Dustmen out in French Concession The strike fever which several days ago threatened to become general among all trades, has broken out afresh. On Thursday 256 roadsweepers and mafoos out of a total number of 286 employed by the French Municipal Council, for no apparent reason failed to be at work at the usual hour. Later on in the day it was learned that the men wanted an increase of $2.15 a month and a half holiday at least once a week.
Although it has caused a great inconvenience, the strike is not expected to last very long, a representative of the "'North-China Daily News" learnt on Thursday from an official in the Wrench Public Works Department. Pourparlers between the dustman and the Council were to take place yesterday, a+ which an offer was to be made that wages shall be raised according to a Sliding scale, based on the assumption that if the price of rice goes up by an extra dollar per picul, the men's wages will be raised by the same amount per month.
The 30 sweepers and mafoos who did not strike have managed, with the help of the drivers of three motor trucks, to cart away a good deal of the refuse.
Inquiries made at the offices of the Municipal Council elicited the welcome news that street scavengers in the International Settlement show no signs of coming out in sympathy with their brother professional in the French Concession.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.