Sensing that something was about to happen, police reinforcements were sent to the Connaught Road premises at 5 am. yesterday, when it became apparent that the employees were not going to start work. The Reserve Unit was called to the scene at 8 am, and a detachment of Italian marines arrived a few minutes later.
The workmen were sitting in the wooden barracks in the compound and several speeches were made, although no disturbances occurred. The management received the strikers' demands at about 9 am, and at 1.30 pin. it decided to declare a lock-out.
The strikers were consequently urged to leave the premises quietly and every opportunity was given them to do so. - Some 200 left but the others refused to move. When a further warning remained unheeded, Italian marines threw two tear-gas bombs which proved effective in evicting the men.
Shortly afterwards some 400 strikers gathered outside No. 13 Jessfield Road where they planned to hold a meet-materialize. et 4 ing which, er, did m
By 3 pin. the C.GO. Co's premises were deserted, with two Reserve Unit vans in attendance on the road and a number of Italian marines on duty inside various buses which had been conveniently placed near the two main gates. Machineguns were in position, but no further trouble occurred. 1 Throughout the Settlement and western district the withdrawal of bus service caused tramcars, railless trams, ihire-cars and rickshaws to convey unwonted numbers of passengers, especially as the weather was consistently bad, with rain and snow and a strong wind, all day.
Altogether, some 2,000. Chinese are affected by the strike which turned into a lock-out, Not involved are the Chinese inspectors and regulators and office staff. The mechanics who started the agitation did not return for work after they had finished their day's labour at 4 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.