The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-26
WINNIPEG GENERAL
STRIKE CALLED OFF
Labor Leaders Order Men
Back To-day After Six
- Weeks Fight.
SURRENDER is COMPLETE
Commission Of Investigation
Seems Likely to Be
Appointed.

WINNIPEG, Man, June 25.--After
nearly six weeks of Industrial strife
winnipes's general sympathetic strike
has been called of. Shortly before MID
night last night the central strike COM
mittee came to an agreement to order
all men back to work tomorrow at IL
A. M, exactly six weeks from the time
II was called.
Similar announcements came from
Calgary and Edmonton.l Alberta, where
strikes had been called in sympathy
with the Winnipeg walkout. The pre-
diction also was made by strike leaders
in Vancouver and Victoria, b. C.. that
the sympathetic strikes in those cities
would be called Off to-day or tomorrow.
According to the announcement, the
calling of of the strike Is uncondi-
. tional. Conferences of labor leaders
yesterday with Premier Norris OF Mani
toba and other provincial officials failed
to obtain any concessions, but II was
indicated that a commission Of inves-
tigation would be appointed after the
strike was called of.
1t Is said that II. A. Robson. X c..
formerly Judge of the Kings Bench, VIII
be the only member of the commission.
lie is in Ottawa.
The general strike here was called
May l5 In sympathy with metal work
, ers, who had been on strike for several
weeks, ostensibly to secure collective
bargaining and recognition Of the metal
trades council.
Practically every public and private
industry was tied up in the first walk
out. Firemen, post office workers. City
Hall employees, all Joined with depart
ment store clerks, street car employees
and men in delivery services.
Want stared Winnipeg citizens In the
face for several days. when stores were
closed for lack of clerks, and milk,
bread and other necessities were almost
unobtainable.
Food depots were established by the
city after the first few days and were
operated internationally until a few days
ago.
Within a fortnight after the general
strike was called here many western
Canadian cities had been similarly af-
fected. Calgary, where the "one big
union" movement was launched at a
radical convention last winter, was one
of the first cities to be tied up. Edmon-
ton, Regina, Vancouver and other cities
of western Canada suffered partial tie
ups.
strike here. resulting in the deaths OF
two strikers and the wounding or injur,
of more than two score strikers, con.
stables and mounted police. Last Sat.
urday the city was placed under control
of the military. with Brig.-Gen. H c. b
Ketchen In command. Within twenty
four hours the troops were withdrawn
but yesterday the Mayor declared the
riot act still in force.
A week ago the Dominion authorities
sprans a coup by an early morning
seizure of eleven strike leaders, who were
taken from their beds and rushed &c
Stoney Mountain Penitentiary. A Few
days later all but four aliens were re-
leased on bonds and conferences with
uniOr. labor leaders on the strike COM
mittee resulted In announcement thai
they would be given trials in open court
here, instead of the deportation proceed
ings which Federal authorities at first
announced would be instituted.
On several occasions city. provincial
and Dominion authorities have made
public statements blaming the genera
strike agitation on allen radicals, anc
last week at a conference of authoritie,
with union labor leaders Minister OF
Labor Robertson showed letters that ha6
been seized at strike headquarters. pur'
porting TO prove direct connection with
Bolshevik plots TO overthrow the Do
minion and provincial governments.
Although at the beginning 1t was es
tinlated 5000 of the citys population OF
200, 900 walked out, tho return to worl
has been gradual since the first two
waeks