The Cotton Weavers' Strike The Lancashire Weavers' Amalgamation was slow
to order a general strike, but there can be no doubt that it has been obeyed by the.great majority, outside South Lancashire. The Manchester Guardian's local reports show that even on Monday many mills where the old- rate of wages is still paid were left idle, and since then the strike has become more complete. Whether South Lancashire will continue to hold aloof remains doubtful, but the stoppage of work in the rest of the county is a tragedy. The root cause of the trouble was the ending of the old agreement between the associated employers and the federated unions. When that happened, three months ago, the way was open for local employers' associations or individual employers to announce redue tions of wage rates. These led to local disputes and then to local strikes, especially at Burnley, which exacerbated tempers already tried by a long spell of had trade, short time, and 'unemployment. A new county agreement about wages is required and might conceivably be reached by trusted negotiators. But the demand for the immediate reinstatement of the local strikers, already replaced by other workpeople, finds the employers adamant, and has precipitated the general conflict.
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