The Brunswick news., 1912-03-24
FAMINE FACES
MANY MINERS If
STRIKE EKEEPSUP
If MEN REMAIN OUT VERY MUCH
LONGER SITUATION WILL
BE SERIOUS.
Over Three Millions of Men are Idle
and Many Industries are Discharg-
ing Men Daily for Want Of Fuel.
All England oVershadowed by Strike

London, March 29.-England is
spending one of the gloomiest week
ends in her history. In every town
and village throughout the country
where skilled workmen are usually
engaged in the great industries un-
employment is on the increase, and
The families of the workers who have
peen rendered idle by the strike of
the million coal miners who quit work
on March l are in many cases facing
starvation.
only the utmost efforts of charit-
able societies and private individuals
are BILE to relieve some of the dis
tress, an idea Of which may be gath
cred from the figures of the unem-
ploy9d alone, WHICH, beside the min
ers, reach almost 100000.
Residents of the cities who usually
spend the Saturday afternoon and
Sunday il tic country are unable to-
day to leave town, as the railways,
pleading g shortage of coal, have
cancel ed trains by the hundreds. Some
OF the bigSesG lines, the Great Eas-
tern, for example, will run only five
trains during the whole of tomorrow,
and it is only doing this because it
is unu sr CCr rtract to carry the mails.
The railroad companies have decided
also not to TN special trains for the
open ng vi the racing season next
week, and It is now doubtful whether
they will even be able to run holiday
special trains on Easter.
All this means further reductions
in the working stats of the railways,
which have laid off $4,000 skilled men
already, every one of whom is draw
ing out-of-work benefits from T..
railway mems trades unions.
y The same thing applies in oe.or
industries affected by the lack of coal,
which now include practically every
trade in the country.
The cotton mills at Nelson, Bolton
and other centers in Lancashire are
closing down rapidly, while most of
the factories in Leeds have either
stopped entirely or are running on
half time. Foundries everywhere nave
drawn their fires and this week END
large number of factories and
workshops in the southern counties
of England, which heretofore have
not been affected, have paid off their
men. The cement works on the Mid
way Joined the long list today and
will Lot resume until supplies of coal
are assured.
The navy, too, is beginning to feel
the effects of the strike. Winston
Spencer Churchill, first lord of the
admiralty, in answer to a question in
the house of commons, announced the
strike unquestionably would retard
the Lrcgress of the work on the new
ships building for the navy and on
the naval basis under construction.
The steam trawlers at Hull, like
those of Grimsby and other fishing
ports, remain in harbor and the skip
pers are disturbing their stores
among the hungry women and chill
dren whose husbands and fathers are
no 'onger able to provide them with
food.
All throughout the country well-to-
do women are taking charge of relief
work. In Northern Nottinghamshire
the Duchess of Portland has under
taken the work of the districts where
the duke is the principal owner of
the mineral rights. She motors, ac
companied by her daughter, from cot
tage to cottage, leaving supplies for
the impoverished families.
In Hanley, one of the most prosper
Gus towns of the country, four thou
sand families, representing one-third
of the population, are receiving as
sistance from public funds.
All this unemployment means a
tremendous drain on the funds of the
trades unions. Thus far, the miners
alone have received $2,O00,0O0 in the
strike pay, and today it is estimated
that 100000 was paid out as out-of-
work benefit by other unions. The
secretary of one of the largest unions
said today that the treasures would
be drained to the last penny before
the trouble was over, a condition Of
affairs which is causing much resent
ment among the leaders Of the miners,
who are accused Of stubbornness.
A great difference of opinion pre-
walls as to the prospects of Mondays