Show HALF MILLION BRITISH JION STRIKE Industry f Tied Up alf as al W Workers Refuse W Wage Cut CutI I I M MANCHESTER Engla England d July 29 29 A API AP TH THe st sti J. J In the thi British Brillh industrial world since tm th f famous famO nl i general strike of 1926 and th the greatest in the cotton in m- for a d decade ead ade beg 1 Lan Lanca Lancashire a- a shire today Approximately half a million h hand nd were wee idle idl 1 Some 1500 scattered over a a. wide territory but centering in thiN big bic Industrial city ny v were c arte affected ted wh n t tlc the c w workers rk rs remained away rom from tho factories rath rather r than nc ac accept ac- ac I a W wage ge cut of ot 1 12 2 1 1 per r cent lh The of tho cotton In In Industry in- in d y is laced faced with probably the 1 w worst ral time In Its long and fr frequent frequent- frequently 1 ly Jr 3 troubled history ry since mediation by the ministry of ot lab labor has failed Figures on the tho number r oi work at the old rates tu or in which the tha work workers rs' rs accepted the time cut were slow coming Jn Jn but it was waz As estimated at it noon that not more mora than a score of ot plants were were operating operatIng In ing with any d degree of effectiveness If It the stoppage continues f for r a week it Is estimated t d that the half million t total tal of r idle Idie hands handa will be augmented by In more re workers v in tho the distributive and allied cotton trades The loss lOlls of ot th mill workers In wages will total at least a Even en today Lancashire hoped that the tle government would be bo able to reopen negotiations It was was reported re reported re- re ported here that Premier MacDonald contemplated personal Intervention A statement statement- by Sir Sr Horace HollIce Wilson permanent s secretary of othe the ministry of J labor blamed the employers t for r the lo lockout ko t Sir Horace Hor race r- r ace said the workers rs hind had all along Offered tf n d to submit th the dispute to a acourt acourt court of ot arbitration Uon and to accept tl the e courts court's decision The ministry under Miss Margaret Mar followed followed fol tol lowed low the situation closely Miss Miss' also ahio issued a statement this morning The minister of ot labor lubor has re received re- re a report of negotiations which hldi took p place c last week week- in the cotton trade and has has' considered tho thin present position She is to watching th the tho situation with the greatest l anxiety let lety but fels there Is no action which the thc department can a helpfully take at present At noon noon flOOn it was stated the majors maJor Ity of mills in fn both the cotton spinners spin spin- ners nero ners lass association and the association were dle lic were made up up upa as its follows Master Cotton Spinners s feder federation Uon J m mills spindles looms employee employ The rho Cotton Spinners and n d Manufacturers ass association loli 5 mills spindles s. s looms and es SIX MILLS WORKING i In 1 lx mills were working as as s' s w r eight oth others rs In s 's surrounding villages At one olio mill i O weavers ers went to the Jo looms ms only to be bo told that it the machinery could not be started for l so small a numb number r. r No definite move for tor reopening negotiations has has' been made H. H Boothman Boothm n. n sc secretary of ot tho the cotton spinners operatives stated a ne meet neet t. t would uld b bo held Wednesday to consider what steps could bo ho taken G. G secretary o of the It Fed Fed- d. d ration of ot Master Cotton Cotta Spinners said We arc are willing to meet m et the I operatives at any convenient cOn time for Cor further discussion I Thomas Ashurst sect secretary clary of ot the I Cotton Colton Spinners anti and Manufacturers rs association declared his bis association would meet shortly to consider its' its attitude toward mills in Its Us membership membership member member- ship iv which hichi were vero continuing on theold the theold theold old wage basis He expressed readiness readiness readi readi- ness to la meet the workers when they wished to negotiate |