The Cotton Factory Times. — 1906-05-18 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

FIDDLERS' CHANGE.  -An hour per week has been knocked off the labour Of boilermakers, 'patternmakers, etc., at Sheffield. London is to be invaded this week-end by a small arrny of female pit-brow and factory operatives from Lancashire in connection with the deputation to the Premier on votes for women. Arrangements have been made for about 200 women from the factory and the pit-brow, dressed in industrial garb, to take part. and it is stated that the contingent will be headed by Miss Annie Kenney, of Oldham, who until recently was a worker in an Oldham spinning mill.  -The iron pipe makers employed at Cochrane and Co.'s ironworks, Cargo Fleet. Middlesbrough, entered upon a strike on Monday, which, if not speedily settled, may result in the stopping of the works a nd about 1,000 people. Owing to the state of the pipe trade a more economical working of the pits by the employment of less labour has become necessary, says the employer, but the men objected to extra work without additional pay, and handed in their notices. The notices, numbering 250, expired on Saturday.  At the annual conference of the Midland Counties Trade Councils Federation at Nottingham on Saturday the Executive expressed regret that the Premier ttnd Mr. Burns had declined to meet a deputation on the unemployed question. Councillor Pendleton, president of the Nottingham Trades Council, de. cleared that they ought not to be too severe on Mr. Burns. Resolutions were passed appealing to the Government to include exempted works in the new Compensation Bill and in favour of old-age pensions and an Unemployed Act of a national and compulsory character.  The Reichstag on Saturday passed the second reading of the bill providing for an annual payment of £l5O to its members and for free travelling while the House in sitting.  Another demonstration of London's unemployed took place on Monday in Hyde Park, when a resolution was passed indignantly protesting against the refusal of the Prime Minister and the President of the Local Government Board to receive a deputation. Mr. Keir Hardie said they had no right to be patient. The more patient they were the more neglected they would be. The arrangements for the deputation to the Prime Minister on Saturday have been the subject of discussion recently among the women's suffrage associations. Several M.P.'s have urged that the women who created the disturbance in the Ladies' Gallery should be altogether excluded from the deputation. Miss Kenney, Mrs. Pankhurat, and their associates will, however, be there. It is mid there will be no rumpus on this occasion. The Textile Union of Yorkshire will be represented.  Two Bristol girls who had lost their situations tied themselves together by their apron strings and attempted to commit suicide by drowning in a pond on Monday. They were rescued by a police constable.  On Tuesday morning 20 Bolton emigrants departed for Canada, being sent there by the Bolton Distress Relief Committee, which had allocated a sum of £lBO to cover the expenses of the voyage. A considerable number of pcisple assembled to watch their departure, arid the Mayor of Bolton, who attended, gave the emigrants his best wishes on behalf of the town.