The sun., 1919-10-06
MINIMUM WAGE SET
BY BRITISH PREMIER


same spirit they would then enter upon
a new era OF Industrial peace and pros
perity.
Motor Transport Saved London.
The people of Great Britain. particu-
larly those of London. long will remem-
ber the last ten days as the most re-
markable experience. apart from the
war, In their day. Nothing except the
air raids has ever so disorganized the
FORMAL life OF the country.
The most striking change to the eye
was that the population and the traffic
Of London seemed suddenly. to have
doubled, owing to the fact that almost
all travel and freight traffic, which are
usually borne by railways. were thrown
into the streets. Toward the end OF the
week, when the Government had mobil-
lied its picturesque collection of many
thousand modern and ancient vehicles, a
frequent sight in the metropolis was
that Of a traction engine dragging a
train of assorted drays and wagons
through the streets.
The army motors undoubtedly saved
the city from uncomfortably short ra-
TONS The way In which the city was
reorganized to meet the new conditions
surprised every one. Banks and busi-
ness houses extemporized barracks on
the premises, where hundreds OF em-
ployees were lodged and fed. The two
largest parks of London were covered
with tents, and with .searchlights play
ing the nights looked like those OF war
time.
The Observer seriously proposes that
a civil militia, composed of non-union
civilians outside the ranks of labor,
should be organized and drilled to operate
vital services like the railways, keeping
in constant training. The journal con-
siders that the lesson just experienced,
showing what a strike by any force of
necessary workers can accomplish.
makes such precautions as necessary for
peace time as an army or navy for war.
virtually without violence.
The most important feature OF the
strike was that 1t passed without riot
ing or loss Of life. except for the in
creased number of street accidents.
which keSt the ambulances busy. There
were two or three unsuccessful attempts
to wreck trains by displaoing signals
or by greasing the tracks and few
police court cases resulted from scuffies
between strike pickets and paid OF
volunteer workmen who undertook to
keep the railway services going.
Another noteworthy fact was the gen.
eral absence OF bitterness between the
| strikers and the people who suffered
| from the strike; also gradual soften
| ing of the tone of the newspapers. many
OF which began by calling the strikers
Bolsheviki and proclaiming that the
strike must be fought. as Germany hat
been fought. to the bitter end. A new
feature for a labor controversy in thi:
country was that both railway men ant
| Government used the newspapers freely
| for advertising their cases. "Is this mar
an anarchist?" was the question undei
the picture OF a railway porter on one
page of the paper, while lines of bis
| type on the opposite page set forth th'
wages which the Government was offer
ing to the railroad employees, with tho
query, '"Is this strike justified?"
| The King. cutting short his vacation
at Balmoral. arriving Just too late t
take part in the discussion. Prime Min
lister Lloyd George visited the palace to-
night to report the settlement OF thu
| strike.