, cover
ing pay, hours of work and other points,
with cash penalties Ior breaches by
either side, and arbitration, with power
20 award damages--the agreements to
inelud- absolute freedom Oil the part Of
the en- .1loyers 10 use union or non-union
labor, worfing separately or together.
and the return of the strikers 10 work
10 precede any negotiations. The reso-
Iutions ended with the statement that
The government proposals were I'm
practicable and therefore unacceptable.
Later the Cabinet received the mems
leaders and informed them o. tho result
of the conference The Port of London
authority. which is q larg: cmployer,
also rejected the proposals on the ground
that the government had 10 right TO
discriminate between union aud non
union labor.