Evening star., 1948-09-24
100000 Quit
InNation.Wide
French Strike
WuIkout Protesting
High Prices, Low Pay
To Lost Two Hours
i BY the Assoeioted Press

PARIS, Sept. 24.-French in
dustry and commerce ground to
a halt today in a two-hour gen.
eral strike of both Communist
and Communist unions.
Paris prepared for the worst as
1000 600 workers protested high liV-
ing costs and low wages. The DEM
onstration began at 4 pm. III am.
EDIT.
The tWo-hour shutdown of cleo
tricity was not expected to affect
the United Nations Assembly, in
session here
officials said the workers agreed
not to pull switches on power lines
feeding the Palais de Chaillot, U. N
meeting place.
Interior Workers Stay.
Government workers joined the
two-hour strike, but many remained
on the job. The Finance Ministry
and the Navy Ministry apparently
both we're out. The Interior Min
istry employees seemed to have stayed
on the job.
Police, whose right to strike was
limited by the National Assembly
last week, did not take part in the
Walkout.
While automatic dial telephones
operated normally, calls to long dis
tance and information operators got
no response. Regular leased lines
of thn dis
turbed, although there had been in
timations the wires might be cut.
The strike was announced before
the Government yesterday decided
to grant Is per cent wage increase
The strike call was not tempered
as result, but there were indica-
tions some workers had little en-
thusiasm for the stoppage.
Transport Strike Hits Paris.
The capital areas 100000 resi-
dents were stranded without public
transportation by 24-hour subway
and bus strike that began at 4 am.
The subway and bus strike was
called independently of the briefer
general strike and will cripple the
city's activity until a m. tomorrow
BY midmorning the transport
strike was 100 per cent effective.
Among those who found themselves
afoot were 5000 visitors to Paris
attached to the United Nations Cen
eral Assembly. Official U. N. vehicles
were unable to carry them all.
Despite the lack of buses and sub
way trains, Paris daily business life
appeared to go on as usual Shops
were open. Bicycles, motorcycles
and automobiles appeared in greater
numbers than on most days.
1t was announced that Premier
Henri Queuille would speak to the
French nation by radio tonight
The nature of his talk was not dis
closed.
Demand More Pay, Lower Prices.
Communist and non-Commu-
mist union chiefs called the walk
out as a warning to Mr.. Queuille's
government that they want higher
wages and lower living costs.
Despite the dramatic aspect OF
the labor protest, the French cabi-
net began the day with a new, and
at least temporary, lease on life.
Mr.. Queuille quelled political re-
volt in the National Assembly yes
terday BY pushing through the post
ponement of local elections from
October until next March. The As
sembly voted 3O2 to 276 to postpone
the elections.
Thus appeased. the Socialists in
the Council of the Republic, upper
house of Parliament. joined in in
dorsing Mr.. Queuille'S 80.000,0OO 900
franc $3.50, 10000 reverAe raising
plan.
Informed ministerial sources said
they thought labor could be kept in
hand with the IS per cent wage
increase granted Yesterday by the
government. The bread ration also
g. r,DUhJrIJ Dooa adh