Enclosure No.5","
Extract from the South China Morning Post
of 6.1.27.
70
CANTON'S LABOUR
WAR.
Arbitration Commission To Settle Dispute.
PETROL SHOP STRIKE.
(From, a Correspondent.)
Canton, Jan. 4.
In view of the seriousness of the recent labour battles in which rifles, bombs and machine guns were used, the Government and military authorities, met yester- day to discuss the matter and de- cided to have the fighting stopped at any cost. An Arbitration Com- mission will be formed to settle the dispute between the conflicting labour unions. The Commission will be formed of representatives from the Headquarters of the Na- tionalist Army, the Department of Labour and Peasants, the Depart- ment of Reconstruction, the Me- chanics' Union (rightist labour), and the Railwaymen's Union (left- ist labour). The Commissioner of Labour will be appointed chairman of the Commission.
As was recently proclaimed by the Government, the conflicting labour parties are bound to honour the decisions of the Arbitration Commission. Those disobeying will be dealt with severely by the Government.
No further fighting took place to-day, but the mechanics and the railwaymen are still guarding their respective headquarters. The Canton-Samshui railway, on which line the fighting occured during the last few days, still suspends running.
The Commissioner of Police last evening instructed the police force to pay special attention to the public safety of the city during the labour troubles which are getting daily worse. Large squads of armed police will patrol the streets day and night.
The Physical Department of the Kwangtung General Labour Union the rightist labour headquarters, was inaugurated this afternoon in their headquarters in Saikwayuan. 'The entire force of boxers' corps of the department, about 1,350 strong, displayed their arts in the meeting and afterwards took part in a demonstrative parade partici- pated by members of all the rightist labour unions in the city.
Workers in the petrol shops. went on strike this morning, fail- ing to obtain from their employers an increase of pay and other terms respecting improvement of treat- ment, etc. All the petrol shops in the city suspended business to- day.
The vegetable market workers stopped work to-day to celebrate the inauguration of their labour union.
Latest news states that fighting between the labour "Reds" and moderates broke out at Fatshan on January 3rd, in which 30 were
killed.
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