The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-20
DOCK STRIKE.
SHUTS EVERY
BRITISH PORT
225,OOO Workers Quit Jobs,
Want so Cent Raise


LONDON, Feb. 19.-Pre-
mier Ramsay MacDonald's re-
ply to a question concerning
the attitude of the government
to the lockers strike that has
closed the ports of Great Bril-
tain is taken here to mean that
the Labor Party government is
no more sympathetic towards
the strike weapon than govern
ments that have preceded il.
Amid hearty cheers from the
opposition benches the premier
stated:
The government will not fail to
take such steps as are required to Sc
cure the transport necessary. ane
mas already set up the nucleus Of mn
organization. May ! add an express
sion Of hope that nothing be raid ar
asked here to make difficult the only
tEins that really matters settle.
.neai Of the dispute
The skyrocket ascent of food prices
has also brought action from the cov-
eminent in the form of an official
cabinet communication which SAYS.
The cabinet has had information
from various parts of the country
that meat and other prices are being
raised from 33 Ia to so per cent.
There is no reason for this increase
except the power of profiteers to ex-
tract from the public unjust prices.
The cabinet hopes this notice will
have the effect of stopping these in
creases, but in the meantime it has
asked that law officers consider the
powers of the government in this
matter and draft such emergency
measures as may be necessary to pre-
vent exploitation of the consumers
owing to the present strike"
Despite this threat prices continue
to rise and the Meat Traders Associa-
ton has announced that "the retail
ers are compelled to charge the pub
lie more owing to the increase IN
wholesale prices.
Full force of the strike began to
be felt today. Hundreds of ships
from all quarters Of the earth locked
and lay idle, facing the prospects of
seeing cargoes rot in their holds, UNI
less the strike is settled. Outbound
ships were unable to load cargoes
and take on coal.
Labor Minister Shaw and his COM
mittee were to meet again today to
consider the situation
The stevedoring companies are re-
cruiting blacklegs for the docks
which the strikers are picketing. 1t
is an almost foregone conclusion that
the attempt to move cargo will re-
suit in violence as the population Of
the seaport cities is overwhelmingly
in favor Of the strike.
The government, nevertheless, is
completing its preparations for CO.
or'eration with the stevedoring COM
panies.
The tieup of shipping is complete
and only about fifty per cent of the
warehousemen's union reported for
work yesterday. Their officers stated
that strike will be called Wednes-
day.
Reports from many ports are to
the effect that the strike is growing
and that workers in all trades are
quitting in large numbers in support
of the lockers. In Liverpool the
tugboat men have struck.
It is estimated that more than 225,-
900 men are already on strike.
The dockworkers in Belfast are
still at work but have refused to
handle any freight for Great Britain
and shippers in the other Irish ports
have been compelled TO refuse to ac-
cert consignments for British desti-
nations.
Strike Extends to Ulster.
BELFAST, Feb. 1.-THE Ulster
dock workers received orders today
not to handle any more cargoes ar
irving from Great Britain. where the