Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-03-26
M AGREEMENT
IS REACHED.
British Government Refuses to
Accept Minimum Figures
Demanded
SITUATION IS HOPELE ESS
Great Suffering Throughout Coun-
try-Insistent Appeals for Help
People Sheltered in Churches.

London March 2G.-FOlloWing an,
other futn. conference between the
union com, ,ittce and the representa-
tives Of the mine operators, one of thu
leading owners indicated that there
was no hope of settlement.
"We've chucked it," he said, as he
left the conference in digest. Other
members of the conference expressed
hopeless sentiment. The rock on which
they split was the five shilling mini
mum for men and two shillings for
boys which the owners insist under
no circumstances will he conceded.
The hopclessness Of the situation
was further emphasized in the House
Of Commons few minutes later
when Premier Asquith announced that
the government would not accept the
minimum figures demanded by the
miners and insert them in the bill
Great pressure had been brought to
bear to have the government make
this concession, and the final refusal
by the premier was accepted by every
body as meaning there will be no COM
promise, and that the fight between
the miners and their employers will
be continued TO the bitter end.
London, March 2G.--So insistent
are the appeals for help from the dis
lricts affected by the coal strike, and
the shutting down Of thousands of in
dustries that the question Of govern
mental aid is being considered by
parliament.
In many places the churches and
public buildings have been thrown OPP
Ell to families who are utterly des-
titute and have pawned even their
outer clothing to keep alive. The
funds Of the charitable organizations
are running very low and in many
eases relief is being denied ablc-bodi-
cd persons so that supplies can be re-
served for the women and children.
Bread riots are feared in many locali-
ties and the authorities have taken
unusual and strict precautions to pre-
VENT them.
London, March 2G.---Gloom pre-
yadcs the country today, it having
come home to all classes that there is
no chance at present of Il settlement
Of the coal strike. II has become i
contest of endurance with both sides
claiming the other must give in.
On the twcnty-sixth day Of the
strike the nation faced the most serl-
Gus situation in years. Soup kltch-
ems in all the affected districts were
overcrowded all day, and various par
ish poor relief organizations were
swamped with appeals for aid. The
suffering is particularly intense am
ong the women and children of the
strikers and other workers who have
been thrown out Of work hy the Goa
shortake.
In Sheffield. many children have
been virtually without food for i wccF
Many families are reported on the
verge of starvation in many Other
places. In Wales where the soup kit
chens are able to provide only meag
er supply of food to the sufferers
the authorities arc attempting to re
lieve conditions by establishing labol
wards where men may earn a small
wage. In Glasgow 10000 men ar
idle in addition to the miners who arr
on strike.
Swansea, Wales, March 26.-Be
cause of the shutting down of ths
copper smelters and tin plate mills
and the stagnation of all labor traf
fic due to the scarcity of coal, serl
GUS situation has arisen. The mum
cipal soup kitchens are over whelme'
with applications for. food and ther
is very little money available to keel
them supplied. Many families hav
been reduced to such extremes tina
they have been compelled to paw
their children's clothing and the littl
ones are unable to venture on tn
! .+roo+c b,,,;pr nnthinp left to cove
their nakedness.
There is no hope for improvement
of conditions until the strike is settle
and the death rate has increased al
armingly because of the inability o
most of the workers to get prope
food for their babies or their i'll de
pendents.
Manchester, Eng, March 2o.-Hur
dreds of homes in this city and in tn