New-York tribune., 1919-05-25
Labor Trouble Likely to
Spread Over Dominion.
1t Is Feared, Though 1t Is
Now Confined to the West
Ottawa Officials Worried
In Toronto los Unions Are
to Vote Tomorrow on
General Tie-Up Question
Specio, CorrcsponSenes

Special Correspondence
OTTAWA. Canada, May 24.-The
members of the Dominion Government
have this week been we'll aware that
the Winnipeg agitation is of semi
revolutionary character that threatens
conditions that may mean something
very serious. The doings at Winnipeg
have, during the past few days, over
shadowed the work of Canadas Indus
trial Commission, and although the
sessions are producing important evil
dence- many express the wish that the
Labor Department had had its ears"
10 tho ground six months sooner
Ottawa is worried On Monday 105
unions at Toronto are to vote as to
whether there will be a general tie-up
there; at Calgary and several western
points men are emphatic in saying the
moment troops are sent to Winnipeg
there will be a general strike; there is
a threat that workmen will strike in
connection with the hydro electric
power plant at Niagara Falls, in which
case 1874 municipalities in Canada and
the United States might be plunged
into darkness.
RctuIucu 0OluIcIS 3NCUIidl
The returned soldiers here, and
some 5000 at Winnipeg and vicinity,
! have so far remained neutral, but in
sist that they will not stand for any
violence They are also indignant at
the way things are being run by the
extreme element at Winnipeg and other
centres. This statement appears here:
I'VE ask you to look west to Win
nipeg. A soviet in that city would
be a rebellion.
"Do we stand for the freedom of
Canada, for which we left 10000
dead on the fields of France, or do
we submit to the tyranny of Boishe-
vism under the dictation of men Of
the type Of this Ives person?
Red or red, white and blue?
Social justice, or socialstic
tyranny?
Choose, men! Gcrmanism in it's
rottenest form, or British liberty" y"
Premier Back To-day
Sir Robert Borden is expected back
from the peace conference to-day. and
one of the first matters the Cabinet
will deal with on his return is the un-
usual conditions threatening several
Canadian cities, Winnipeg especially.
The members of the Cabinet have been
kept in close touch with the situa-
ton by Senator G. y. Robertson, Min
lister of Labor The situation has all
along been regarded seriously, as, with
men in certain lines demanding as high
as SO a day wage, it was known it was
almost impossible to meet their de-
mands, and some trouble was feared.
Then the foreign element in Van-
couver and Winnipeg brings about
a situation that does not prevail furtn-
er East. The great bulk of the unions
at Winnipeg are SAID to be for a peace
able settlement, ans just how much
they will stand of the Bolshevik propa-
ganda remains to be seen.
1--WE have repeatedly offered concili-
alton, and are ready TO move st any
moment" said the Minister Of Labor,
but they refuse conciliation. Even
those who accepted, the street railway
men, abruptly broke off negotiations
and joined in the sympathetic strike.
The industrial disputes act provides
penalties for emf:oyes of certain
classes VINO go OH strike without first
taking steps to try to effect settle
persons. What the government can and
viii do is to see chat the public is
fully protected The situation goes
beyond that at Winnipeg, and applies
TO the general relations between capi-
tai and labor"
Ottawa has been advised OF attempts
TO demoralize the transport situation
by calling out employees of the National
Railway, but the railway unions are
said to be strongly opposed to such
course. The government in such event
would take action to see that the run
ming of trains to and from and through
Winnipeg is not interfered with.
No Canadian Premier ever has had
such big industrial problem to face
In Ontario and other eastern points
international trade bodies are already
beginning to see that they must get
prices lowered and wages increased
without adopting any such uncvilizcd
methods as Bolshevism, and are voting
down resolutions containing sugges-
tlons of soviet government In west
ern sections, however, there seems to
be an element that is anxious to try
force, and even would go as far a.
anarchy.
The returned soldiers everywhere
have their ears to the ground At q
big convention at Windsor this week
they discussed various phases of the
labor unrest and the evidence that the
Mathers Commission heard at Banff,
Victoria, and other centres. The re-
turned men are in sympathy with ef-
forts to get better wages, but are op-
posed to Bolshevik tendencies. Even
at Winnipeg the veterans counte-
nanced law and order when they passed
this resolution:
THAT the Great War Veterans As
sociation of Winnipeg declares its full
sympathy with the purposes of the
present strike to improve the general
condition of the people and pledges
itself to use every legitimate means
to preserve law and order; and that
after the strike is settled labor and
the returned soldiers get together and
discuss the deportation Of the enemy
aliens"
In many centres returned soldiers
say they will not act as strikebreak-
ers, but if there is any violence they
will be ready to obey orders and pro-
tect the public.
The Right Honorable James Henry
Thomas, NJ. P. for Derby in the Brit