Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-28
BELFAST IS CENTER
OF SERIOUS STRIKE
100000 Men and Women
Idle in United Kingdom
and Ireland.
SHOPS ARE ATTACKED

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, January est is esti-
mated that nearly 100000 men and
women are idle in the United Kingdom
and Ireland because of strikes in va
rious trades, creating one of the most
serious situations industrially that the
country has had to face in many years
Half of the strikers are in Belfast
where the strike movement is continu-
ing to spread.
The city of Belfast by night vir-
tua1ly is in total darkness. the hos
pitals being the only place where
lights can be shown without danger
of attacks by strikers. Everywhere
else the display of a light has caused
the premises. In cases where such
drastic action was not taken, the peo-
pie were forced by threats to screen
their lights. Even in the private
houses it is not considered safe to use
more than one candle and the supply
Of candles is rapidly diminishing.
Paper Suspends Publication.
Fortunately last night was snowy and
wet by turns, otherwise it is consid-
cred there might have been more trou-
Bile. This morning men in various OF
the smaller industrial plants who had
remained at work came out for safe
- ca Jcl o.
come more extensive.
One of the morning newspapers was
forced to suspend publication. The
shipyard workmen are opposed to the
strike and are endeayoring to arrange
a meeting for Wednesday.
There is no change in the situation
on the Clyde, where 10000 shipyard
workers are out, nor in London, where
5000 ship repairers are striking and
have refused an offer to refer the
question of wages to a committee.
To these must be added $4,000 Fife
shire miners, 5000 South Wales min
ers, 5000 Edinburgh shipwrights. 4.oot
Manchester lockers. 1000 South Wales
shipyard men and a number of Glas-
gov municipal workers.
Demand Shorter Hours.
Except in London. where the ques-
ton at stake. is one of wages, al
these strikes are due to a demand fol
shorter houra with the same rriyi.
leges and wages Rs prevailed wher
longer hours were worked.
There are ZOE 8<eaGs pe0nle involved IL
the strike at Belfast and twenty-si,
trades are affected, writes the Belfast
correspondent of the Mail
? Belfast Like Dead City.
1.-THE strike is the most serious ever
experienced in this city of strikes" the
correspondent writes. Belfast is like a
dead city. Its entire social life is
paralyzed, theaters and saloons are
closed, tramcars are not running. hak-
cries and laundries are closing and there
Only t-o small editions of morning
newspapers appeared yesterday.
.Telegraphic and telephone COM
munication with outside districts is seri-
ousIy Handicapped. After sunset Bel
fast becomes a city of candles. ReStau-
rants are closed and evening services
cannot be held by the churches Rail-
way stations are lighted with naphtha
lamps, but in their homes the people de-
pend upon candles. Should the candle
supply fail there will be a plague OF
darkness.
Grave Diggers Join Strike.
THE main cause of the trouble lies
in the fact that the workers in electric
and gas plants have Joined the ship
yard workers in demanding forty
hour week. Things are in such a
state of chaos that change must
come soon. Grave diggers Joined the
strike on. Monday"
Strikers Attack Shops.